Project Partners

Project Partners:

Agency for Regional Development and European Integration. Lviv, Ukraine 

ARDEI was established on March 7, 2002 by Lviv regional administration and the City of Lviv among other founders as a non-profit association.

ARDEI goal is the following:
Fostering of the social and economic development of the Lviv region. This includes a focus on the facilitation of Ukrainian-Polish cross-border co-operation and realization of the opportunities that will arise from European enlargement.

Our objectives:
To establish and maintain effective networking between Lviv Region organizations and institutions involved in Regional Development and also in the specific area of Ukrainian-Polish co-operation.
To generate, to implement and coordinate programs in Lviv Region that focus on regional development including on the realization of the economic potential of the region and cross-border co-operation development.
To provide informational support for Ukrainian enterprises in the sphere of economic relationships with the EU countries.
To foster and facilitate establishing efficient partnerships between enterprises and organizations of Lviv Region and the bordering regions of Poland as a new member of the European Community.
To facilitate introduction of Ukrainian entities to the best practice of economic, environmental and social regional development in the European Union.
To disseminate knowledge and provide training in cross-border trade with the EU countries.

The Agency’s creation coincided with the tasks set forth in the Decree by the President of Ukraine, in which the strategy of creation of the regional policy had been outlined. This document contains the guidance for development of local agencies as instruments for the effective regional policy implementation.

In the Lviv region, the Agency is also seen as a catalyst of the local NGOs and the authorities networking in the area of regional development. In order to develop this type of capacity the Agency has established a network with so far 10 organizations in the region. Among those are: Green Cross Society, Pustomyty Development Agency, NGO “European Dialogue”, NewBiznet Center, Lviv Business Incubator, and Women to Women Center, Institute of Regional Development, and other. The purpose of this network is to co-ordinate the efforts of all these organizations for the sake of effective allocation of local resources.

 In the framework of other objectives defined above the Agency has been involved in the number of activities that corresponded to its development plan some of which are described below:
- As a first step towards achieving competence in the area of assisting regional authorities in the regional and local strategic planning, which is recognized an issue of high priority from the prospective EU extension process, the Agency is involved in the development of analytical reports on the current social and economic situation for a number of small communities of the Lviv region. The reports are viewed as a basis and justification for further work on strategic planning to be conducted by these communities.
- A co-operation network has been established and is further developing between local development agencies of Lviv and Volyn regions of Ukraine and Podkarpackie and Lubelskie Voivodships in Poland. These are the regions that border each other and to great extent share common economic and social problems.
- In order to facilitate further development of business cross border relations between the west regions of Ukraine and the east regions of Poland, which is mutually viewed as a vital factor for the future safe border between the enlarged EU and Ukraine, the Agency is involved in the management of the DFID CBC Small Project Fund. This activity comprised the development of the SPF guiding materials, project proposals generating and selection, as well as monitoring of the selected projects.
- A number of activities have been undertaken by the Agency for the purpose of its positioning and recognition on both the national and local level as an effective intermediate between the local communities and the ministry of economy of the state. Thus the Agency has been involved as one of initiators of an NGO advisory council to be established at the Ministry of Economy and European Integration of Ukraine. 
- The Agency was in charge of holding public hearings in the Lviv region on the national social and economic development planning, as a part of the UNDP Social and Economic Development of Ukraine Project.
- Participation in preparation of the international conference Second Economic Forum in Lviv, which was attended by the Prime-Ministers of Ukraine, Poland, Moldova, and other high rank officials of Hungary, Romania and Slovakia – the countries neighboring Ukraine.
- Preparation and carrying out of the international conference dedicated to the issues of Ukrainian-Polish Cross Border Regional Co-operation Under the EU Enlargement attended by the British Ambassador to Ukraine.
- The Agency initiated involvement of the City of Lviv in the Central European cities network for co-operation in urban technologies development and implementation.

