PROJECT PROPOSALS APPROVED FOR CO-FUNDING WITHIN HUNGARY-CROATIA IPA CROSS-BORDER COOPERATION PROGRAMME

The first call for Proposals within the framework of IPA Hungary-Croatia Cross Border Cooperation Programme was launched on the 26 of March 2009. Five project proposals submitted by PORA Development Agency of Podravina and Prigorje were approved for co-funding and PORA participated in all five projects as project partner and project associate in cooperation with both Hungarian and Croatian partners.

PROJEKT DRAVA-GASTROLOBBY – Cross-border culinary and cultural cooperation – two cultures meet on the Croatian-Hungarian border.

The lead beneficiary was Somogy County.

Project partners were PORA Development Agency of Podravina and Prigorje and Koprivnica Križevci County Tourist Board.

Project associates were Democratic Union of Hungarians of Croatia of Koprivnica Križevci County, and municipalities of Lakocsa and Csokonyavisonta from Hungary.

Project objective was to enhance and improve cooperation between partners in Somogy County and Koprivnica Križevci County by organizing two two-day culinary manifestations along the Drava River on both sides of the border.

Project activities involved organization of two two-day culinary manifestations on both sides of the border along the Drava River where the participants presented culture, historic, ethnographic and linguistic heritage of Hungary and Croatia. The manifestations also involved presentation of minorities from the regions near the border in both countries. Government officials from partner counties had the opportunity to talk about future joint projects between two counties, its cities and municipalities as well as civil society organizations in the regions near the border. Some of the participants at the manifestations were representatives of the regions that were considered admissible within the framework of this programme, which emphasized the importance of cooperation in the cross-border region. One of the activity was to create and publish bilingual promotional material about the project.

The project lasted for 12 months (from the 1st January 2010 to the 31st January 2011).

Total value of the project was 55.534,00 EUR. The budget approved for the PORA was 15.766,66 EUR.