Proposal for CESCI General Assembly meeting to be held on 26th May, 2015.

Agenda item No. 1: Report on the events of the period since the previous General Assembly
meeting (25th November, 2014.)

Dear General Assembly,

We inform you about the work done by our working organization and research institute since the
previous General Assembly meeting.
Administrative issues

The modification in the Statutes accepted by the General Assembly on 25th November has been
accepted by the General Court of Budapest, and its decision upon the non-profit legal status of
CESCI became final in January.

According to the decision of the General Assembly we established CESCI Balkans in January
2015, its final registration was fixed on 25th February. The director of the Serbian association,
Ervin Erős spent two months at the central office of CESCI in Budapest. Meanwhile we intended
to give over our experience and knowledge he learnt the management of cross-border cooperation.
He has already got in touch with the competent ministries, and has formed strategic cooperation
with the Serbian contact point of Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
According to the plans, the office in Novi Sad will be open at the end of August, when the
international youth meeting will be carried out by CESCI and AEBR. The director of the
association will report about the achievements and activities separately.

Likewise, according to the decision of the last General Assembly we entered into a contact with
Mr. Rudolf Bauer, former member of the Bureau, who started his work on 1st February 2015 as a
consultant. His mission is the preparation of the professional, financial, and networking
background of CESCI Carpathia. The new organisation will function from 2016. While CESCI’s
filial in Novi Sad is entrusted with coordinating cross-border cooperation in the Balkans region,
the filial in Košice will play the same role in the Carpathian region.

We formed Strategic partnership with BME University and EDUTUS College, thus the working
organisation can receive interns from these institutions. Today we have strategic partnerships with
7 Hungarian higher education institutions. In addition, we signed a cooperation framework
agreement with Magyar Fejlesztési Központ Nonprofit Kft. (Hungarian Development Centre Ltd.)
in order to raise the efficiency of the absorption of direct funds from Brussels.

We had to hold an exceptional general assembly on 8th April. According to the new law on public
finances, we would have lost our eligibility for public support if the Bureau includes a mayor. We
elected Péter Szegvári, expert of regional development and consultant at the Mayor’s Office in
Budapest in the place of Zsolt Borkai, the mayor of Győr.

Three students participated in our scholarship program in the last months.

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We delivered our Newsletter in December, February and April.

The presentation about the references of the organisation is available on our website (in prezi
format) .

Professional activities

Since the previous General Assembly meeting, the working organisation of CESCI has performed the
following tasks:

1. Research activity

Research projects

• Crossing the borders

In the last months we has expended much energy for the implementation of our EUSDR-
project. We had to complete the project’s finances until 31st December, hence we had to
collect the studies from the partners in the last month of the year. We revised the incoming
studies, and we sent them back to correct the mistakes. The Serbian partner fell out of the
project in October, thus we entrusted the Regional Science Association in Subotica with the
accomplishment of the research. In their case we were not able to correct the study twice,
but all the other studies were finalized. The final version of the Serbian study was prepared
for the study volume.
Besides that, our colleagues made a case study and a synthetic study, and prepared for the
presentations of the closing conference.
We organise the project’s closing conference, which demanded much effort from the
association. We beforehand prepared some maps and the overall design of the
presentations, and we organised the event.
Simultaneously we began the editing process of the study volume.

• Phantom-border

We started the Phantom-border research project last spring. During winter we made the
first processing of the interviews (contextual inquiry), and the traffic count questionnaires.
At the end of March new queries were done on Mária Valéria bridge between Esztergom
(Hungary) and Štúrovo (Slovakia). The project was performed on the conference of József
Károlyi Foundation, its partial results will be published at l’Harmattan next summer.

Scientific tenders

• At the beginning of May be submitted our first H2020 tender for the Twinning
announcement, which intends to strengthen the capacity of scientific institutions and
cooperation among research workshops in Eastern Europe. The project would be
transacted in 3 years. Its total budget is 900 thousand €. Our partners: the European
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Academy (Bolzano, Italy), the Karelian Institute (Joensuu, Finland) and the Centre for
Cross-Border Studies (Armagh, Northern Ireland).

