Tisza EGTC

A discussion on European Groupings of Territorial Cooperation (EGTCs) as an opportunity for local development was held at the regional office of U-LEAD with Europe in Transcarpathia. EGTCs offer communities in different countries the opportunity to join forces for joint development, exchange experiences and implement joint projects.

The ‘U-LEAD with Europe’ programme currently has 24 offices in Ukraine and works with 1,469 local communities across the country. It is a cooperation programme between the Ukrainian government, the European Union and its member states – Germany, Poland, Denmark and Slovenia – to establish a transparent, accountable and responsive multi-level governance system that meets the needs of Ukrainian citizens.

The event on 23 May 2025 was attended by community leaders, their deputies, experts, representatives of county councils and international experts, including Oleksandr Duleba, Slovak political scientist (Institute of Political Science, University of Prešov), Andrea Szabóné Cap, director of the Tisza European Territorial Cooperation Group, and Judit Jevcsák, deputy director of the Tisza European Territorial Cooperation Group.

Andrij Seketa, acting chairman of the Transcarpathian Regional Council, noted that EGTCs are a good tool for attracting direct funding from Brussels, about which, unfortunately, we still know very little. It is important to note that this is only a tool and does not guarantee success. It is not enough to simply establish or join an association; hard work is required, which is why such meetings are important for better understanding the potential of this tool.

The discussion focused on the legal basis for the creation of EGTCs, examples of their effective work in Europe, and the experience of the Tisza ETT, which also operates in the Carpathian region. The meeting ended with a brainstorming session, where participants shared their ideas and outlined possible steps for establishing new partnerships.

As Pavlo Logvinov, head of the Carpathian regional office of ‘U-LEAD with Europe’, noted, the topic is relevant not only for our region but for the whole of Ukraine.

The source of the news can be found at this link.