Kolarctic launch call for proposals
The €70 million EU-Russia programme for cross-border cooperation in the north will start its first call for proposals on January 11th.
The Kolartctic ENPI cross-border cooperation between Northern Sweden, Norway, Finland and Northwest –Russia will receive proposals for three months and then the project selection procedures will take some months so that the first projects can be expected to begin during autumn 2010.
The programme has three priorities: Economic and social development, Common challenges and people-to-people cooperation and identity building. The joint managing authority is in the Regional Council of Lapland in Finland.
BarentsObserver reported in two weeks ago that the Russian-EU financing agreements for five cross-border cooperation programmes were signed at the Russian-EU Summit in Stockholm.
-Direct people-to-people contact is an essential element of these programmes, so joint actions in areas as education, culture, civil society are a central component. I am convinced that the CBC programmes will bring tangible benefits to people in the regions on both sides of the EU border, Benita Ferrero-Waldner said after the deals were signed.
In addition to the Kolaarctic program, the financial agreements for four other cross-border cooperation programmes were signed. The programmes have a total budget of €437 million an last until 2013.
