Innovative practices in Bulgaria
Sharing innovations for improving local self-government
Svishtov Muncipality's experience in setting up the Danube South Europregion
Municipality of Svishtov
Background
The cooperation in border regions or transboundary territories has a long tradition in the European Union. The basic purpose of transfrontier cooperation is the elimination of the border barriers, restrictions and other factors, that contribute to the separation of the communities in the border regions.
The Association of the Danube Municipalities Danube has had a leading role in the transboundary cooperation between Bulgaria and Romania. It was the main initiator of the agreement signed between Bulgaria and Romania on April 19, 2000 in Guirgevo, according to which Svishtov was designated as the center of one of the three Euroregions. Since his assumption of office till this moment President of the Managing Board of ADM Danube has been the mayor of Svishtov.
The cooperation in border regions or transboundary territories has a long tradition in the European Union. The basic purpose of transfrontier cooperation is the elimination of the border barriers, restrictions and other factors, that contribute to the separation of the communities in the border regions.
The Association of the Danube Municipalities Danube has had a leading role in the transboundary cooperation between Bulgaria and Romania. It was the main initiator of the agreement signed between Bulgaria and Romania on April 19, 2000 in Guirgevo, according to which Svishtov was designated as the center of one of the three Euroregions. Since his assumption of office till this moment President of the Managing Board of ADM Danube has been the mayor of Svishtov.
Practice
The Municipality of Svishtov started to look for ways to extend the connections between the two river banks and their institutionalization even before signing the agreement in Gyurgevo. The Municipal Council of Svishtov authorized the mayor of the municipality with Resolution No.91/14.03.2000 to conduct the negotiations with the Romanian side for establishment of Euroregion with center the City of Svishtov.
In the beginning of April 2000 a team of experts from the municipal administration and municipal council was formed to conduct the negotiations with the Romanian party. The team requested the assistance of Lachezar Toshev, President of the Bulgarian Delegation in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), who provided a rich set of informational materials, related to the foundation and management of transboundary structures.
In the summer of 2000 a number of meetings between the representatives of local authorities of the two parties took place for discussing the future transboundary cooperation. At the end of August the Bulgarian team began working on the organization of a colloquium Transboundary Euroregions between Bulgaria and Romania , which was conducted in November 2000. With Resolution 104 (2000) the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe supported the organization of the colloquium in Svishtov.
Two meetings were conducted in September. The first one was with the Mayor of the City of Zimnich Mr.Parvou, to whom the idea and the structure of the future Euroregion were presented in details. At the end of the month a delegation led by the governor of the Veliko Tarnovo Region Mr. Donchev visited the Regional Administration in Alexandria, where a meeting with the prefect of the Teleorman Region and the chairman of the Regional Council was organized. The Bulgarian delegation outlined the intention for the creation of a Euroregion which would include on Bulgarian part the municipalities of Svishtov, Belene and Nikopol, and the Romanian part - the municipalities of Zimnich, Turnu Magurele and Alexandria. An invitation was extended for participation in the colloquium on November 3 in the City in Svishtov, organized with the financial support of the Polish Know-How Fund and USAID s Local Government Initiative Program. At the colloquium the European experience in transboundary cooperation was presented, the legal instruments of the Council of Europe and the legislative practice in the area of transboundary cooperation.
Copies of the signed memorandum were sent to the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Bulgaria, the Council of Europe, the Association of the European Border Regions and the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe at the Council of Europe.
Jointly with the Romanian side the Bulgarian representatives of the future Euroregion visited Poland at the invitation of the Polish Know-How Fund, for the purpose of getting acquainted with Polish Euroregions activity. With the assistance of Mr. Lachezar Toshev the idea for transboundary cooperation was announced in the Council of Europe, from where letters approving the establishment of Euroregion Danube-South were received.
In February 2001 several meetings were conducted with the Romanian partners for the purpose of specifying the organizational structure of the future Euroregion. On March 1, 2001 in the City of Alexandria, the center of the Teleorman Region, a Protocol was signed according to which the two parties finalized the name, the membership and the organizational structure of the Euroregion. According to the protocol the name of the Euroregion is Danube South Euroregion . Its members on the Bulgarian side are the Municipality of Svishtov, the Municipality of Nikopol and the Municipality of Belene, and on the Romanian one the City of Zimnich, the Municipality of Alexandria, the Municipality of Rosiori de Vede and the Municipality of Turnu Magurele.
The Municipality of Svishtov started to look for ways to extend the connections between the two river banks and their institutionalization even before signing the agreement in Gyurgevo. The Municipal Council of Svishtov authorized the mayor of the municipality with Resolution No.91/14.03.2000 to conduct the negotiations with the Romanian side for establishment of Euroregion with center the City of Svishtov.
