Finding financing: funding options for the Joint Programme of Measures
Finding financing: funding options for the Joint Programme of Measures
Danube countries face a number of challenges in their efforts to meet the objectives of the EU Water Framework Directive. One of the biggest challenges may be finding financing instruments to help fund activities needed to address those objectives.
Looking for funding can be one of the biggest challenges Danube countries face in implementing the Joint Programme
of Measures. Fortunately, several EU financing instruments are available.
© ICPDR/Leitner
The interim report on the Joint Programme of Measures, published by the ICP DR in 2012, showed considerable success towards meeting the goals of the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD). Water quality has improved since 1995, mainly because of the impact of investments in pollution control measures such as sewage systems or wastewater treatment plants. However, significant financial resources are required to put in place a lot of the measures needed to achieve the WFD objectives. While several funding programmes are available, there are proposals to change many of those in the future and Danube countries must become familiar with new financial instruments to find ways to help fund the measures needed to meet the WFD objectives.
Common Strategic Framework Funds
The proposed Common Strategic Framework
Funds will bring together the Cohesion
Fund, the European Regional Development
Fund, the European Social Fund,
the European Agricultural Fund for Rural
Development and the European Maritime
and Fisheries Fund. The proposed framework
will set clear investment priorities for
2014–2020 and provide a single source of
guidance for all five funds, strengthening
the integration of EU policies and ensuring
greater efficiency, while avoiding duplication
and reducing administrative burdens.
Eligible Danube countries: Austria, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia
For more information, please visit:
http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/what/future/index_en.cfm
LIFE
The LIFE programme is the European Union’s funding instrument for the environment with the general objective to contribute to the implementation, updating and development of EU environmental policy and legislation by co-financing pilot or demonstration projects. The programme’s proposed structure for 2014–2020 is made up of two sub-programmes covering the environment (including environment and resource efficiency, nature and biodiversity, and governance and information) and climate action (including adaptation, mitigation, and governance and information). In addition to funding for projects and NGO operating grants, the new structure would include funding for Integrated Projects, to aid the implementation of plans, programmes or strategies required by EU environmental or climate legislation. These larger scale Integrated Projects aim to involve stakeholders in the areas of nature, water, waste, air, climate mitigation and adaptation.
Eligible Danube countries: Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia
For more information, please visit:
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/funding/lifeplus.htm
Transnational Programmes
The legislative package for the next period of EU financing for 2014–2020 proposes three new transnational programmes as part of the European Territorial Cooperation Programme. These programmes, The Danube Transnational Programme, the South East Gateway Programme and the Central Europe Programme would encourage meaningful work in these regions.
The proposed Danube Transnational Programme would cover the same region as the EU Strategy for the Danube Region, and would aim to develop and implement macro-regional and sea basin strategies within the thematic objective of enhancing institutional capacity and efficient public administration, and would support implementation as well as projects. A task force is currently preparing this future programme.
Eligible Danube countries: Austria, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine
A website for this programme is not
yet available. Visit
http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/index_en.cfm to check
on the programme launch.
The proposed South East Gateway Programme would cover the Adriatic, Ionian and related areas, and replace the current South East Europe and the Instrument for Pre-Accession Cross Boarder Cooperation Adriatic programmes. The proposed South East Gateway Programme would ensure continuity of cooperation and guarantee the implementation of any future strategy or cooperation. The proposal for this programme has not been agreed upon yet, and the specific geography or terms of its priorities or content could still change.
Eligible Danube countries: Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia
A website for this programme is not
yet available. Visit
http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/index_en.cfm to check
on the programme launch.
Central Europe is an EU programme that encourages cooperation among the countries of central Europe to improve innovation, accessibility and the environment and to enhance the competitiveness and attractiveness of their cities and regions. The proposed 2014–2020 programme for Central Europe would provide funding to transnational cooperation projects involving technology transfer and business innovation, sustainable public transport and logistics, environmental risk management and climate change, energy efficiency and renewable energies, demographic change and knowledge development, cultural heritage and creative resources. This proposal is still in preparation, and specific priorities may change.
Eligible Danube countries: Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine The transnational partnership must involve a minimum of three partners from at least three countries, and at least two of the countries should be EU Member States.
For more information, please visit: www.central2013.eu