• We submitted two tenders for the announcements of PAGEO Foundation. The first
aimed to prepare a comprehensive geopolitical study, while in the frame of the second
project we wanted to invite the most well-known European experts of border studies to
Hungary. Both of these tenders were refused.

Scientific events

• The closing conference of the Crossing the Borders project, and the meeting of the
executive committee of AEBR (26-27th February, Budapest)

The AEBR accepted our invitation on its General Assembly in Rzeszów, and decided to
organise the meeting of the executive committee in Budapest. According to our agreement,
we might connect additional scientific event to the meeting. On the day before the meeting,
we organised the closing conference of the Crossing the borders project, completed at the
end of 2014. There were more than 100 participants on the conference. Karl-Heinz
Lambertz, president of AEBR and the first vice-president of the Committee of the Regions,
and István Joó, the Hungarian ministerial commissioner of the Danube Strategy said
greetings, and Kurt Puchinger, the Austrian coordinator of the 10th priority area of the
Danube Strategy gave a presentation.
On the evening before the meeting of the executive committee we provided our guests with
dinner, sightseeing tour, and cultural program at the Palace of Arts.

• EUGEO-conference, 2015

In 2015, EUGEO (European Geographers Association) will organise its annual conference
in Budapest. This conference attracts many scientists from all over the world. In the frame
of the conference there will be 72 panels, one of them will be coordinated by our
organisation. As well as 5 of our colleagues submitted abstracts for giving presentation on
the event.

4th Febr: előadás presentation on the seminar about cross-border technology and knowledge
transfer, University of Miskolc (Mátyás Jaschitz)
th
13-14 Mar: participation and presentations on the international conference of the Károlyi
Foundation in Fehérvárcsúrgó (Zsolt Bottlik and Gyula Ocskay)
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2. Planning, programming

Planning and programming works

• Slovakia-Hungary Cross-border Cooperation Operative Program (2014–2020)

Our association takes part in the preparation of the Slovakian-Hungarian INTERREG V-A
program as a member of a consortium. We proposed the program to the European
Committee on 28th November, and the Committee sent his remarks at the end of January.
We built in these remarks and replied to them at the beginning of February, then all the
modifications were accepted by the programming Task Force on its meeting in Dudince
(Slovakia) on 23-24th February. Besides the textual modifications we had to make new
maps, and confirm the program-level indicators by new observations. The informal
consultation at the European Committee about the modified document has begun in April,
and the acceptation of the CBC program is expected in June.

• The Strategy of Gate to Europe EGTC

The Development Strategy of the Gate to Europe EGTC was presented to the general
assembly on 19th February. Local stakeholders could comment the strategic document until
the end of April. Recommendations for modifications have not been arrived.

• Development Strategy of Sajó-Rima EGTC

We had to submit the Development Strategy of Sajó-Rima EGTC to the client till 28th
February. In parallel with the preparation of the strategic chapter we presented the
cohesion analysis, and the proposed intervention structure to the assembly of the EGTC on
3rd of February, in Putnok (Hungary). We sent the Strategy at the end of February. Before
its finalisation the strategy was released to public consultation. The action plan will be
prepared in summer, according to the incoming remarks and comments.

Further events related to territorial planning

2nd Dec: active participation on the meeting about the preparation of the analysis on the economic
situation of the Danube region, Budapest (Mátyás Jaschitz)
th
10 April: participation and presentation on the AEBR’s Conference about Territorial Impact
Assessment, Lisbon (Éva Gangl)

3. Institution and project development

Establishment of EGTC-s

• The final registration of the European Border Cities EGTC with the participation of
Nyíregyháza and Satu Mare came to an end. CESCI prepared the notice to be published in
the EU Official Journal.
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• CESCI won the tender of the Euro-Contrôle Route (network of the European transport
authorities) on EGTC establishment. During the next years, experts of CESCI will
coordinate the establishment process of the grouping concerning 14 countries.

