European funds for development of Romanian-Ukrainian communities in cross-border regions

The Regional Office for Cross-Border Cooperation Romania-Ukraine (BRCT) from northeastern Suceava launched on Thursday, in southeastern Tulcea, an information caravan regarding the financing opportunities for the border counties in the 2021-2027 programming period.

The non-reimbursable financing of the European Union through the Interreg Next Romania-Ukraine Program is 54 million euros, to which is added the national contribution, during the previous programming period, about 80% of the funds having already been absorbed, according to the BRCT executive director, Cezar Grozavu.

Cezar Grozavu added that BRCT has been active in the humanitarian area since the beginning of the war in the neighboring country and contributed to the establishment of three humanitarian hubs in southeastern Tulcea, northeastern Siret and northern Sighetu Marmatiei, distributed cards with over 300,000 euros to refugees to ensuring their daily needs, transport of aid to Ukraine and participated in events in Ukraine despite the current conditions, Agerpres informs.

The BRCT caravan was attended by representatives of the associations from Romania and Ukraine that carried out projects financed during the 2014-2020 programming period, among whom were also those of the Association for the Sustainable Development of the Danube Delta, which, in southeastern Chilia Veche, opened at the end of last year, the Romanian-Ukrainian Cultural Center.

The pandemic and the war in Ukraine were also the main challenges for the associations in Ukraine that benefited from European funds through BRCT. The Association for Sustainable Development and European Integration Euroregion Lower Danube from Izmail, Ukraine attracted up to 10 million euros for the development of some facilities in the hospital in the Ukrainian city, the realization of the sewage system, the arrangement of some parks and the implementation of some cultural projects.

The BRCT information caravan will arrive on Friday in Izmail, Ukraine, on May 3, in northern Baia Mare, on May 4 in northern Satu Mare, on May 8 in Uzhgorod, Ukraine, on May 10 it reaches northern Botosani and Ivano-Frankivsk, and on May 11 in Chernivtsi, on May 12 being in northeastern Suceava.