Basic information

The calendar of the initiative of establishing a Grouping named the Central European Transport Corridor European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation Limited Liability (CETC-EGTC Ltd.)

In May 2010 in Varaždin, 14 partner regions of the CETC-ROUTE65 initiative made the decision to change the form of the partnership within the framework of the Central European Transport Corridor and to establish the European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation. The aim of founding the Grouping is to facilitate and support cross-border, transnational, and interregional cooperation within the Central European Transport Corridor and the enforcement of economic and social cohesion, particularly through the implementation of territorial partnership projects and programmes.

This cooperation, which has been developed by the regions under the Agreement on Establishing the Central European Transport Corridor (CETC) for nine years, has produced new expectations, and the previous formula of collective action was no longer sufficient to meet such challenges. The first several months of discussion on the new form of cooperation saw the establishment of a new group of partners, who decided to continue their operations under the European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation formula. In December 2010, the partners in the Initiative made the decision to locate the headquarters of the future EGTC in Szczecin. This decision was supported by the six-year experience of the Westpomeranian Region in running the CETC Technical Secretariat. Subsequent meetings saw the decision on the creation of the strategic centre – an internal EGTC strategic and planning administration unit.

On 12 December 2013, the founding deed for the new organisational form of the CETC-ROUTE65 Initiative was signed on behalf of its partners. With this, the EU received its first Grouping operating in the field of transport. This is the first EGTC in Europe dedicated to increasing the effectiveness of transport and mobility management. The main objective of the cooperation continues to be the support for the development of transport accessibility along the north-south multimodal transport axis from the Baltic Sea to the Adriatic Sea, and the consequent enlivening of the development.

On 24 March 2014 the EGTC was officially register.

■ Aims

The CETC – EGTC is established in order to allow a broad range of cooperation. Under the formed Grouping, the CETC partners are oriented towards the following:

• intensification of cooperation at the planning, strategy, and project levels and more effective operation,
• achievement of a higher level of organisational identification and more involvement among the members,
• assurance of permanent and unassisted operations of the organisation at the expertise and financial levels,
• creation of clear solutions and responsibilities within the structure, independent of political transformations,
• assurance of the capabilities for a faster and more flexible reaction to changing needs and circumstances,
• creation of conditions which would make the initiative more visible at the Community level due to effective lobbying.

Cooperation in the fields of culture and tourism is planned. The EGTC is expected to integrate its members in a more effective manner.

The EGTC will contribute to achieving the economic and social cohesion of the EU regions – it will be composed of only regional partners during the initial stage. In  successive stages, the cooperation will include universities and business entities, and ultimately government authorities.

The CETC – EGTC is intended to have an impact on the sustainable development of the EU territory. The weaker regions will have more developmental opportunities thanks to the association of the potential with the regions extensively taking advantage of their place in Europe.

• Selected tasks of the CETC – EGTC Ltd. :
• formation of a common CETC planning area;
• identification of missing transport links under the CETC according to types of transport and location;
• initiation of operations and development of initial feasibility studies;
• maintenance of pro-investment lobbying;
• provision of the free flow of know-how, statistical data, and other information;
• development of the concept of logistics chains and the provision of access to economic information assisting in the operations of the enterprise sector within the operating area of the Grouping;
• inclusion of the R&D sector and higher education institutions into the cooperation;
• promotion of the operating regulations of the “green transport infrastructure”;
• creation of a common tourism zone;
• implementation of other programmes or projects developed under the EGTC following the work of the cross-border specialist working groups ghostwriter agentur;
• recommendation of solutions for regional policies.

• The political conditions of the CETC – EGTC:
• Cooperation developed under the Interregional Agreement on establishing the Central European Transport Corridor from 2004 by 17 regions and districts from 6 countries.
• The declaration signed in May 2007 in Bratislava, constituting the political will for the further realisation of the intentions defined in the Interregional Agreement on establishing the Central European Transport Corridor.
• The declaration concerning joint activities in terms of improving the cooperation concerning the Central European Transport Corridor – signed in December 2008 in Senec.
• The Szczecin declaration signed by the Ministers responsible for transport in the CETC countries in June 2010 in Szczecin.