INTERREG - IPA HUNGARY-SERBIA CROSS-BORDER COOPERATION PROGRAMME

OVERVIEW OF THE PROGRAMME

In brief 
Interreg–IPA Cross-border Cooperation Programme Hungary–Serbia (Interreg-IPA CBC Hungary- Serbia) is an initiative within the 2014-2020 European Union financial framework, under the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA).

The Programme was approved by the European Commission by its decision C(2015) 9488 on December 15, 2015.  It relies on the Regulation (EC) No 231/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council and the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 447/2014 (IPA II Implementing Regulation).

On the basis of “shared management system" of the participating countries – Hungary and Serbia, the Programme funds and supports co-operation projects of non-profit organizations located in the Programme-eligible area, including Hungarian NUTS III level counties Csongrád-Csanád and Bács-Kiskun, and Serbian NUTS III equivalent regions: West Bačka, North Bačka, South Bačka, North Banat, Central Banat, South Banat and Srem.

Interreg-IPA CBC Hungary-Serbia is the fourth generation of the cross-border cooperation programmes in the Hungary-Serbia border region. Operating under the slogan “Good Neighbours Creating Common Future”, the Programme supports the development of a stable and co-operating region and the overall quality of life in the border region. It enables economic collaboration of organizations from the two countries, nurtures the common identity, and cultural and historical heritage of the border region, and contributes to its environmental sustainability and safety.  As such, Interreg–IPA CBC Hungary–Serbia may be perceived as a progression of the previous Hungary-Serbia IPA Cross-border Co-operation Programme, implemented within the 2007-2013 EU financial framework.

The European Parliament and Council decision on establishing the Instrument for Pre-Accession assistance (IPA III) was issued in September 2021. The fundamental document (called Interreg Programme) on the cooperation between Hungary and the Republic of Serbia in the programming period 2021-2027 has been submitted to the European Commission for approval.

Detailed information about the Hungary-Serbia IPA Cross-border Co-operation Programme is available on the Programme’s website.

The overview of the features of the 2007-2013 Programme and description of the implemented projects within the Programme is available in the published Project Catalogue. Additionally, examples of successfully implemented projects and good cooperation were presented in the publication the Examples of Good Cooperation. Similar anthology is planned to be designed around the closure of the current programming period.

 
Important features of the Programme

The Lead Beneficiary principle
The Lead Beneficiary principle is a basic requirement in all operations financed from the Programme. The project is represented by the Lead Beneficiary, acting as the only direct contact between the project and the joint management bodies of the Programme. It is the responsibility of the Lead Beneficiary to create a well working consortium among the project partners based on a partnership agreement.

Cross-border Impact
In order to have joint projects with real cross-border effect, projects partners from both sides of the border must be involved. Projects have to be planned and implemented according to the joint cooperation criteria: joint planning, joint staffing, joint financing and joint implementation of projects. Project results should have impact on both sides of the border.

Public Procurement
The public procurement in the whole area of the cross-border Programme, both on Hungarian and Serbian territory will be carried out according to the contract procedures for the EU external actions  (PraG).

PROGRAMME OBJECTIVES AND PRIORITIES OF THE 2014-2020 PROGRAMME

Long-term objectives
The long-term and overall aim of the Programme is the harmonized development of the region with intensified economic cooperation through sustainable use of natural and cultural resources.  
 

Specific Objectives
In order to achieve this overall aim the following five specific objectives were defined:
•    Decreasing environmental risks (e.g. drought, flood, hail) and preventing negative effects on quality of water bodies and nature protected areas;
•    Increasing the capacities of border crossing and the connected transport lines through promoting development of road transport and use of sustainable transport modes (public transport, bicycle, water transport);
•    Creation of commonly coordinated cross-border tourism destinations based on the complementary local assets in order to ensure sustainable development of tourism potentials;
•    Promoting co-operation activities in the field of culture, leisure, sport, and nature protection;
•    Enforcing the growth capabilities and employment potential of SMEs through the development and adaptation of new technologies, processes, products or services (not open within the Strategic Call for Proposals). 

These specific objectives are to be achieved through the following four Priority Axes:

PA 1: Improving cross-border water management and risk prevention systems;
PA 2: Decreasing the bottlenecks of cross-border traffic
PA 3: Encouraging cooperation in tourism and cultural heritage preservation;
PA 4: Enhancing SMEs’ economic competitiveness through innovation-driven development. 

Additionally, the Programme includes the Priority Axis 5 – PA 5 - Technical Assistance, which is not a subject of Calls for Proposals, as it provides funding exclusively for the management of the Programme. 

The Programme’s Priority Axes are defined through Thematic Priorities (TP), which conform to the EU, national and regional level strategic documents. When selecting the thematic priorities, Hungary and Serbia sought to achieve coherence between their development programmes related to the cross-border region, with a high focus on possible synergies and overlapping development areas. Also through a bilateral understanding, the Programme supports and contributes to the objectives defined in EU, national and regional level strategic papers. Thus, the Interreg-IPA CBC Hungary-Serbia Programme applies the following Thematic Priorities, in line with Europe 2020, a ten-year strategy of the European Commission aimed to advance the EU’s economy through greater coordination of national and European policies: 

TP2: Protecting the environment and promoting climate change adaptation and mitigation, risk prevention and management; 
TP3: Promoting sustainable transport and improving public infrastructures; 
TP4: Encouraging tourism and cultural and natural heritage; 
TP7: Enhancing competitiveness, the business environment and the development of small and medium-sized enterprises, trade and investment. 

Short description of projects funded along with the above objectives is also available on the Programme website. In period 2014-2020 there will be no further call for proposals published. However, in the frame of the new programming period (2021-2027), the first call is expected to be launched in the second half of 2022.

FINANCIAL FRAMEWORK
The total EU contribution to the Interreg-IPA CBC Hungary-Serbia programme (ERDF/IPA-Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance) is 65,124,000 EUR. Taking into consideration the national counterpart (including also the own contribution of project partners), the total budget of Programme is 76,616,474 EUR.