Our contact details:
 
Oksana Muzychuk
Executive Director

Liuba Mocharska
Deputy Executive Director
 
Tel/fax: + 380 322 97 18 55, 97 18 56
Email: Oksana-ardei@sbc.lviv.ua
Tel/fax: + 380 322 97 18 55, 97 18 56
E-mail: Liuba-ardei@sbc.lviv.ua
 

Address:
Halytska Square 7
Lviv 79008 Ukraine

European Center for Integration and Self-government Co-operation HOUSE of EUROPE. Lublin, Poland 

EUROPEAN CENTER FOR INTEGRATION AND SELF-GOVERNMENT
CO-OPERATION “HOUSE OF EUROPE”

History
The Association European Centre for Integration and Self Government Co-operation is a young non-government and non-profitable organization (NGO). The idea of creation of such institution, which would support an international co-operation of the local and regional self-government units and NGOs from the Lublin region, was born in the end of twenties, when a strategy of Lublin Region Development was created. The conception of the creation of “House of Europe” was officially included into the Strategy, and had become an official goal of the Lublin Region in the autumn 2001.
The official registration of the Association  “House of Europe” was done in the State Register of NGOs on the 1st of November 2001. The need of creation such an institution was based on a fact, which was proved by the appropriate public opinion investigation that just 30% of the local self-governments in the Lublin region have already found foreign partner and provide an international co-operation. Among the NGOs active in the Lublin region about 80% do not have any international partners.
The Association “House of Europe” was founded by several self-governments from the Lublin region which were supported by Gelderland Province from Nederland – the official partner – region of Lublin Voivodship. The Gelderland Province finance part of the Association activities

Information about the Founders
The founders of the “House of Europe are following self-governments of Lublin Region:
Sejmik (Regional Parliament) of the Lublin Voivodship, poviat (local unit in the mid-level) in Krasnystaw, and two local units – gminas in Łuków and Stanin. The Association had started their activity on April 2002. The quantity of members increases; on April 2003 “House of Europe” associates 41 local self-governments.

Objectives:
The main objective of the Association “The House of Europe” activity is to inspire, support and co-ordinate international co-operation of the local authorities, local communities and Non-Government Organizations based in Lublin Voivodeship. This main objective is reached through:
· complex support to the local self-government and Non-Government Organizations of the Lublin voivodeship to start and provide the international co-operation with the appropriate partners from the European Union countries as well as from the East and Central Europe countries;
· creation of the First Contact Center for potential partners from the European Union countries as well as from the East and Central Europe countries to make a first contact and look for information about the co-operation possibilities with the local self-governments, Non-Government Organizations and business enterprises in the Lublin voivodeship;
· International and internal promotion of a tourist, investments and cultural values of the local units in the Lublin region

The main fields of activity:
The Association “House of Europe” will keep its activity according to the enclosed structure, where the main fields are described as:

· Centre of Practical Training of European Staff - Training, practices, co-operation with the institutions and social partners The region needs approximately 1200 suitably trained specialists. Nowadays it is estimated at just about 80.
· Centre of the International Co-operation of the self-governments and European Projects’ Creation. - National and international database about co-operation, partners, open call for proposals, support in the applications for grants fulfilling
· Centre of the Local Self-Governments Promotion - Promotional materials, Internet promotion, networking, connecting of the business partners, three-side projects

The current activity of the “House of Europe” is determined by the main goals of the Association.  “House of Europe” has created the basis for the network of local self-government units in field of international co-operation;
The Association ensures the local self-governments an access to the following databases:
· Database of foreign partners (all levels of co-operation with the European Union members, other European countries and CIS);
· Database of the financial sources accessible for local self-government units to support the international co-operation;
· Database of local units (gminas, poviats) interesting in international co-operation and the fields of their interesting;
The organization keep local self-governments informed about European policy and developments which may affected their operation and services; informs the self-governments about the ways of foreign partner searching, about the merit and financial possibilities of existing co-operation developing; creates a database of the members of the local self-government staff responsible for the international relations.
The Association involves in its activity a wide circle of the social partners, on the background of a principle that the international co-operation would not be a sphere of a narrow executive staff interests but would be based on a wide interest of a local community.  The persons selected in each of the local self-government, may enter (with the help of “House of Europe”) for the training courses, seminaries and workshops which ensure their high level knowledge of European Union, instruments of functioning in pre-accession period and in integrated Europe.

