TRANSCARPATHIAN EXPERIENCE IN TERRITORIAL & CROSS BORDER COOPERATION

1. Meeting of the Approval Authorities EUROPEAN GROUPING FOR TERRITORIAL COOPERATION DEPUTY HEAD OF THE REGIONAL STATE ADMINISTRATION OF TRANSCARPATHIA, UKRAINE Volodymyr PRIHODKO TRANSCARPATHIAN EXPERIENCE IN TERRITORIAL & CROSS BORDER COOPERATION 21st-22nd February, 2013 Budapest, Károlyi-Csekonics Residence

2. THE REGIONAL STATE ADMINISTRATION OF TRANSCARPATHIA Meeting of the Approval Authorities EUROPEAN GROUPING FOR TERRITORIAL COOPERATION - GENERAL INFORMATION - TRANSCARPATHIA (Zakarpatska oblast) is an administrative region of Ukraine.It has been established on 22 January, 1946. Besides its geopolitical, economic, science and natural potential, the region is considered to be the center of international cultural exchanges. • Regions development priorities are defined by the Regional Council: • Establishment of a competitive and sustainable economy; • Human development and raising the standard of living; • Strengthening of the cross-border and euroregional cooperation; • Development of tourism and recreation sector; • Providing the spatial harmony and environmental protection.

3. THE REGIONAL STATE ADMINISTRATION OF TRANSCARPATHIA Meeting of the Approval Authorities EUROPEAN GROUPING FOR TERRITORIAL COOPERATION - REGIONAL AUTHORITIES & STRUCTURE - THE REGIONAL STATE ADMINISTRATION of Transcarpathia is the local state body, which is a part of the executive branch. Regional administration within its authority exercises executive powers at the territory of the region (oblast), as well as implements powers delegated to it by the relevant regional council. THE REGIONAL COUNCIL of Transcarpathia is the local government representing the common interests of territorial communities of villages, towns and cities within the powers established by the Constitution of Ukraine, the Law of Ukraine ‘On Local Self-Government in Ukraine’ and other laws and powers assigned to it by village, town, city councils. Transcarpathian region is administratively subdivided into 13 districts, as well as 5 cities (municipalities) which are directly subordinate to the regions government. The region has 13 district councils, 6 municipalities of regional significance, 19 town and 307 village councils. Interests of local communities are represented by 108 members of the regional council, 664 members of district councils, 394 members of city councils and 5768 members of village and 532 town councils.

4. THE REGIONAL STATE ADMINISTRATION OF TRANSCARPATHIA Meeting of the Approval Authorities EUROPEAN GROUPING FOR TERRITORIAL COOPERATION - GEOGRAPHY AND ENVIRONMENT - Transcarpathian region covers an area of 12.8 thousand m², which is 2.1% of the total territory of Ukraine. It is located in the southwestern Ukraine, occupying the territory of the southern slopes of the Carpathian Mountains and a part of Tysa Lowland. Transcarpathia is the only part of Ukraine located beyond the Carpathian Mountains that makes up part of the Pannonian Basin. Accessible to the main territory of Ukraine through numerous mountain passes, it joins Ukraine with the part of East-Central Europe. Moreover, along the southern rim of the Carpathians and the upper Tysa River (the Maramureş Basin) a route connects Transcarpathia with Slovakia to the west and with Transylvania and Moldova (within Romania) to the east. About 80% of the territory of Transcarpathia is covered by mountains, including the highest point of Ukraine – the Goverla (2061 m). Forests and mineral water springs are the main wealth of the region. There are 137 natural lakes on the territory of this land, as well as 9429 brooks and rivers. The biggest river is Tysa. About a quarter of hydroenergy potential of Ukraine is concentrated on the rivers, which provides the opportunity for development of small hydropower engineering. Transcarpathia is rich in natural resources, especially mineral water springs. The water and picturesque landscapes still represent a largely undeveloped potential that is rapidly gaining popularity in the area of health resorts and tourism.