In the beginning of April 2000 a team of experts from the municipal administration and municipal council was formed to conduct the negotiations with the Romanian party. The team requested the assistance of Lachezar Toshev, President of the Bulgarian Delegation in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), who provided a rich set of informational materials, related to the foundation and management of transboundary structures.
In the summer of 2000 a number of meetings between the representatives of local authorities of the two parties took place for discussing the future transboundary cooperation. At the end of August the Bulgarian team began working on the organization of a colloquium Transboundary Euroregions between Bulgaria and Romania , which was conducted in November 2000. With Resolution 104 (2000) the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe supported the organization of the colloquium in Svishtov.
Two meetings were conducted in September. The first one was with the Mayor of the City of Zimnich Mr.Parvou, to whom the idea and the structure of the future Euroregion were presented in details. At the end of the month a delegation led by the governor of the Veliko Tarnovo Region Mr. Donchev visited the Regional Administration in Alexandria, where a meeting with the prefect of the Teleorman Region and the chairman of the Regional Council was organized. The Bulgarian delegation outlined the intention for the creation of a Euroregion which would include on Bulgarian part the municipalities of Svishtov, Belene and Nikopol, and the Romanian part - the municipalities of Zimnich, Turnu Magurele and Alexandria. An invitation was extended for participation in the colloquium on November 3 in the City in Svishtov, organized with the financial support of the Polish Know-How Fund and USAID s Local Government Initiative Program. At the colloquium the European experience in transboundary cooperation was presented, the legal instruments of the Council of Europe and the legislative practice in the area of transboundary cooperation.
Copies of the signed memorandum were sent to the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Bulgaria, the Council of Europe, the Association of the European Border Regions and the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe at the Council of Europe.
Jointly with the Romanian side the Bulgarian representatives of the future Euroregion visited Poland at the invitation of the Polish Know-How Fund, for the purpose of getting acquainted with Polish Euroregions activity. With the assistance of Mr. Lachezar Toshev the idea for transboundary cooperation was announced in the Council of Europe, from where letters approving the establishment of Euroregion Danube-South were received.
In February 2001 several meetings were conducted with the Romanian partners for the purpose of specifying the organizational structure of the future Euroregion. On March 1, 2001 in the City of Alexandria, the center of the Teleorman Region, a Protocol was signed according to which the two parties finalized the name, the membership and the organizational structure of the Euroregion. According to the protocol the name of the Euroregion is Danube South Euroregion . Its members on the Bulgarian side are the Municipality of Svishtov, the Municipality of Nikopol and the Municipality of Belene, and on the Romanian one the City of Zimnich, the Municipality of Alexandria, the Municipality of Rosiori de Vede and the Municipality of Turnu Magurele.
Results
The basic principles underlying the creation of the Euroregion were laid down in the transboundary cooperation agreement: - Launching of mutually advantageous transboundary activities; - A search for solutions of common transboundary problems and integrating the population from both sides of the frontier; - A will for improving the cooperation between the local and regional authorities at the border region in the spirit of neighborhood relations, openness and solidarity. - Implementation of the contacts between the regions in the spirit of the European Framework Convention on Transboundary Co-operation of the Council of Europe, dated 21 May 1980, and its Protocol, opened for signature in Strasbourg, on 9 November, 1995. As recognition of the efforts made for proclamation of the European ideals in transboundary cooperation, the Council of Europe awarded the Municipality of Svishtov with a European Diploma. On 27 September, 2001 in the edifice of PACE in Strasbourg, France, Mayor Stanislav Blagoev received personally from Walter Schwimmer, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, the first award of this kind for a former east block municipality - a Diploma with recognition of the efforts made towards creating and applying the European values.
The basic principles underlying the creation of the Euroregion were laid down in the transboundary cooperation agreement: - Launching of mutually advantageous transboundary activities; - A search for solutions of common transboundary problems and integrating the population from both sides of the frontier; - A will for improving the cooperation between the local and regional authorities at the border region in the spirit of neighborhood relations, openness and solidarity. - Implementation of the contacts between the regions in the spirit of the European Framework Convention on Transboundary Co-operation of the Council of Europe, dated 21 May 1980, and its Protocol, opened for signature in Strasbourg, on 9 November, 1995. As recognition of the efforts made for proclamation of the European ideals in transboundary cooperation, the Council of Europe awarded the Municipality of Svishtov with a European Diploma. On 27 September, 2001 in the edifice of PACE in Strasbourg, France, Mayor Stanislav Blagoev received personally from Walter Schwimmer, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, the first award of this kind for a former east block municipality - a Diploma with recognition of the efforts made towards creating and applying the European values.
[Nominate]
back