Projects management and realization:
The Association takes an active part in the Lublin region co-operation with the Gelderland Province in Holland and actually takes part in realization of two other international projects: first one related to the establishing and providing Polish – Ukrainian Cross Border Agency for Regional Development (project financed by the British DFID, managed by Bradley&Dunbar Associates, Scotland); and the second, connected with the identification of problems in rural areas of the Lublin region realized in co-operation with the Lorraine Region in France. 
The main projects managed and realized by the “House of Europe” nowadays:
· Local Culture as a background of the self-government international co-operation” founded by Small Grants Program of US Embassy in Warsaw (realization finished on February 2003).
· Bridge – Lublin region as a Place of the Eastern and Western Self-Governments Co-operation – financed from PHARE sources (Euroregion Bug)
· Union Leader – Employment Agency financing
· Preparation of the Administration Staff for the Assessment of Financing Sources in Lubelskie Region – donation from the Agro-Info Programme
· Sustainable Development Strategy of the Leczynsko - Wlodawskie Lake District – project co-financed by the Gelderland Province (Holland) and local self - governments

Contact:
Ph. D. Sergei Matjunin, Director, tel. +48 81 532 05 84
Ms Anna Ososinska, Project Manager tel. / fax   +48 81 532 05 43  
e-mail: domeuropy@interia.pl; domeuropy@lubelskie.pl

Address:  M. Curie-Skłodowska St.,5,20-029 Lublin, Poland

Volyn Oblast State Administration. Lutsk, Ukraine 

Department for foreign relations and external economic activities under Volyn oblast state administration

History
Proclaiming Ukraine as an independent sovereign state in 1991 enabled regional authorities to develop international economic and cultural co-operation on interregional and border levels. Enterprises and businessmen obtained a possibility to execute foreign trade operations independently, to attract foreign investments for technical re-equipment and production of new goods, competitive both on domestic and external markets. With a view to promote and coordinate activities in this area, a department for foreign economic relations was set up in February 1993. In 2001 it was transformed in a department for foreign relations and external economic activities under the oblast state administration.

Objectives
The main goal of the department for foreign relations and external economic activities is realisation of state policy in a field of international relations and foreign trade on the territory of Volyn oblast. This objective is to be achieved through:
- promotion of international co-operation in economy, trade, ecology, science, education, culture, tourism, physical culture and sports, other social fields;
- facilitating foreign trade and new markets development by local enterprises, establishments and institutions;
- carrying out activities aimed to extend interregional and cross-border co-operation, in particular in the framework of a cross-border association “Euroregion Bug”;
- establishment of efficient links with international financial institutions in order to attract technical assistance for implementation of projects to ensure harmonious social and economic development of the region.

Major fields of activity
In accordance with aforementioned objectives the department for foreign relations and external economic activities:
- evaluates overall economic situation, tendencies of foreign trade development, level of goods competitiveness, market situation;
- analyses foreign economic activities in the region and makes proposals on their improvement;
- gives consultancy and methodological help to entrepreneurs;
- participates in negotiations with businessmen, organisations and institutions from foreign countries on issues relating to establishment of production,  commercial and investment co-operation, and also collaboration in a social sphere;
- promotes participation of local enterprises and entrepreneurs in international exhibitions, fairs and presentations;
- prepares analytical materials on market situation for specific industrial and agricultural articles, prospects for their development;
- provides information on business offers from foreign enterprises for interested enterprises within the oblast and also promotes dissemination of information on the region abroad;
- prepares and undertakes activities aimed to extend cross-border and interregional co-operation of the Volyn oblast;
- helps local executive and self-government authorities and NGOs in establishment of contacts with international donor organisations;
- within a scope of competence participates in implementation of regional projects which are financially and technically supported by foreign countries according to bilateral agreements, international foundations and specialised programmes.

Projects management and implementation
At present the department for foreign relations and external economic activities is involved in implementation of measures within the UK Department for International Development project “Ukrainian – Polish Cross-Border Agency for Regional Development” and a project “The promotion of sustainable development and regional environmental protection policies in the context of cross-border co-operation between the Ukraine and Poland” which is being realised within CBC Tacis SPF. The department is also a partner of the European Centre for Integration and Self-Government Co-operation “House of Europe” in Lublin in implementation of the project “Bridge – Lublin Region as a Place of the Eastern and Western Self-Governments Co-operation” that is funded by Phare programme.

Contacts
Klavdiya Khomyuk, head of department (tel. + 380 3322 45993, fax + 380 3322 55194); and
Oleg Shcherba, deputy head of department (tel./fax + 380 3322 55194, email: khomyuk@lutsk.utel.net.ua

Podkarpackie Voivodship. Rzeszow, Poland 

Podkarpackie Voivodeship

The Podkarpackie Voivodeship was created on 1 January 1999, as a result of the implementation of the last public administration reform in Poland. It was formed from the four former provinces of Krosno, Przemysl, Rzeszow and Tarnobrzeg.

