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Non-State Actors and Local Interest Groups in the Estonian-Russian Border Region, Transboundary Lake Peipsi Area

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Non-State Actors and Local Interest Groups in the Estonian-Russian Border Region, Transboundary Lake Peipsi Area 7/2/2014 Non-state actors and local interest groups in the Estonian-Russian border region, transboundary Lake Peipsi area Margit Säre, Peipsi Center for Transboundary Cooperation, Estonia Total length of the border line is 460 km: 2/3 of it goes through the sea and large surface water bodies (Lake Peipsi and Narva River); and 138 km 1 7/2/2014 Different levels of cooperation Interests and motivations of central governments for inter-state cooperation differ of those, local stakeholders may have. Central governments are mainly concerned with traditional hard security issues of its borders, sovereignty of the state and its political image. Regional and local authorities that directly depend upon local constituencies are more concerned with the issues of social and economic aspects of the area and of the well being of citizens The actual situation of cross border cooperation between Estonian and Russian territories is still strongly affected by the atmosphere of interstate relations and problems unresolved at the intergovernmental level . ESTONIAN-RUSSIAN INTERSTATE RELATIONS.. … are complicated and emotionally loaded The Estonian accession to the EU has not brought the positive change in the Est/Rus intergovernmental relations nor the regional or local CBC. The border and visa regime between Estonia and Russia was established in 1992. Border treaty between countries still not signed. Estonian parliamentary delegation visit to Moscow last week: both sides confirmed that “Border Treaty talks nearing completion“ 2 7/2/2014 Lake Peipsi is the largest transboundary lake in Europe (3550 km²), shared by Est.(44%) and Rus.(56%). Total population of the lake region is appr. 800 000 people, most of local municipalities have around 3000-6000 people Region is underdeveloped, with problems of unemployment, depopulation. Peripherial (of the EU, of Estonia) Different religious, ethnic groups The Setu women choir Setu land, in the south of the lake,is famous of it´s mineral water and healthy mud 3 7/2/2014 Seto land This community counts about 4000 people, with only 100 people living on the Russian side of the border Setos differ from Estonians by the Orthodox religion and by their own Seto dialect, close, but not identical, to Estonian. The centers are Värska, Meremäe (Estonia), Pecory (Russia) Old belivers Foto: Peeter Unt 4 7/2/2014 Border crossing • In 2011 appr 1.3 milj vehicles border crossings (increase compared to 2009 – 33%) • Last years according to estimations 4/5 of private cars crossed the border with aim for petrol smuggling (in Narva/Ivangorod even 9/10) • In 2011 online border crossing registr. system was opened, in 2012 also from Rus. side www.goswift.ru ONLINE BORDER QUEU info 5 7/2/2014 FIGHT WITH PETROL SMUGGLING • The Estonian Tax and Customs Board estimated that during last years the quantity of fuel transported to Estonia in the fuel tanks of vehicles and then illegally sold was appr. 7% of the total amount of fuel sold in EE. The cross-border fuel business was extensive and well organised; there were places where the illegal fuel was re-pumped, sold to taxis etc. • Ministry of Finance took several actions in 2012, afterwards border crossing lines have decreased dramatically. - Drivers, entering Estonia, have to declear their final destination. Having more petrol in the tank- have to pay excise - long interviews, control etc for those driver crossing border more than 3 times per month • First results show that the the number of cars, who crossed the border more than 3 times per month has been decreased 90%. NGO Peipsi Center for Transboundary Cooperation Peipsi CTC is aiming to promote sustainable development and cross border cooperation in the Lake Peipsi basin and sharing its experience with the other transboundary water regions We works since 1993 Joint projects with other transboundary basins: Lake Ohrid, Talas Chu rivers, Dnister river www.ctc.ee 6 7/2/2014 Our recent Estonian-Russian CBC projects - Hansa Links (cultural cooperation between Tartu,Pskov, Rostock) - CBC summer schools in lake Peipsi area (for Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Caucasus) - Peipsi Forum - ENPI Est/Lat/Rus projects: GREENMAN (green management of border capitals) and People with Nature (nature education) - PEIPSIMAN (water management training, infrastructure) “EUBORDERREGIONS. European Regions, EU External Borders and the Immediate Neighbours. Analysing Regional Development Options through Policies and Practices of Cross-Border Co-operation” European Commission FP 7 project; 2011-2016 Aim: to identify challenges to economic, social and territorial cohesion as well as regional development potentials in different borderlands at the EU’s external frontiers. 