Future cross border cooperation programme in the Romania-Serbia cooperation area

Country –  Romania and Serbia

Beneficiary – Regional Office for Cross Border Cooperation Timisoara

Objective:

Overall objective of the contract is to draft the operational programme for the Romania-Republic of Serbia border area and design its implementation in the most effective way, in accordance with the relevant EU and national legislation of Romania and Republic of Serbia.
Purpose of the project:
• to identify the main issues and challenges of the programme area having regard to the topics of economy and infrastructure, society, energy, environment, cultural aspects, political vulnerabilities and government, emphasizing the connection between the challenges and potential future trends typical of the programme area
• to assist the programme authorities in identifying the needs of the border area answering to the identified challenges and exploring the groups with these needs.
• to identify the existing potential of the programme area in accordance with the capacity of the regions in order to respond to the revealed challenges and needs with particular focus on how this might be enhanced by the available resources and what synergies may arise with other funds;
• to draw-up a complex territorial analysis based on exploring of challenges, needs and potentials of the geographic eligible area and identify the priorities and areas of intervention to be included in programme;
• to support the programme authorities involved in the programming exercise 2007-2013 to draw up the 2014-2020 CBC programme
• to support the programme authorities in identifying a set of evaluation criteria for strategic projects and the areas where such projects can be developed. Moreover, the consultant will also propose target indicators, and the areas where strategic key projects could be developed, including a proposal of strategic key projects and partnerships defined at the programme level.
• to assist the MA/NA in defining the best implementation structures and mechanism
• to participate whenever necessary, in the meetings of the JWG and other technical meetings for the elaboration of the programme;
• to assist the Programme structures in the process of consultation/ negotiation with the representatives of the European Commission and/or other institutions.

Activities:

1. Complex territorial analysis based on exploring of challenges, needs and potentials of the eligible area developed and priorities and areas of intervention identified and included in the programme:
• Definition of the Programming Area, agreement on eligible and adjacent areas
• Situation analysis and description of the Programming Area
• Development of a SWOT Analysis
• Consultations with stakeholders on the Situation and SWOT Analyses
• Adoption of the Situation and SWOT Analyses by the Joint Working Group
• Elaboration of the Territorial Strategic document
2. Draft Operational Programme elaborated, including other documents requested in accordance with the IPA Regulation for the programme period 2014-2020, the “Common Strategic Framework” of the Commission and the relevant EU and national legislation:
• Definition of the Strategy of the CBC Programme
• Definition of Implementation Procedures
• Finalisation of the CBC Programme
3. A set of evaluation criteria for strategic projects and the areas where such projects can be developed, including a proposal of strategic key projects and partnerships defined at the programme level, established.