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Report on the impact of Madrid Outline Convention and its protocols on cross-border cooperation between Hungary and its neighbours

The report, commissioned by the Directorate General of the Democracy of the Council of Europe, gives an insight into the development of cross-border cooperation and into the role of the Madrid Convention and its Additional Protocols in it. Apart from this, it also includes a short comparison between the tools of the EGTC (European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation) and the tools of the ECG (Euroregional Cooperation Grouping) of the Council of Europe. Every chapter discusses Hungary’s case related to the given issue.

For more place-based approach – Position paper of CESCI on the Future of Cohesion Policy

This paper has been elaborated as the part of the project managed by the COTER aiming to collect former experiences from the ground and to draft recommendations for the future of Cohesion Policy beyond 2020. As the representative of our association has been invited to take part in the work of the expert group facilitating the process we had the opportunity to join the common work and to summarise our experiences.

Decision supporting background study for the establishment of the ECR EGTC

The members of the network of transport authorities from the 14 EU Member States decided in 2016, to upgrade their cooperation by forming it as a European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation. Our association provided professional support for the establishment of the EGTC. During 2016, we developed a comprehensive background study that introduces the process of establishment in details, examines the relevant legal environment, formulates proposals for the organisational structure of the EGTC, and and the seat of the grouping.

Overview of the EGTCs around Hungary

CESCI has published the most comprehensive analysis so far on the functioning of the EGTCs involving Hungarian members. The volume edited by Sara Svensson (CEU) and Gyula Ocskay (CESCI) treats the legal, economic and social conditions of the functioning of the EGTCs, gives an overview on the history of the governmental policies supporting the groupings and within an evaluating chapter it summarizes the results the groupings have achived so far.

Authors of the volume: Roland HESZ, Norbert JANKAI, Mátyás JASCHITZ, Gyula OCSKAY and Sara SVENSSON. The maps have been plotted by Éva GANGL, the figures are drawn by Kitti DUBNICZKI who was also in charge of the design and editing of the volume. The book has published with the financial support of the Hungarian Prime MInister’s Office in 300 examples.

Crossing the borders – Studies on cross-border cooperation within the Danube Region – A classification of the cross-border cooperation initiatives of the Danube Region

Legal accessibility – Serbia’s participation in european grouping of territorial cooperation (EGTC) and euroregional cooperation grouping (ECG)

The current study was elaborated within the framework of the project Legal accessibility – Second milestone implemented by Central European Service for Cross-Border Initiatives (CESCI) with the support of the Hungarian Ministry of Justice. As a subcontractor of the aforementioned project, CESCI Balkans was requested to analyze the opportunities of the adoption of a legislative document enabling local stakeholders to take part in European Groupings of Territorial Cooperation (EGTCs) and / or Euroregional Cooperation Groupings (ECGs) – based on the legal background provided by the Council of Europe and the European Union.

Position paper of CESCI on indicators measuring the results and impacts of the EGTC Regulation

This position paper has been drafted based on the invitation of the European Commission Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy, Unit of Legal Affairs for an informal consultation on the planned indicators measuring the effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, European added value and scope for simplification of the EGTC Regulation (in line with the provisions laid down in the Article 17 thereof). The above-mentioned factors should be evaluated by using indicators until the August 2018. The Legal Affairs unit has developed a proposal including potential indicators. (In this paper, this EGTC evaluation indicators proposal will be referred to as „Document A”.)

LEGAL ACCESSIBILITY along the Hungarian borders – Third milestone Legal obstacles of EGTCs

The original aim of the subproject was the review of the work experience and legal obstacles related to the operation of EGTCs with Hungarian interest, in order to review the EGTC Regulation planned in connection with the EU budgetary planning process starting in 2018; and with the help of the review of the work experience and legal obstacles related to the operation of EGTCs with Hungarian interest ,to propose an amendment to the Regulation that can exclude misuse and promote exemplary models across the EU. However, the Commission Report of 17 August 2018 concluded that other types of activities were needed instead of a further amendment of the EGTC Regulation. However, we did not exclude the clarification of the situation in Hungary, and to gather information about the legal difficulties, and taking into account the current good practices.

Linguistic and ethnic border changes: within the frames of Ister-Granum Euroregion settlement group

The main objective of the study is to clarify the context of a data analysis with ethnic geographical approach, namely how the increased crossing traffic through the rebuilding Mária Valéria Bridge is reflected in the ethnic composition of the given Slovakian settlements. The spatial structure analyzes the direction and depth of the changes that are reflected through the three-decade nationality statistics. The study applies a set of concepts of ethnic geography and it explores the changes within the ethnic block zones and the Hungarian-Slovak linguistic boundaries in the region.

The role of the EGTC in cross-border spatial planning

Since the appearance of the EGTC instrument in 2006,1 much experience has been gained among those applying it that has highlighted some of its shortcomings and – in some cases – some of its potentials, which were not foreseen at the time of its creation. The EGTC instrument is now used by 692 collaborations across Europe. However these collaborations differ in terms of the purpose for which they have been established, among those of significance are those aiming for more efficient spatial development of cross-border functional regions. Many of these initiatives had to first gain some experience in the field of spatial planning – traditionally contained within the well-defined frameworks of national policy – in order to develop a more systematic and conscious functioning. Thus over the last decade and a half, a considerable number of EGTCs have challenged not only the traditional territorial boundaries, but traditional governance competencies as well. These attempts, which were literally expanding horizons, highlighted some of the interesting technical aspects of spatial planning. This paper tries to draw some conclusions, considering and evaluating the knowledge accumulated in the field of cross-border spatial planning, during the activities of EGTCs (mainly focusing on regional development) located along the Hungarian borders.