The project “Strengthening of the Interboundary Cooperation in Lower Danube Euroregion”, which has been worked in cooperation with organizations from Moldova, Rumania and Ukraine, starts today. The realization of this project depends inseparably on expansion of EU and impending entry of Ukraine into the World Trade Organization.

Preconditions of the project. Interboundary cooperation between the Republic of Moldova, Rumania and Ukraine is very important when taking into account tendency to integration of Europe and new European politics of good neighborliness. In Ukraine the interboundary cooperation is realized in three Euroregions: Lower Danube, Upper Prut and Siret-Prut-Dnestr.

The main aim of interboundary cooperation lies in creation and development of relations between organizations, which work in sphere of economics, science, education and culture, and also between institutions of local governing of a political unit.

As form of interboundary cooperation render assistance in strengthening of a good neighborly relations between countries Euroregions are very peculiar instrument for integration into European structures. This is especially important for Ukraine because of expansion of EU and entry of Rumania into EU. Euroregions are the means of regulation of possible territorial problems of the countries, take away tension in field of possible territorial claims, allow to solve problems connected with position of national minorities. This is in a way a testing area for compatibility of legislation of different countries and legal systems.

The Euroregion “Lower Danube” was founded in 1998 with the assistance of the Odessa Region and three uyezds of Rumania and Moldova. The Statute was passed, the Council was approved, seven profile committees were formed.

But recently we can observe activity decay of the work of the Euroregion Council. Decisions adopted by the Council are of very indistinct and formal nature, which leads to their re-access. The main problems the Euroregion “Lower Danube” Council members meet are lack of correspondence of legislations of countries-members (because of this incorrespondance it is practically impossible to settle questions), dramatic effect of elective processes in the three countries, which leads sometimes to complete substitution of committees and members of the Euroregion countries; divergence of authorities in decision-making between central and local institutions of governing; difference of level of development of the interboundary cooperation infrastructure, lack of priorities in cooperation and development strategy, absence of equal interest of local governing institutions in development of local initiatives, lack of clear criteria results estimation of interboundary cooperation in the Euroregion.

For the strengthening of the interboundary cooperation within the framework of the “Lower Danube” Euroregion it is impossible to intensify the work of the Eroregion Council committees, to redirect the activity of the Council into practical way to settle practical questions. All these points became the basis for the creation of the project for receiving the grant.

The aim of the project. The general aim of the project is improvement of the intrboundary cooperation, which means activation of the work of the Euroregion “Lower Danube” Council committees, creation of new projects of interboundary cooperation, creation at local level conditions for cooperation.

The project has next concrete aims:

- to realize exchange of experience between representatives of local and regional institutions of governing, members of specialized Euroregion committees, experts in this sphere, representatives of public nonprofit organizations from the Republic of Moldova, Rumania and Ukraine in settling common problems of interboundary cooperation.

- to work out recommendation for the Euroregion Council for 2007.

The project consists of 5 stages:

1. Organization of providing of the project
2. Visit concerned with start of the project, and experience exchange to Ukraine.
3. Visit for experience exchange to the Republic of Moldova.
4. Visit for experience exchange to Rumania/
5. Working out of recommendations for the Euroregion “Lower Danube” Council, completion of the project.

The realization of the project will bring such results as:

1. Attracting of representatives of local and regional state authorities from Moldova, Ukraine and Rumania into three-sided interboundary cooperation.
2. It will allow to use results of the project in future programs and strategies of regional development.
3. It will allow to develop relations between non-governmental and governmental sectors for the purpose of socio-economic development of the Lower Danube Euroregion.
4. The project will render assistance for the creation of positive climate for the improvement of investment environment.

The general budget of the project is 29702 USD, including financing of the program “East - East”: 23392 USD.

• Moldova 5755 USD
• Ukraine 7772 USD
• Rumania 9865 USD

Co-financing from the personal sources of the initiators of the project: 6310 USD.

Financing of the project in Ukraine is provided by the International Renaissance Foundation.

Applicant:

The Institute of Conflict Resolution – INRECO

R. 205, ¹ 98, the 31^st of August 1989 Street, MD 2004

Kishinev , the Republic of Moldova.

Tel . /fax: : (+373 22) 203 464; 203 463

Mobile phone: (+373) 69335498

E –mail: inrecong@mail.md

Acting president - : GUTUTUI Veaceslav

Partners:

Agency of the Interboundary Cooperation and European Integration:

¹23/4, the 31^st August Street, , MD 3900

Kagul, the Republic of Moldova

Tel : +373-299-2-69-68

Fax : +373-299-2-84-01

Mob : +373-797-976-73

E-mail: iacobajder@yahoo.fr

Acting director : Iacob AJDER

The Small and Mediun Entrepreneurship development Fund in the City of Galatz

Galatz 800119, 13a Eroilor Street, Rumania

Tel : 0040 236 460029/0040 36 473580

Fax: 0040 236 460302

E-mail: fpipmm@galati.astral.ro

The main director – Dan Lilion GOGONCEA

The Enterpreneurship Support Fund of the City of Izmail:

¹25/2 , the Sovjetskaja Militsija Street

Izmail 68617, Odessa Region, Ukraine

Tel: +380 4841 20046

Fax: +380 4841 48078

E-mail: vs-ifse@businessinodessa.com

Site: www.fpp.businessinodessa.com

Director: Mrs. Valentyna STOYKOVA