EGTC programme

The EGTC-s participating at our workshops have prepared the list of their seven-year
developments according to the methodology and template made by CESCI, which will be part
of the document to be submitted to the Minister of National Developments. Our purpose is to
introduce a government resolution which ensures priority economic development roles to the
EGTC-s in the border regions.
CESCI have compiled a suggestion involving the development ideas of the EGTC-s and the
local actors of Mezőség for the proposal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade which
was submitted to the Government.

Related events

• VI. Mezőség development workshop (13-15 February, Gherla)

The workshop, organized in February, aimed at detailing the draft development

programme approved at the autumn meeting, identifying concrete projects concerning
three development fields. The participants collected the planned project proposals in three
groups relating to the field of education-training, employment and culture-youth, the
integrated implementation of which may ensure the development of the area. The ideas
were involved in the proposal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

27 February: participation at the conference on financing bicycle projects (Roland Hesz)

5 March: ECR EGTC: tender meeting in Brussels (dr Norbert Jankai and Gyula Ocskay)
11 March: participation at the conciliation concerning the Tisza-project in the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs and Trade

4. Mediation

Professional background documents

• To the invitation of Bence Rétváry, State Secretary (Ministry of Human Resources) CESCI
prepared an overall study on the financial facilities of cross-border cultural cooperation
initiatives, which evaluates the actual system, presents the EU and non-EU grant forms and
contains a best practice selection with the most successful European cross-border cultural
projects. The document was finalized at March.

• We have compiled a background document on the EU and non-EU financial facilities for
enhancing Hungarian-Slovenian cross-border cooperation for the Embassy of Slovenia in
Budapest. We send the document to the Hungarian Ambassador in Ljubljana as well.

• Vocational training PILOT researches: to the invitation of the State Secretary for
Hungarian Communities Abroad of the Prime Minister’s Office, as sub-contractor of the
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Hétfa Research Institute, CESCI took part in analysing the state-of-the-art of vocational
training in two transborder areas (the area of Berehove and Topola). The PILOT researches
could be used for the preparation of the Hungarian vocational training register of the
Carpathian Basin.

• To the invitation of the Prime Minister’s Office we have compiled a decision support
document on the bridge between Magyarcsanád-Cenad and the planned Hungarian-
Romanian border crossing points between Geszt és Cefa.

• Relating to the strategic framework agreement of the Hungarian Development Centre Non-
profit Ltd., CESCI has compiled a document for the 2014-2020 development plans of the
EGTC-s with Hungarian participation. The document contributes to the integrated,
synergic use of the different available EU financial facilities for implementing the
development plans.

External relations

• CECICN

Executive Committee meeting of CECICN was held on 10 December in Paris. CESCI was
represented by Enikő Nyerges. At the meeting, CESCI officially took over the task of the
administrative centre of the network from the Spanish partners, and made a proposal on
submitting a proposal to the Europe for Citizens call for the sake of enhancing the professional
activity. (The minutes of the meeting has been already compiled by CESCI).
At the Executive and Political Board meeting of the network in Brussels, on 16 April CESCI was
represented by Gyula Ocskay Secretary General and András Levente Gál Vice-President who
made three proposals: he suggested to make a survey among the members of the networks of
CECICN on the scope of services expected to be offered by CECICN; he proposed to prepare
annual report on the status of cross-border cooperation initiatives on European level; and he
initiated to work out a method for measuring the quality of cross-border cooperation which may
be used as a label in the future. All three proposals and the repeated project proposal were
welcomed by the participants.

• AEBR

Our relations with the Association of European Border Regions have become stronger thanks to
that CESCI organized their Executive Committee Meeting in Budapest, 27 February 2015. During
the consultation with the Secretary General of the organization, we agreed on harmonising the
activity of their Serbian branch office with those of CESCI Balkans. Since their referent works as
a volunteer, the AEBR cannot pay for her; CESCI together with CESCI Balkans has undertaken
the part time employment of the referent. In addition, at the end of the summer we organize a
youth meeting in Novi Sad together with the AEBR.

