Transcript Michael Roth

Regional Coordination
Forum Austria-Hungary
Evolution of a good practice in Cross-border
Governance
Michael Roth
Gödöllő, February 2011
[email protected]
Overview
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The Region
Evolution of the Forum
Setting of the Forum
Contents of the Forum
Governance Challenges
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The Border Region between Hungary and
Austria
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Length of Boder: 366 km
Metropolitan area in the north
Periphery in the south
Involving 4 Austrian and 3
Hungarian regions
 Number of official border
crossing points: 41. Threreof:
– 27 for cars/ bikes/
pedestrians/ equestrians
– 13 for trains
– 1 for ships
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Phase I: Institutionalised Approach (InterGovernmental)
 Cooperation on spatial planning started already in
1985
 Institutionalised Cooperation (Austrian-Hungarian
Commission on spatial planning); based on formal
interstate agreement
 Little demand for regional planning issues in the strict
sense of the interstate agreement
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Phase II: Practical Cooperation
 No Meetings on political level since 1995 (later also no
activities on adminsitrational level)
 High demand for cooperation on (Sub-)regional level
due to new opportunities in the field of regional
development
 Project related cooperation in the framework of
INTERREG/PHARE: „replaces“ strategic cooperation
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Phase III: Informal Approach (Governance)
 Demand for reinvigoration of the joint commission (HU
initiative in 2004), but:
– Institutionalised Approach within EU did not seem appropriate
any more
– Thematic focus too narrow; need for more flexibility
– Project related cooperation did not require a formal setting
 New „informal“ setting and format:
 High Level Coordination Forum on regional
development in the joint cross-border region
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Setting
 Objectives:
– to exchange on ongoing activities in the field of regional
development (on either side and jointly)
– To match relevant partners from either side
– to give impulses to deadlocked processes and projects
 Coordinators: Ministry of Public Administration and
Justice (HU), Federal Chancellery (AT)
 Rapporteurs: Stakeholders from national, regional and
local level + intermediate bodies („whomever it takes“)
 Meeting once a year
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Content (Examples)
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Strategic plans and projects
Border crossings
Water quality
Contradictory land uses
Tourism development
…
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Governance Challenges
 Role and character of the Forum
(political/administrative)
 Competencies of involved stakeholders
 Content: spatial development and/or broader
approach?
 Willingness and commitment for cooperation
 Limits of the approach
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Thank you
for your attention!
Michael Roth
Directorate IV/ Division 4
Ballhausplatz 2
1014 Wien
Phone: +43 1 531 15-2936
[email protected]
www.bka.gv.at/regionalpolitik