5. THE REGIONAL STATE ADMINISTRATION OF TRANSCARPATHIA Meeting of the Approval Authorities EUROPEAN GROUPING FOR TERRITORIAL COOPERATION - POPULATION & DEMOGRAPHY - Population of Transcarpathian region is 1.2 million people. Population density – 101 persons per km² Actual density – 240 persons per km² Urban population – 522.3 thousand people (42%) Rural population – 754 thousand people (58%) Region has 712 thousand able-bodied people • Ukrainians • Hungarians • Romanians • Historically Transcarpathia has belonged to many different countries and has a mix of ethnicities and languages. Thus over 100 nationalities and ethnic groups live friendly together at the territory of Transcarpathia. The ethnic composition of the region is indeed complex. • It includes: • majority of Ukrainians (80.5 per cent); • significant minority of Hungarians (12.1 per cent); • minorities of Russians (2.5 per cent); • Romanians (2.6 per cent); • Roma (1.1 per cent); • Slovaks (0.5 per cent); • Germans (0.3 per cent) and others.

6. THE REGIONAL STATE ADMINISTRATION OF TRANSCARPATHIA Meeting of the Approval Authorities EUROPEAN GROUPING FOR TERRITORIAL COOPERATION - GEOPOLITICAL LOCATION - Transcarpathia has a unique geopolitical and geographical location in central Europe. Due to its geographical features Transcarpathia for long time has been a convenient junction between the countries of Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western Europe. In the northeast, east and southeast region is bordered by Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk regions of Ukraine. Northwest, west and south border of the regions is the state border of Ukraine, with a total length 467.3 km including the borders of Hungary (130.0 km), Romania (205.4 km), Slovakia (98.5 km) and Poland (33.4 km). ‘Central European’ identity of Transcarpathia was ‘officially’ confirmed by the Viennese Geographical Society, which in 1911 identified the ‘Centre of Europe’ in the Carpathian foothills just above the city of Rakhiv at the territory of Transcarpathia.

7. THE REGIONAL STATE ADMINISTRATION OF TRANSCARPATHIA Meeting of the Approval Authorities EUROPEAN GROUPING FOR TERRITORIAL COOPERATION - TRANSPORT & COMMUNICATIONS - Well-developed transport and communications infrastructure of Transcarpathia is an increasingly important condition for the region’s further integration in global trade. Transport infrastructure includes: Railways– with the total length of 606 km Roads – with the total length of 3,5 thousand km Region is crossed by two roads of national importance, including Kyiv-Chop Highway (132.9 km) and V Pan-European transport corridor Venice – Trieste/Koper – Ljubljana – Maribor – Budapest – Uzhgorod – Lviv – Kiev (1,600 km long).

8. THE REGIONAL STATE ADMINISTRATION OF TRANSCARPATHIA Meeting of the Approval Authorities EUROPEAN GROUPING FOR TERRITORIAL COOPERATION - BORDER CHECKPOINTS - Currently, there are 19 actually working border crossing checkpoints at the territory of Transcarpathia. Additionally, there are 4 promising checkpoints that require reconstruction. UKRAINIAN-HUNGARIAN BORDER AREA includes 8 acting and 2 promising checkpoints: Solomonovo-Derechke Velyka Palad-Kishpalad UKRAINIAN-SLOVAK BORDER AREA includes 6 acting and 1 promising checkpoint Zabrid-Ulich UKRAINIAN-ROMANIAN BORDER AREA includes 5 acting and 2 promising checkpoints Hyzha-Tarna Mare Yablunivka UKRAINIAN-POLAND BORDER AREA includes 1 promising checkpoint Lubnia-Volosate

9. THE REGIONAL STATE ADMINISTRATION OF TRANSCARPATHIA Meeting of the Approval Authorities EUROPEAN GROUPING FOR TERRITORIAL COOPERATION - CONSULAR MISSIONS - • There are 3 consular missions located at the territory of the Transcarpathian region: • Consulate General of Hungary in Uzhgorod • Consulate General of the Slovak Republic in Uzhgorod • Honorary Consulate of the Slovak Republic in Uzhgorod

