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REPUBLIKA SLOVENIJA
MINISTRSTVO ZA OKOLJE IN PROSTOR
Dunajska cesta 48, 1000 Ljubljana
T: 01 478 74 00
F: 01 478 74 25
E: gp.mop@gov.si
www.mop.gov.si
Services of general interest in border
areas – challenges and needs
Kinogledališče, Tolmin
Mestni trg 5, Tolmin
Friday, 27th May 2016
The event takes place in the framework of the Slovenian Alpine
Convention Day 2016
Development challenges in border areas are specific due to location and require specific
approach.
Slovenia has 1300 km of land border with neighbouring countries. The border areas are
distinctive due to relief characteristics, accessibility, openness, connectedness with the
main-land, settlements patterns, presence of services of general interest, socio-economic
conditions. Border areas are often also mountainous which face accelerating problems of
ageing, migration towards bigger urban centres, decreasing of services of general interest
and consequently decreasing the attractiveness for living. Alpine Convention Declaration on
Population and Culture highlights the role of population for preserving the diversity of the
Alps. Diversity of the Alps is its main advantage and attractiveness. Maintaining vitality of
border areas is one of objectives of Slovenian spatial and regional development policies and
their main aim is optimal use of endogenous development potentials. Several policy
instruments are used for creating comparable living conditions, for supporting joint
approaches to cross border development issues such as European grouping for territorial
collaboration instrument. Monitoring the development trends in border areas is another
specific challenge. For example available data on migrations doesn’t enable monitoring of
migration flows on cross border level.
The event will highlight the issues of services of general interest as a precondition for spatial
development of local communities in border areas. This is specifically important for areas
with small critical mass of population facing decrease of services or where offer-demand is
unbalanced. Not only out-migration can be reduced by innovative, tailor–made solutions of
services which fulfil demands and needs on cross border level, but also higher level of
quality, accessibility of services can be achieved. All these aspects are present in cross
border areas already today. Certain advantages are recognized, but also some traps, which
we would like to reveal with concrete examples.
Questions raised are: Which services of general interest can foster the role of border areas
and how it can be achieved? What are the challenges and obstacles faced? Are joint crossborder strategies needed for improving the quality of services and reducing the impacts of
out-migration? At what level?
The event will focus on services in the fields of transport, public administration, education,
health and social services, employment and possibilities for tourism development from
cross-border perspective. The results of the meeting will feed-in the work on border areas
within renewal of the Spatial Development Strategy of Slovenia 2050.
Programme
9:00-9:30
Registration
09:30-09:45 Introduction
- Uroš Brežan, Mayor of Tolmin municipality (tbc)
- Barbara Radovan, Director General, Ministry of the Environment and
Spatial Planning
- Markus Reiterer, Secretary general of the Alpine convention
09:45-10:15 Basic premises: terms and legislation
- Border areas, EU Framework convention on cross-border cooperation of
territorial communities and authorities, EU legislations on services of
general interest , Territorial Agenda EU 2020, Alpine Convention –
Declaration of population and Culture, Ministry of the Environment and
Spatial planning in collaboration with the Ministry of public administration
and Permanent secretariat of the Alpine Convention
10:15-11:15 Spatial development of border areas
- Services of general interest in border areas as a development challenge,
Tomaž Miklavčič, Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning,
Directorate for Spatial Planning, Construction and housing
- Principles of improving accessibility of services in sparsely settled areas –
ACCESS project, dr. Janez Berdavs, Governmental Office of the Republic of
Slovenia for development and EU cohesion policy
- Development plan of the biosphere areas Julian Alps as a basis for local
development and connections, Klemen Langus, Turizem Bohinj (Tourism
Bohinj)
- Sustainable development of tourism in cross-border region Julian Alps,
Marko Pretner, Triglav National park in collaboration with Parco Naturale
Prealpi Gulie
- Questions and answers
11.15-11.45
Coffee break
11:45-14:30 Opportunities for development in border areas: experiences and needs and
policy support
- Accessibility of mountainous areas with public transport - experiences of
IDAGO project, Vera Djurić Drozdek, Municipality of Jesenice
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Pohorje – border areas in the light of tourism development, Janja Viher,
Zavod za turizem Maribor (Tourism association Maribor)
Needs for improving services in maritime area, City municipality Koper
Improving services in cross-border Gorica– Nova Gorica area for joint
development: accessibility with bicycles within the Soča Project, Health
services project, logistic center of Vrtojba , Sandra Sodini, EZTS GO1
Water supply in border areas, potentials and key questions ( DRINKADRIA
project), dr. Primož Banovec, University of Ljubljana, Faculty of civil
engineering and geodesy2
(Lunch break 13.00 – 13.45)
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Education in cross-border areas, Roman Gruden, Ministry for education,
science and sport
Cross- border transport links, Matjaž Vrčko, Ministry for Infrastructure
EUGO Business Point Slovenia, Tina Kuljiš, RS, Ministry of public
administration
14:30-15:30 Responses and discussion on the presented issues:
1. Which services are the key for preserving comparable living conditions in
border areas and for their development? How could the issue of sufficient
critical mass be addressed?
2. Do we need different strategies for different types of border areas? At
what level? What should be the role of local communities - municipalities,
regional development agencies, state?
3. How can cross-border cooperation support this? What are the obstacles?
Are joint strategies needed? Which one could be the most efficient? Do
present instruments (EGTC) enable good solutions? What needs to be
improved?
15:30-15:45 Conclusions and follow up
______________________________
Please register until Tuesday, 25th May 2016: majda.lovrencic@gov.si
Additional information: Blanka Bartol, +386-1-478-7054, blanka.bartol@gov.si
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the presentation will be in English