Dagnija Ūdre

Project Manager

Vidzeme Planning Region

www.vidzeme.lv

Võru, Estonia, 19.09.2012

Implementation of Estonia – Latvia Programme Projects in

Vidzeme Planning Region

2Vidzeme Planning Region

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Basic data on VPR• Area: 15 246 km2 (23.6 % of the country)• Population: 234 thousand (9.5 % of the country)• Nationality: 85 % Latvians• Density: 15 people per km2 (58 % live in rural areas)• Municipalities: City of Valmiera + 25 municipalities

(novadi)• GDP per capita: 4503 LVL (63% of the average)• Institution – Development Council (decision-making

body) and Administration (executive body)

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Supported projects

• Priority 1. Increased cohesion of the Programme area – 13 projects (completed – 4, running – 9)

• Priority 2. Higher competitiveness of the Programme area – 6 projects (completed – 4, running – 2)

• Priority 3. Active, sustainable and integrated communities – 13 projects (completed – 6, running – 7)

• Total – 32 projects related to Vidzeme PR• Total ERDF financing – 2 386 800.67 EUR

(out of total 17 177 299.12 EUR in Latvia)

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Project fields under Priority 1

• Road reconstruction• Energy efficient construction• Health services (emergency, regenerative

medicine)• Fire and rescue operations• Protection of environment (cultural heritage

sites, landscape diversity, water resources, environmental education)

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Project fields under Priority 2

• Development of tourism services (winter tourism, cycling tourism)

• Help to local SMEs and start-ups to access cross-border market

• Improvement of attractiveness of public areas• Growing organic potatoes

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Project fields under Priority 3

• Cultural exchange (art education, handicraft skills, singing and dancing, classical music)

• Sports activities and infrastructure (skiing and biathlon, orienteering, football and other ball sports)

• Media study programmes for local schools• Activities for senior people

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Lead partners• Alūksne Regional Council (Cross Border Ball,

Cultural Cooperation for Intermediates)• Ape Municipality (Developing of Cross-border

Trade Network, Sportborder)• Madona Regional Council (Active Tourism –

attractive feature of Madona and Põlva)• Valka Municipality (Art School “Walk”)• Cēsis Culture and Tourism Centre (Artists for

Development)• Vidzeme Tourism Association (ViSoEst by Bike)

9Municipalities involved as partners• Ape – 5 projects• Valka – 4 projects• Alūksne – 4 projects• Madona – 3 projects• Strenči • Gulbene • Cēsis • Naukšēni

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Involved regional institutions

• Vidzeme Hospital – 2 projects• North Vidzeme Biosphere Reserve

Administration• Vidzeme Tourism Association• Euroregio Pskov-Livonia Latvian Section• Vidzeme Region Vocational Education

Development Competence Centre• State Plant Breeding Institute in Priekuļi• Gauja National Park Foundation

11Involved national institutions – regional impact

• Ministry of Transport (road reconstruction projects)• State Fire and Rescue Service (Valga-Valka Joint

Rescue Capacity)• Latvian Fund for Nature (Eagles)• Latvian Orienteering Federation (Est-O-Lat League)• Latvian Institute of Aquatic Ecology (Gauja/Koiva)

• Nature Conservation Agency (Green Corridor)• Latvian Radio (Radio Classics)• Latvian Community Initiative Foundation (Still Active)

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Involved local NGOs

• FB Gulbene 2005 and NGO FK Abuls Smiltene – Festival “Friendship Through Football”

• Mount Ķoņi Life School and Support Club for Ape Development – Still Active (senior people engaged in different activities)

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Impact (I)

• Improved infrastructure – roads, sports facilities, recreation places, technical documentation for future investments

• New equipment, e.g., rescue vehicles, snow machines

• Preservation of cultural heritage sites and objects – electronic database

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Impact (II)

• Wider possibilities for cultural, educational and sports activities – joint events, camps, competitions, trainings, study programmes

• New knowledge and skills through exchange of experience

• Increased public awareness about environmental issues, e.g., energy efficiency, biological and landscape diversity, water resources

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Impact (III)

• Better health care services – emergency medicine, regenerative medicine

• Improved rescue and fire fighting services• New contacts in the neighbouring country• Improved language skills

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Conclusions

• A great variety of project activities in different fields; most popular – cultural exchange, sports, environmental issues

• Municipalities located in border areas are more active

• “Inland” municipalities are less involved• National institutions work for the benefit of

border regions• Limited capacity of NGOs• Poor involvement of the private sector

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Suggestions

• To promote co-operation in education and support to business development

• To motivate the private sector to get involved• To promote more active participation of “inland”

municipalities• To increase capacity of NGOs and facilitate their

involvement in co-operation projects• To generate larger-scale projects with

involvement of greater areas of the Programme territory

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Priorities for the future

• Business development and collaboration• Strengthening regional businesses and

innovation support systems• Energy independency• Increased attractiveness of remote territories• Competitive vocational and higher education• Innovative and inclusive provision of public

services