- Community Initiative Programme INTERACT 2002 – 2006 -
- FRONTIERS SUCCESS
FUL INTERREG PROJECT PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION
-THE CAS
E
OF
REMOTE AREAS -
THE PROBLEM
Regional development, transnational cooperation, interregional cooperation and crossborder cooperation are four basic tools designed to promote balanced development and
cohesion of the European space. However, the experience and lessons occured from the
C. I. Interreg II (A, B and C) during the period 1994 - 1999, as well as the first
indications and results from the implementation of the projects of the 3rd phase
(Interreg III – A, B and C) have revealed that focused and effective co-operation in
terms of common project planning and joint implementation are generally difficult to
organise. Especially, as far as the beneficiaries, local actors and institutional structures
of remote areas of the E.U. are concerned, these problems seem to be severe. Their
geographical isolation (mountainous, insular and border regions) in combination with their
lack of know-how and their limited access to information (resulting a.o. from low IT use),
higher training and education (resulting a.o. from their isolation from the main urban
centers), constitute the main reasons for the low level of efficiency and effectiveness
of the projects in which they participate, as well as – in many cases – for their
incapability to access ERDF funds and utilize the advantages, results and impact of
regional interventions.
THE SCOPE
In the above framework, scope of the FRONTIERS Project is to facilitate the
successful planning and implementation of regional development projects in remote areas
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- Community Initiative Programme INTERACT 2002 – 2006 -
and to support local actors and beneficiaries in overcoming the obstacles to genuine
cooperation that stem from the lack of appropriate structures and procedures,
experience, institutional capacity or availability of specific know-how, in order to
promote the balanced development and cohesion of the European space.
THE MAIN OBJECTIVES
In the above framework, the main objectives of the FRONTIERS Project are:

To inform and provide training to local actors and beneficiaries of remote areas on
methods and procedures that will improve their performance in planning and
implementing successful Interreg Projects

To improve the awareness of local actors and beneficiaries of remote areas on the
value of the Interreg Community Initiatives and Interreg Projects, as well as their
advantages to their areas’ development

To promote the expression of needs by local actors in the participating areas that
will lead to clearly defined objectives to be attained in the context of realistic work
programmes and indicators, organised budgets and timetables

To support the spread of know-how and experience outside the on-going individual
programmes or areas of co-operation

To support the dissemination of good practices to interested potential stakeholders
in remote areas of the European Member States, the new Member States and
Accession countries

To support coherence and synchronization within established as well as potential
transnational cooperation structures

To support groups of local actors, organizations and associations in remote areas to
organize transnational exchanges
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- Community Initiative Programme INTERACT 2002 – 2006 -

To exchange ideas and know-how and propose solutions to overcome hurdles that pose
problems to the proper implementation of Interreg projects on local, regional or
national level.
THE MAIN ACTIVITIES
The main activities of the FRONTIERS Project, under the corresponding Work Packages,
are:
WORK PACKAGE 1 – ANALYSIS OF INTERREG EXPERIENCE IN REMOTE AREAS
1.1
Conducting researches on recording previous Interreg II Projects and on-going
Interreg III Projects implemented in remote areas of the participating countries,
the problems they were confronted with and good practices (specifications, 1
research for each participating country, synthesis)
1.2
Conducting an analysis of common problems - cooperation difficulties, legal
obstacles, financial malfunctions etc. – of the recorded Interreg projects
1.3
Conducting an analysis of good practices occurred from successful recorded
Interreg Projects and their results and impact to the European cohesion and
development perspectives
1.4
Synthesis of the studies’ results to a common typology of problems and good
practices, which are accordingly reducing or increasing the effectiveness of
Interreg projects and structural interventions in remote areas of the E.U.
1.5
Creating an e-data base of the above recorded parameters
1.6
Conducting a situation analysis (SWOT) for each participating area (specifications,
SWOT, synthesis)
1.7
Conducting an Interventions Matrix for the total project area.
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- Community Initiative Programme INTERACT 2002 – 2006 -
WORK PACKAGE 2 – INFORMATION AND TRAINING OF LOCAL ACTORS AND BENEFICIARIES
2.1
Organizing information seminars in order to transfer the results of the analysis of
the European Interreg experience in remote areas to the final beneficiaries of the
Projects and the local actors of the areas participating in the Project
2.2 Organizing workshops for the exchange of strategies, experiences and know-how on
planning and implementation of Interreg Projects for local actors and beneficiaries
of the participating areas
2.3 Organizing and implementing awareness raising and experience exchanging activities
(Symposiums, Forums, Conferences) among Project beneficiaries, local actors,
potential
applicants
of
participating
areas,
Interreg
Contact
Points and Authorities and representatives of INTERACT points and secretariat.

Organizing training seminars on:

“From Idea to Project” – Project Planning (Searching for partners, Activating
local actors, Establishing concepts, Defining objectives, Defining the mission,
Defining indicators, Combining funding and projects, Examining the project’s
feasibility, Achieving effective communication among partners)

“From Project to Action” - Project Implementation (Efficient and effective
communication platforms, Financial management, Coordination, Organizing and
Implementing
Transnational
Meetings,
Know-how
transfer,
Timetables,
Achieving outputs, results and ensuring impact).
WORK PACKAGE 3 – DISSEMINATION OF ACTIVITIES AND RESULTS
3.1
Organizing information seminars for local authorities on the activities and results
of the FRONTIERS Project
3.2 Establishing contacts with the local media and responsible bodies of participating
areas to publicize actions
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- Community Initiative Programme INTERACT 2002 – 2006 -
3.3 Designing a logo for the Project
3.4 Conducting flyers for the Project
3.5 Conducting information booklets
3.6 Preparing a CD-Rom
3.7 Preparing a poster for the seminars and meetings
3.8 Organizing and implementing an e-forum
3.9 Designing a website
3.10 Designing a portal:

to
improve
communication
among
partners
and
ease
management
and
coordination of the Project

as an organized data base to support remote areas of the European space on
identifying innovations and good practices, finding solutions, tracking partners
etc.
WORK PACKAGE 4 – METHODOLOGY AND IMPLEMENTATION APPROACH
4.1. Conducting a methodological guide on an approach on efficient planning and
implementation of Interreg Projects in Remote European Areas
4.2. Implementation of the methodology to design and submit a common pilot
project to the C.I. Interreg
WORK PACKAGE 5 – MANAGEMENT AND COORDINATION OF THE PROJECT
5.1. Establishing a central management structure for the overall coordination of
the Project
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- Community Initiative Programme INTERACT 2002 – 2006 -
5.2. Establishing local management structures for the coordination of the local
projects by the Project Partners
5.3. Transnational meetings of the Project’s Steering Committee
5.4. On-going evaluation of the Project (mid-term, final and 6 semester reports)
INDICATIVE BUDGET
AND
TIMETABLE
The duration of the Project is estimated at three years and the total budget amounts to
1.500.000 EURO.
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