Main task of the self-government is to resolve the strategy of regional development, taking into consideration the followings objectives:
- maintain the Polish character, development and formation of national, civic and cultural consciousness among the inhabitants,
- stimulate the economic activity,
- improve the level of competition and innovation of regional economy
- maintain the cultural and natural environment,
- create and maintain the spatial order. 
- others

Bodies of the Self-government of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship :

I. Regional Council of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship
Tel. + 48 17 850 17 90, 91

The Regional Council of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship is a proclaiming and supervising body of the region. The Regional Council consists of thirty three aldermen elected in the self-governmental elections for a four-year term. 
                     

To the exclusive tasks of the regional council belong in particular:
· proclaiming acts of the local law,
· resolving strategies of regional development and of long-term regional programmes,
· resolving plans of spatial development ,
· resolving the budget of the region,
· resolving "Priorities of foreign co-operation of the region",
· passing resolutions on property matters,
· passing regulations concerning internal organisation and work course of  the bodies of the  self-government.

II. Board of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship
Tel. +48 17 850 17 80, 82, 83, 84, 85

The Board is an executive organ of the region; it executes resolutions and duties of the Regional Council with the help of the Marshal Office. The Marshal organises the work of the Board and of the Marshal Office, manages current matters of the region and represents it outside.

Departments in the Marshal Office of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship

· Department of Budget and Finances deals with matters connected with budget of the region, its changes and realisation, as well as with finances and cash service of the Office.
 tel. 850 17 30
 
· The Organisational Department deals with staff and organisational matters of the office,  as well as administration and office service of the Marshal, the Board and the Self-government of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship.
 tel. 850 17 70

· Department of Education and Culture deals with matters connected with matters of science, education, culture.
tel. 850 17 20

· Department of Regional Development works out and co-ordinates strategies of regional development, town and country planning and co-ordination of assistance programmes realised at the level of the province.
tel. 850 17 40

· Department of Healthcare and Social protection is responsible for the issues of healthcare and social pathologies, as well as social matters with the scope of pro-family politics.
tel. 850 17 60

· Department of Geodesy, Transportation and Property Management deals with matters in the scope of geodesy, cartography, transportation and property management.
tel. 850 17 10

· Department of Agriculture and Environment responsible for matters concerning development and modernisation of agricultural areas and environmental preservation
tel. 860 67 10

· Department of International Co-operation and Promotion realises international co-operation and promotes the Podkarpackie Voivodeship in the country and abroad. It co-operates with territorial authorities from other European countries.
tel. 850 17 50  

· Department of Tourism and Sport promotes and organise the sport events, deals with matters connected with development of tourism in the region.
tel. 850 17 55

·  Legal Office serves as the legislative advisory body of the Marshal Office

· Office of the Plenipotentiary for the Protection of Top Secret Information

· Regional Office for the Implementation of the Program of Rural Area Stimulation

INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATION OF THE PODKARPACKIE VOIVODESHIP

Under the new administrative system, the provincial government is responsible for developing inter-regional co-operation. Because of its geopolitical location, Podkarpackie is obliged to develop co-operation with regions from neighbouring countries.
Mutual co-operation agreements have been signed with
- Presov and Kosice regions of Slovakia
- Lviv, Volynian, Ivano-Frankovsk oblasts of Ukraine.
The region is preparing to sign agreements with
-  Tarnopol and Odessa oblasts of Ukraine.

The international co-operation of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship is not limited only to the border regions:
- An inter-regional agreement signed with Saratov oblast of the Russian Federation.
- The co-operation with Italian regions is continued with: Molise and Friuli-Venezia Giulia, following agreements signed by the authorities of the former Przemysl and Rzeszow provinces.

 The letters of intent have been signed between Podkarpackie Voivodeship and:
 Magnesia Region from Greece,
 Szabolcs – Szatmar – Berg Region from Hungary
 Centre Region from Portugal

Podkarpackie Voivodeship cooperates also with the representatives of German regions:
Rhineland-Palatinate, Bavaria and North Rhine- Westphalia.