10. THE REGIONAL STATE ADMINISTRATION OF TRANSCARPATHIA Meeting of the Approval Authorities EUROPEAN GROUPING FOR TERRITORIAL COOPERATION - REGIONAL & CROSS BORDER COOPERATION - Due to its geographical location, the Transcarpathian region of Ukraine is successfully developing regional and cross-border cooperation, promotes economic relations and works closely with many regions of neighboring countries in the economic, cultural and educational spheres, implements a number of investment projects. The aim of the national policy in the field of cross-border cooperation, as it is stated in the Act on Cross-border Co-operation is • ‘the establishment of favorable conditions for the efficient and mutually beneficial involvement of the Ukrainian entities in cross-border co-operation, the fostering of socio-economic development of the regions of Ukraine and the improvement of people’s quality of life’.

11. THE REGIONAL STATE ADMINISTRATION OF TRANSCARPATHIA Meeting of the Approval Authorities EUROPEAN GROUPING FOR TERRITORIAL COOPERATION • Development of • INTERREGIONAL and CROSS-BORDER COOPERATION • of Transcarpathian region is aimed at: • improving the neighborhood relations; • address common challenges; • ensure efficient and secure borders; • protecting the rights of minorities; • increase in the economic capacity for development of • border areas; • increase in the standard of living of the population on • both sides of the border; • promote people-to-people cooperation. Currently, Transcarpathian communities have over 185 bilateral agreements on cooperation and good neighborhood signed with the regions of more than 15 states of the world including Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, Romania, Austria, Finland, Germany, USA and others.

12. THE REGIONAL STATE ADMINISTRATION OF TRANSCARPATHIA Meeting of the Approval Authorities EUROPEAN GROUPING FOR TERRITORIAL COOPERATION • Permanently, TRANSCARPATHIAN COMMUNITIES develop, promote and encourage cooperation in: • Encouraging entrepreneurship, especially the development of • SMEs, tourism, culture and cross-border trade; • Improving joint management of natural resources; • Supporting links between urban and rural areas; • Improving access to transport and communication • networks; • Developing joint use of infrastructure; • Administrative, employment and equal • work opportunities; • Exchanging best practices.

13. THE REGIONAL STATE ADMINISTRATION OF TRANSCARPATHIA Meeting of the Approval Authorities EUROPEAN GROUPING FOR TERRITORIAL COOPERATION Annually due to efforts of the Transcarpathia Regional State Administration the Good Neighborhood Days between neighborhood states are conducted at the territory of the region. Traditionally the meetings of Hungarian-Ukrainian and Slovak-Ukrainian Intergovernmental Commissions on Cross-Border Cooperation are held in Transcarpathian region. • Transcarpathian community is also an active member of the Carpathian Euroregion. Together with its partners it shares the same wide-ranging goals of: • promoting cross-border trade and • cooperation; • cultural contacts; • mutual understanding and historical • reconciliation between peoples • divided by international borders.

14. THE REGIONAL STATE ADMINISTRATION OF TRANSCARPATHIA Meeting of the Approval Authorities EUROPEAN GROUPING FOR TERRITORIAL COOPERATION - THE EU STRATEGY FOR THE DANUBE REGION - • Transcarpathian region is a part of the area of cooperation determined as a functional area defined by its river basin. • Communities of the region submitted 4 projects for approval within the framework of the Strategy: • The development of navigation on the Tysa River. Constructing a river port in Transcarpathia • Reconstruction of the existing water and sewer systems in Mukachevo city • Construction of the wastewater treatment facilities in Mizhgirya town. • Tokaji – Transcarpathia Cross-border Tourist Wine Route