• Budapest Platform

The MOT initiated the extension of the network to all EU Member States. To this end we have
collected the contact details of the potential partners from Central Europe. The invitations were
sent by the MOT.
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Projects

• We have submitted or project proposal „Legal accessibility – across the borders”,

aiming at identifying the legal obstacles hindering cross-border cooperation and
solutions for abolishing them in Hungary and 4 neighbouring countries, to the call of
the DG Justice Rights, Equality and Citizenship. In addition we organize an
international movie competition for the sake of promoting the theme. Project partners:
MOT (FR), ISIG (IT), Forum Institute (SK), Civitas Foundation (RO), School of
Advanced Social Studies (SI) and Autonomous Centre, Čakovec (HR)

• To the invitation of the EuroSchola Institute from the Republic of Czech, we have joined
an Erasmus+ project which aims to train professionals for cross-border cooperation in
several Central European countries.

• Within the framework of the Flagship Initiative of the Visegrad Fund, the Ukrainian
IARDI invited CESCI to cooperate. In course of the project, we organize study tours to
Hungary for the professionals of the states of the Eastern Partnerships in order to present
exemplary local development initiatives. In case of a successful project, our experts will
take part in the professional events as well.

• CESCI, as lead partner has submitted our project proposal to the Visegrad+ call of the
Visegrad Fund as well. Within the framework of the project experts of the V4 countries
transfer their knowledge on cross-border cooperation to the local actors of Serbia and
Montenegró. The proposal contains the development of an e-learning curriculum,
organization of three trainings and two study tours.

Related events

• Hearing of Tamás Deutsch, Member of the European Parliament (4 February,

Brussels)

The European People’s Party invited Tamás Deutsch Hungarian Member of the European
Parliament to prepare a report on the 6th Cohesion Report. The hearing is part of the
reporting process which was held on 4 February. At the hearing Gyula Ocskay Secretary
General was among the speakers beside Rudolf Niessler, Director for Policy, European
Commission, Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy; Philip McCann,
Professor; Jan Olbrycht and Joachim Zeller, Members of the European Parliament; Eszter
Vitályos-Zsigmond, Secretary of State for the Office of the Prime Minister of Hungary.
Beyond the speech, CESCI prepared a background document on the absence of territorial
aspects and shortcomings of cross-border cooperation, which was involved in the report of
Mr Deutsch.

• Launching the Szentgotthárd Initiative (21-22 April, Szentgotthárd)

The seminar „New impetus for cross-border cooperation” of the Szentgotthárd – Monošter
Initiative was held on 21-22 April 2015, in Szentgotthárd. During the two-day event, more
than 60 Hungarian and Slovene participants representing either public or private sector had
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the chance to present their project ideas, meet potential partners, and search for financial
resources necessary for the project’s realisation. In addition, the participants approved the
Szentgotthárd initiative which calls for help of the two governments for the bilateral
cooperation. The project development meeting is planned to be organized in every year.

4 December: participation at the seminar of EUSDR PA8 in Budapest (András Nyeste)

5 December: participation and presentation at the conference of the BTC EGTC in Kikinda in
Serbia (Gyula Ocskay)
14 January: participation at Transhusk+ conference in esztergom (Roland Hesz)
22 January: participation and presentation at CBC conference in Fehérgyarmat (Gyula Ocskay)
30 January: participation at the conference on landscape character at Corvinus University of
Budapest (Kitti Dubniczki)
3 March: participation at the annual meeting of the EGTC Platform (dr Norbert Jankai legal
director)
7 April: annual EGTC Forum at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
16-17 April: participation and closing remarks at the annual conference of the EGTC Approval
Authorities (dr Norbert Jankai, Gyula Ocskay)
19 May: participation and closing remarks at workshop „The need for specific legal provisions to
boost cross-border cooperation” organized within the framework of Luxembourg
Presidency (Luxemburg, Gyula Ocskay)

General Assembly Resolution no. …./2015 (V. 26.)

The General Assembly of the Central European Service for Cross-Border Initiatives accepts
the report on the events of the period since the previous General Assembly meeting (25
November 2014).

Deadline: effective immediately

Responsible: Chairman