EU-Projects

In cooperation with various Directorates-General of the European Commission, the Bavarian State Ministry of the Environment and Public Health (StMUG) is participating in EU project partnerships or providing support when it comes to handling their programmes. These cooperations enable the preparation of themes of European significance and the reciprocal exchange of know-how and also provide knowledge relating to examples of good practice while effecting a consolidation of European integration.

The EU projects can be subdivided into three groups:

Projects within the framework of European Structural Fund programmes (Objective 2, Objective 3, INTERREG III, LEADER+) help structurally weak regions in Bavaria.
Projects within the framework of European research and development programmes in the field of the environment and public health (LIFE, European Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development).

Projects for cooperation in administration with other European states aimed at improved European integration (Twinning).

European structural fund programmes

Objective 2

The programme in which most of the EU funds in Bavaria are concentrated covers the development of regions with structural problems. In accordance with the two funds being used, the programme focuses on infrastructure and the stimulation of investment activities (European Regional Development Fund - ERDF) and promotion of employment (European Social Fund - ESF).

One main field of work of the StMUG consists of projects relating to technical flood-control measures, which are of the utmost importance in view of the most recent floods in Bavaria and the climate change that is currently taking place. The flood control reservoir Furth im Wald (Drachensee) is one of the most sophisticated of these projects. The Drachensee reservoir is built on the Chamb river above the town of Furth im Wald (Cham county). The construction of a dam across a narrow part of the valley creates a reservoir for temporarily retaining flood water and releasing it slowly downstream. So in future this will prevent the severe damage to settlements and industrial estates that occurred in the past.

Objective 3

The programme aims at improving the job market and educational situation as well as promoting equal opportunities for all citizens. The idea behind it is to stimulate employment and to combat unemployment. Specifically, the programme currently provides finance for up to 30 rangers from ESF funds and the Bayerischer Naturschutzfonds foundation with the aim of preserving landscapes worthy of protection.

Interreg III A Austria-Germany / Bavaria

This mainly investment-oriented programme aims at improving cooperation between the border regions (primarily the 1st series of counties). The main focus for the StMUGV in this programme consists of projects for cross-border flood-control measures to protect the countryside, especially along the river Salzach, and measures for ecological tourism.

Interreg III A Bavaria-Czech Republic

The general objective is similar to that of the programme at the Bavarian-Austrian border. But the main emphases of the programme are different owing to the special location at the border to a new EU member state. Apart from cooperations relating to the protection of waterbodies and waste water rehabilitation one particularly outstanding project is the cross-border Marktredwitz – Cheb 2006 Garden Show. This especially impressive European integration project is jointly implemented by the two towns in the border region; thus contributing to an intensive exchange between the people of this region, which in the past was separated by the Iron Curtain. The StMUGV administrates the second largest percentage of EU funds as part of this programme and of the A programme mentioned above.

Interreg III A Alpine-Rhine-Lake-Constance-Upper-Rhine

The project managed in cooperation with Switzerland and the German state of Baden-Württemberg deals with aspects of regional development around Lake Constance.

Interreg III B

Unlike the Interreg A line most of the projects carried out in the B line are pre-investment projects with at least two partners from other countries in larger specified cooperation regions. The projects deal with key topics of great importance to European spatial development. Bavaria is involved in the cooperation areas “CADSES” (Eastern Europe), “North West” (North-West Europe) and “Alpine Space” (all Alpine states). The German lead partner of the last project is the StMUGV. The lead partner of the other two programmes as well as of the Interreg III C line that deals with cooperation between regions all over Europe is the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Infrastructure, Transport and Technology (StMWIVT). Especially important projects within the Alpine Space Programme involving Bavaria as lead partner are:

RIVER BASIN AGENDA:
New forms of river basin management are being tested within the framework of this project. Tests are being run on various Alpine rivers to see how the requirements of flood control management, regional planning and ecology can be combined. This means a shift of perspective from focusing on the riverbed to planning and working with whole river basins. Lead partner is the StMUGV.
ALPFRAIL:
The project starts from the hypothesis that it is possible, by means of logistic measures, to transfer a considerable percentage of the goods that are so far transported by road across the Alps to the railways. This helps to avoid, to some extent, costly new transport infrastructures whilst simultaneously achieving a considerable reduction in terms of ecological damage in Alpine goods transit . This requires a change from an axis-related to a network-related approach and the integration of source and destination areas for goods such as ports and large goods distribution centres outside the Alpine space. Lead partner: Lead partner is the Logistik-Kompetenzzentrum Logistics Competence Centre in Prien.
CLIMCHALP (in preparation):
To start with, an interdisciplinary approach will be used to determine the effects of the climate change expected in the Alpine space based on current climate models. Specific avoidance and adaptation measures (for example in spatial planning or for important economic sectors such as tourism) will then be developed on the basis of this. One central approach will be to rapidly translate the findings into specific political and administrative action. Lead partner will be the StMUGV.