15. THE REGIONAL STATE ADMINISTRATION OF TRANSCARPATHIA Meeting of the Approval Authorities EUROPEAN GROUPING FOR TERRITORIAL COOPERATION - CBS / ENPI PROGRAMMES - • Transcarpathian region participates in the following CBC / ENPI Programmes: • The Poland-Belarus-Ukraine Programme • The Hungary-Slovakia-Romania-Ukraine Programme

16. 8 19 9 18 11 21 17 16 5 10 7 4 12 1 20 3 15 22 6 14 2 13 THE REGIONAL STATE ADMINISTRATION OF TRANSCARPATHIA Meeting of the Approval Authorities EUROPEAN GROUPING FOR TERRITORIAL COOPERATION There is a great number of successful projects implemented at the territory of Transcarpathia together with its European partners. For already 5 years Regional State Administration of Transcarpathia has an agreement on cooperation with KRAJ VYSOCINA of Czech Republic. Within the framework of the agreement there were more than 25 joint projects implemented in social field, tourism, ecology during this period. Among them reconstruction of kindergartens, schools, medical institutions, social rehabilitation centers, with the total cost of over 1.5 million euro. 1.Lazeschina village, Vinogradivskyi district 2.Strymba village, Mizhgirskyi district 3.Shyroke village, Vinogradivskyi district 4.Nove Davydkovo village, Mukachivskyi district 5.Mizhgirskyi district 6.Bogdan village, Rakhivskyi district 7.Mukachevo city 8.Stuzhitsa village, Velykobereznianskyi district 9.Volovets city 10.Chynadievo village, Mukachivskyi district 11.Nevitske village, Uzhgorodskyi district 12.Babychi village, Mukachivskyi district 13.Velykyi Bychkiv village, Rakhivskyi district 14.Dubove village, Tiachivskyi district 15.Velyka Kopania village, Vynogradivskyi district 16.Svaliava city 17.Rodnykivka village, Svaliavskyi district 18.Skotarske village, Volovetskyi district 19.Lypovets village, Khustskyi district 20.Bene village, Beregivskyi district 21.Uzhgorod 22.Hyzha village, Vynogradivskyi district

17. Within the framework of the EU’s Eastern Partnership initiative, pursuant to the agreement on cooperation between the Regional State Administration of Transcarpathia and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Hungary agreed to reconstruct togethermore than 60 schools in almost every district of Transcarpathia, with a total cost of the project - 1 million USD. THE REGIONAL STATE ADMINISTRATION OF TRANSCARPATHIA Meeting of the Approval Authorities EUROPEAN GROUPING FOR TERRITORIAL COOPERATION Association of Students-Economists of Transcarpathia was a partner in the implementation of the Economic Educational Territorial – Structure project approved within the CENTRAL EUROPE Programme. The project responds to the general lack of coherence between the connection of the educational system to the leading edge of technology and business practices, being one part of the Lisbon ‘employment’ agenda.

18. THE REGIONAL STATE ADMINISTRATION OF TRANSCARPATHIA Meeting of the Approval Authorities EUROPEAN GROUPING FOR TERRITORIAL COOPERATION - EGTC - We take this opportunity to welcome your efforts to reinforce economic and social cohesion by redressing the main regional imbalances through support for the development and structural adjustment of regional economies, including the conversion of declining industrial regions and regions lagging behind, and support for cross-border, transnational and interregional cooperation. However, we conclude, on the basis of the information gathered, that the difficulties in launching the EGTC as a Community legal institution lie overwhelmingly in the procedural field, since the implementation of Regulation (EC) No 1082/2006 is not coordinated, either independently between the Member States, or through a Community authority.

19. THE REGIONAL STATE ADMINISTRATION OF TRANSCARPATHIA THE REGIONAL STATE ADMINISTRATION OF TRANSCARPATIA Meeting of the Approval Authorities EUROPEAN GROUPING FOR TERRITORIAL COOPERATION Thank you for your attention. I will be pleased to answer your questions.