May 2016 – EN Interreg SI-HR

On 11 March 2016 the first deadline for the submission of project applications in the frame of the Open Call for Proposals ended. Until the closure of the deadline 91 project applications were submitted. The results of the administrative check are 27 project applications that comply with the administrative and eligibility criteria. Those 27 projects are now subject of the quality assessment.

Projects that did not pass the administrative and eligibility check will receive the Letter of notification with the main reasons for rejection. Projects rejected in this faze have the possibility to submit the revised application in one of the next deadlines. Next deadline for the submission of project applications is foreseen in the end of October 2016.

The first subsidy contract in the frame of cross-border Cooperation Programme Slovenia-Croatia for programming period 2014-2020 was signed on May 20, 2016 in Podčetrtek for strategic project aiming to reduce flood risk, FRISCO1. The contract was signed by Nina Seljak MSc, head of European Territorial Cooperation Office at Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy of the Republic of Slovenia and Zoran Đuroković, general director of Hrvatske vode Company. The assembly was addressed also by mayor of Podčetrtek, Peter Misja.

Ceremonial signing of the first contract in the frame of cross-border Cooperation Programme Slovenia-Croatia represents a symbolic seal on continuation of successful cross-border cooperation in the programming period 2014-2020, thorough which different applicants can successfully realise their ideas and together with their cross-border partners carry out sustainable solutions. For the cooperation programme between Slovenia and Croatia covering the programme area comprising 9 regions in Slovenia and 8 regions in Croatia, more than 43 million euros is available from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), out of that approximately 10 million euros for strategic projects aimed at flood risk reduction measures.

The goal of flood risk reduction in the river basins of Kolpa/Kupa, Sotla/Sutla, Drava, Mura, Dragonja and Bregana, covering the joint transboundary territory between Slovenia and Croatia, is also followed by FRISCO1 project selected in the frame of special invitation for application submission. Eight partners cooperate in the project worth 4.070.950 euros (3.460.307,50 euros comes from ERDF), these are: lead partner Hrvatske vode, Ministry of the Republic Slovenia for the Environment and Spatial Planning, Slovenian Environment Agency, Slovenian Water Agency, National Protection and Rescue Directorate of the Republic of Croatia, Meteorological and Hydrological Service of the Republic of Croatia, Institute for Hydraulic Research and Administration of the Republic of Slovenia for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief. The project worth almost 10 percent of all programme funds deals with a typical cross-border topic. Clearly, managing flood protection only on one side of the border would not lead to the desired effects. The inhabitants of joint transboundary space can expect concrete benefits from the project. The expected improved flood protection will be accompanied with improved conditions for sustainable tourism development and biodiversity conservation in the transboundary area; moreover the project also contributes to the objectives of the EU Danube Region.