€107 million for Czech-Slovak cross-border projects

A total of €107 million has been earmarked for joint cross-border projects of the Czech Republic and Slovakia through the Interreg Slovakia-Czech Republic programme in the new programming period, Slovak interim Investment, Regional Development and Informatisation Minister Veronika Remisova (Za ludi) and Czech Regional Development Minister Ivan Bartos stated in Trencin on Monday. The projects are expected to increase the quality of life in the Czech-Slovak border area. According to Remisova, the first calls in the Interreg Slovakia–Czech Republic programme will be announced in April. In cooperation with Czech partners, they will announce six calls worth €60 million. "We'll direct the EU funds to projects that will have a real and long-term impact on people's lives in such a way as to increase the quality of life of people in the borderlands," emphasised Remisova. According to her, as much as €26 million from the €107-million package has been allocated for the environment and mitigating the effects of climate change to pay for the construction of anti-flood barriers, and removal of the consequences of floods and erosion. "Two calls worth €15 million will be designated for the protection of nature and the landscape, €30 million has been earmarked for the protection of our common cultural heritage, the protection of monuments, the development of tourism, and €10 million will be spent on cooperation by local government," added the interim minister. According to Bartos, the new programming period of the Interreg programme builds on the successful cooperation between Slovakia and the Czech Republic in previous years.