Further details about the programmes of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and of the European Social Fund, especially measures eligible for a grant, regional backdrops, subsidy volumes, application procedures, etc. can be found on the respective programme websites.

LEADER+

The Community initiative LEADER+ aims at the development of rural areas in particular. Citizens in rural areas are to develop strategies for an integrated and sustainable development of their home regions. LEADER+ has the function of a laboratory for innovative projects in rural areas and is characterised by a clear bottom-up approach. Exemplary projects are the rehabilitation of a vineyard, a feasibility study on wide-scale spatial flood retention measures and the conception of local environmental education measures.

The new Structural Fund Period 2007-2013 is currently in preparation. It looks as if many of the current programmes in Bavaria will be continued. Final statements in this context will, however, only be possible after an agreement about the EU budget and the drafting of the programmes at the level of the Federal Government and of the Laender.

Research and development programmes

LIFE Environment

This EU financial instrument aims at implementing and updating policies and legislation in the EU environmental sector. A major basic requirement for projects is their close practical relevance and a clear exemplary effect for Europe.

Two fields of the three strands of this financial instrument, namely LIFE Nature and LIFE Environment, are of importance to Bavaria. Bavarian LIFE Nature projects that are partially supported by means of state funds focus for example on the protection of rare birds and of wetlands.

Projects in the LIFE Environment strand focus more strongly on environmental technologies and innovative pilot projects aimed at closing the gap between promoting research projects on the one hand and structural development measures on the other. They aim at a participation of the business community to guarantee the rapid practical implementation of the development scheme (key word: transferability). One model project is the VAPO project of the Promeos company.

Framework programmes for research and technological development

These programmes bundle the European promotion of research and supplement the national research efforts of the European states and regions. The programmes cover a broad range of fields of research and are meant mainly for top research and technological development institutions but also for companies. The 6th Research Framework Programme is currently still running, the 7th Research Framework Programme will start in 2007. The main task of the STMUGV in this context is to provide applicants with advice; it also supports individual projects.

Adminstrative cooperation

Twinning

The Twinning Programme of the EU assists new EU members and potential candidate countries in the implementation of the European acquis communautaire. The programme provides for administration experts from the member states to be seconded to the candidate countries at the request of the candidate country where they support the introduction and implementation of regulations of EU law in the fields of agriculture, environment, judiciary/interior, finances, single market and regional development, labour/social affairs, public health and transport as well as the building of appropriate administrative structures.

So far Bavaria has successfully completed two twinning projects with the Czech Republic and two with Poland. One of the twinning projects with the Czech Republic served to strengthen the institutional preconditions for implementing the environment acquis. It was carried out by one long-term adviser, assisted by approx. 20 short-term advisers most of whom were seconded by the Bavarian environmental administration. Another twinning project on air pollution control in the Czech Republic was supported by a Bavarian long-term expert. Currently in preparation are twinning projects with Slovenia aimed at implementing the IPPC Directive (Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control) and with Poland aimed at strengthening the veterinary administration. Here, Bavaria would also second a long-term expert and, in the first case, several short-term experts.

An official of the Bavarian State Ministry of the Environment has embarked on a twinning project with Poland for implementing the EU directive on the Environmental Impact Assessment of projects. The twinning project on implementing the EU Water Framework Directive has been concluded with Poland. Of particular importance to Bavaria’s industry is the fact that, in the years to come, Poland will have to make investments amounting to approx. € 15 billion in water management measures necessary to meet EU environmental standards. This opens up interesting perspectives for the Bavarian industry in the field of environmental technology. Soon to be completed is a twinning project with Turkey in the field of veterinary medicine.

There are connections with Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Slovakia within the framework of bilateral cooperation agreements. Based on the work programmes agreed here, there has already been a decades-long exchange in the field of water management ranging from culture to the environment, partially on an annual rota basis.

For more than a decade there has been good cooperation with the Czech Republic within the framework of the Boundary Waters Commission. As part of the boundary waters agreement (between Hof and Passau there are 172 cross-border waterbodies and 58 waterbodies that form the national border) all water-management measures are dealt with that relate to boundary waters or aim at improving the water quality of the water bodies as well as protecting the river pearl mussel (Margaritifera margaritifera) and the common freshwater mussel in boundary waters and their catchment areas.

There are good contacts with Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Slovakia within the framework of the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR), which promotes the cooperation of all countries bordering the Danube in protecting the river Danube. A network, especially with Eastern European countries, has been set up as part of the “Technology Transfer Water” project. This project supports Bavarian suppliers of environmental technology – mainly small and medium-sized enterprises – also in the Eastern European water management market.

Further development programmes for promoting European projects

Along with these programmes the EU has launched a number of further programmes to achieve its economic, socio-political objectives and those relating to environmental policy in cooperation with the member states and their regions. The StMUGV has prepared a Förderfibel Umweltschutz (Guide to Support for Environmental Protection) for subsidy offers from the EU in the environmental sector and a brochure EU Fördermöglichkeiten im Gesundheitsbereich (Support Instruments in the Public Health Sector) for subsidy offers in the health sector.