RMA MARIZA

PHARE Cross-Border Cooperation Programme Bulgaria – Greece 2005

Grant Scheme for Integrated Support for Economic Development and Promotion of Employment, Budget line: BG: 2005/017-454.02.01

Project „Training centre “Maritza” for cooperative Bulgarian – Greek professional training”

Overall objectives:

The overall objective of the project is to support the co-operation between the local organizations in regard to development of human resources capacity and skills and to stimulate small cross-border projects

Specific objectives:

Establishing Training centre “Maritza” for co-operative Bulgarian – Greek professional training
Stimulating the co-operation between Bulgarian and Greek experts for development of common training programmes
Developing of common programmes for professional training
Implementing three pilot training initiatives on the programmes for professional training, developed within the project.
Raising the qualification of the direct beneficiaries of the project

PHARE Cross-Border Cooperation Programme

PHARE Cross-Border Cooperation Programme Bulgaria - Greece was established in 1994. It aids the development of the border regions of the candidate states for their further integration in the EU. The long-term objectives of PHARE CBC are:

To help border regions overcome specific economic and social problems which may arise from their periferial position
To aid unification of the economic and social conditions on both sides of the outer borders of EU
To facilitate the cross-border co-operation of regional actors and agencies in the neighbour countries

The basic strategic papers according to which the Cross-Border Cooperation Programme operates are the Joint Programming Document (JPD), which comprises a common frame for cooperation between both countries and Community Support Initiative Interreg III A - PHARE CBC Greece – Bulgaria 2000 – 2006 between the Bulgarian and Greek authorities, approved by the European Union on 27.12.2001.

The general objective of the Phare Cross-Border Cooperation Programmes Bulgaria – Greece, in compliance with the papers, set out above, is the development of the region as a nucleus and nexus for peace, development and expansion of the European Economic Territory in the interior of the Balkans, the Black Sea region and the eastern Mediterranean. The specific goals, which will implement the strategy and lead to the attainment of the general objective, are as follows:

1. Ending the geographical and communicational isolation of the region.

2. Economic development of the region and promotion of employment.

3. Functional upgrading of the region, in order to tackle the social, cultural and environmental impact of the current socio-economic changes.

The Grant Scheme for Integrated Support for Economic Development and Promotion of Employment, Budget line: BG: 2005/017-454.02.01 is connected to the second priority axis Economic development and employment from the common programming set with the following measures: Aid to business activities; Human resources and employment; Cooperation between educational and research institutions.

The projects supported by this grant scheme are orientated to:

Organizations, providing business support such as chambers of commerce, professional and trade associations, agencies for economic development, business centres, business incubators, associations of trade unions.
Educational institutions such as schools, colleges, universities, centres for professional training, research institutions.
Municipalities and associations of municipalities and of small and medium-sized enterprises.

Eligible activities are divided into two types of measures:

1) Soft measures such as organizing of business meetings, conferences, training sessions, campaigns etc.

2) Investment activities such as deliveries in the sphere of environmental protection – specialized equipment and technologies, monitoring systems, internet equipment for creating networks, database and virtual information centres, minor building activities.

Eligible candidates may apply with project proposals either for the soft measures only or for the both types of measures – soft and investment. Projects, concerning only investment measures will be considered ineligible.

Implemented projects should achieve results on the following three components:

Component 1: Aid to business activities:

Information and coordination centres for economic development and tourism, established on cross-border level.

Promotional events (business exhibitions, conferences, seminars), organized with the purpose of advancing cross-border business cooperation.

Creation of database for providing cross-border business information.

Business agreements, developed and signed by Greek and Bulgarian entrepreneurs.

Information campaigns for small and medium-sized enterprises, aiming at raising the public awareness in regard to the common law of the EU.

Development of new joint products.

Small and medium-sized companies with introduced quality management systems.

Companies, consulted for development of business plans, technological transfer, patents.

Component 2: Human resources and employment:

Fostering employment events.

Established cross-border networks for encouraging employment.

Cross-border educational initiatives and/or schemes for professional training in the sphere of tourism and economy (especially young workers and women).

Training for beginning and active entrepreneurs.

Component 3: Cooperation among educational and research institutions

Established cross-border networks for cooperation and exchange of know-how and innovations among universities, research and technological institutions.

Developed common educational programmes including programmes in foreign languages.

Establishment of schemes for two-sided training and cooperation aiming at raising human resources qualification.

Establishment of cross-border educational network.

Overall objective of the programme:

The overall objective of the programme is to foster employment, improve competitiveness and promote growth of enterprises in the cross-border region and support the creation of cross-border business partnerships.

Specific objectives:

Enhancing the cross-border economic activities and employment through improved cooperation between the businesses in the cross-border region

Encouraging networking between local organizations with the aim to developing human resource capacities and skills.

This project is financed
by the EU

This project is implemented by RMA"Maritza"

This document is issued with EU financial support. RMA “Maritza” is responsible for the document's contents and it can not be considered that this document presents the EU official statement.

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