Latvia's border regions are characterised by their peripheral geographical location and relative isolation from the national economy. Among the challenges the regions are faced with are poor conditions of roads and technical infrastructure, an ageing population due to low birth-rates and a high degree of out-migration among youth, high unemployment, and unevenly attainable public services. Latvia has chosen to use €2.3 million of the Norway Grants to address these negative trends through a cross-border cooperation fund.
The Latvian cross-border cooperation fund provides funding to projects and initiatives that will spur economic and social development of the border areas and that may also bring about a higher degree of socio-economic cohesion in the wider Baltic Sea region. Exchange of experiences and know-how across national and regional borders is encouraged, and all projects need to involve at least one partner in Belarus, Estonia, Lithuania or Russia.
Other key priorities of the fund are strengthening civil society by contributing to the development and cooperation of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the area, and providing a more favourable environment for business development and entrepreneurship.
Supported projects
Among the supported projects is a cooperative effort between the Latvian municpality of Kekava and the Lithuanian municipality of Šiauliai on providing e-solutions to make public administration services more easily available to residents. Other examples are the Latgale Region in Latvia and the Pskov Oblast in Russia's elaboration of a joint development plan for attracting investment and promoting economic growth, and the cooperation between Dobele District in Latvia and Joniškis District in Lithuania on developing a business support system to encourage innovation and to promote cooperation between entrepreneurs and local policymakers. Latvian and Belarusian young people from Ludza and Glubokoye, pictured above, are working together on an "art bridge" project in which they learn about the region's history, traditions and cultural heritage.
Vita Prokopovica of the Latvian Ministry of Regional Development and Local Government, managing the fund, highlighted active cross-border cooperation as an important instrument for promoting sustainable and competitive development of the border area in her speech during the Open Days of the 2009 European Week of Regions and Cities.