7 7/2/2014 Research in 11 case study areas in different EU external borders Field work 2012-2013: - mapping of key-actors (stakeholders) in the Est/Rus border - Media, web-site analyse - Border observations - Interviews Narva/IVANGOROD • Narva (EE) -populated by appr 66000 people, 96 % Russian-speakers • Ivangorod (RU) – 11000 inhabit. • Divided by Narva river 8 7/2/2014 VÄRSKA/PECHORY – Seto Land South on the border- unpopulated area Värska (EE), closest village to the border - 21 km,1200 inhabitants Pechory (RU), 3km from the border, around 10 000 inhabit. Mapping of Estonian-Russian border area stakeholders • 70 organisations were identified, which are active in CBC, in Estonian side Public/government Civil society Private companies, local sector and regional media 41 21 8 • The biggest number of stakeholders -in public sector (59%): ministerial or county government dept., rural municipalities and towns, (high) schools • Those organisations have financing from state budget and can afford costs for international relations, visits, twin city activites etc. 9 7/2/2014 Civil society organisation in the Estonian side of border Field of cross border activity of identified CSOs (21) Culture and tourism promotion 6 Regional Development, municipality cooperation 5 Environment, fisheries 4 Religions, national identity 4 Research, education 4 Other 4 • Some organisations are active in different fields From the interviews with CSOs... “There are different support programs for rural areas, regional development; however during the last 10 years the situation of local municipalities, NGOs in the border area has not become better” “The border does not play important role for the ordinary citizen of the border area. What happens on the other side of the border, does not touch ordinary people very much” “We do not have enough money to pre-finance the CBC activities and then wait and fight with the Programme Secretariat with each penny we have spent” 10 7/2/2014 HAVE THE EU CBC PROGRAMS INCREASED THE WELL- BEING OF BORDER AREAS INHABITANTS (or mainly of the project writing/consultancy companies…) STUDENT FIELD WORK Border/shopping area observations Questionnaires Expert interviews Media analyse 11 7/2/2014 I OBSERVATIONS 1st) October 2012 2nd) January 2013 3rd) April 2013 4th) July 2013 Same time in Est. and Rus. Side of the border Observe: •Border crossing •Gasolin price •Supermarket prices (of pre-selected national/neighborly/international products) •Supermarket parking lot, car plates (origin state) •Exchange rate •Bus ticket price CBQ – Cross-border Questionnaire Longer formalized contact interview (10 core questions + 4 orientation questions: telephone, face-to-face, Skype) Online: http://www.ut.ee/ABVKeskus/cbq/cbq.php, password: küsitlus EXPERT Interviews Topic A: CBC Participation Topic B: CBC impact on the region Topic C: CBC Policies Topic D: Final Questions 12 7/2/2014 Interviews County governments Local government offices NGOs, tourism offices EE 39 MTÜ Piiriveere Liider www.piiriveere.ee EE 46 Setomaa Valdade Liit/union of municipalites Seto sootska, Setu king Hüdsi Silver; www.setomaa.ee EE 54 NGO Piiri Peal www.piiripeal.ee, Aime Güsson, [email protected] EE 63 Seto Talumuuseum/ Seto Farm museum http://www.setomuuseum.ee/, [email protected] EE 66 Värska gümnaasium/Gymnasium www.hot.ee/verskakool/ EE 68 Võro Institute http://www.wi.ee/index.php/voro-instituudist EE 69 Värska Püha Georgiose kogudus (Orthodox Church of Estonia, Värska branch) http://www.eoc.ee/eng EE2 Setomaa valdade liit/Association of Setoland municipalities www.setomaa.ee EE22 Estonia-Latvia-Russia Program secretariat Liane Rosenblatt; www.estlatrus.eu EE23 MTÜ Peipsi Turism/NGO Peipsi region Tourism Kaja Allilender, www.visitpeipsi.com EE24 Emajõe Lodjaselts/Emajõe Barge society [email protected]; www.lodi.ee͒+372 5559 6788 EE31 Võru county gvt. www.werro.ee EE32 Põlva county gvt. www.polvamaa.ee EE52 Setomaa turismiinfopunkt/tourism info http://www.setoturism.ee/ 13 7/2/2014 NGO Peipsi Center for Transboundary Cooperation www.ctc.ee www.euborderregions.eu https://www.facebook.com/pages/EUBORDERREGI ONS/147168102014352 14.
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