Brussels, 17/08/2001 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has adopted a cross-border cooperation programme between Austria and Slovenia to be financed by the Community Interreg IIIA initiative, for a total, until 2006, of 54.5 million euro, some 27.3 of which funded by the EU. In Austria, the programme concerns the regions of Styria and Carinthia. Commissioner Michel Barnier said he was convinced that this first Interreg programme for Austria and Slovenia "will have a positive impact in view of enlargement and the preparation of a common future for the regions concerned".
The programme has three priorities: - economic cooperation, notably through the creation of new enterprises and cross-border infrastructures (including networks and science parks), the development of the tourism sector, co-ordination of cultural events or new concepts for environment friendly leisure activities (EU contribution: 11.02 million euro); - human resources and regional co-operation in training, education and culture, especially be experimenting with "common training modules", and strengthening cooperation between cities, schools and cultural associations (EU contribution: 6.65 million euro); - sustainable spatial development, placing emphasis on the environment - improving the water quality of regional rivers, development of natural sites -, transport - this is a question in particular of laying the foundations for better cross-border planning of transport infrastructures between Graz and Maribor or other cities of the region - and natural resources (EU contribution: 8.42 million euro).