Cross-Border Training and Impact Assessment in Ireland and Europe: An International Conference Radisson Blu Farnham Estate Hotel, Cavan 27th-28th October 2011

Opening speaker: Lucinda Creighton TD, Irish Minister of State for European Affairs. Programme Conference Speakers and Chairpersons

Thursday 27 October 2011 Professor Jean-Alain Héraud, Professor of Mr Pat Colgan joined the Special EU affairs correspondent, education correspondent, assistant news Economics, University of Strasbourg, France Programmes Body in Belfast as Chief editor and Belfast reporter with the Irish Times. In the early 1990s Redwood Suite, Radisson Blu Farnham Estate Hotel, Cavan 3. Beyond needs analysis in the Slovenia- Executive in 2004. Prior to his appointment he was co-ordinator of the Opsahl Commission, an independent Carinthia-Friuli region: Professor Stanka he had been involved in the design, ‘citizens inquiry’ into ways forward for Northern Ireland, and editor Chair: Mr Pat Colgan, Chief Executive, Special EU Setnikar-Cankar, Chair of Economics and Public delivery and evaluation of EU-funded of its report, A Citizens Inquiry. Programmes Body, Belfast Sector Management, University of Ljubljana, programmes in the EU Member States Slovenia; Dr Eithne Knappitsch, Lecturer, for the previous 10 years. He came to the Ms Ruth Taillon is Deputy Director 9.15 Registration and refreshment, Redwood Suite Reception Carinthia University of Applied Sciences, Austria; SEUPB from Vienna where he worked for (Research) at the Centre for Cross Border Area Ms Milena Grion, ForSer ( Formazione e Servizi the Austrian Institute for Spatial Planning Studies. Since she joined the Centre 9.45 Opening remarks by Mr Colgan per la Pubblica Amministrazione), ANCI, Italy and Regional Development. During in 2009 she has completed a research 10.00 Official Openingby Irish Minister of State for 3.30 Questions and discussion his time there he was responsible for project on The Role of Community European Affairs, Ms Lucinda Creighton TD 4.30 Close evaluating the efficiency of the implementation of Structural Funds Involvement in Hospital Planning in the 10.20 Cross-border training and impact assessment 7.30 Reception in all the EU Member States. He also had overall responsibility Irish Border Region and is joint author of in Ireland: Mr Andy Pollak and Ms Ruth Taillon, 8.00 Conference dinner with Irish traditional music and for the EU INTERACT Programme. He had previously worked with the Impact Assessment Toolkit for Cross- Director and Deputy Director, Centre for Cross Border dancing government departments in a number of the new Member States Border Cooperation in Ireland, which will Studies, Armagh and accession countries such as Cyprus, the Czech Republic, be launched at this conference. She has 10.40 The Transfrontier Euro-Institut Network (TEIN): Dr Croatia and Slovakia. He is a member of the European Grouping many years’ experience as a researcher Joachim Beck, Director, Euro-Institut, Kehl, Germany Friday 28 October 2011 of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC) Expert Group set up by the EU’s and evaluator working with a range of public and community- 11.00 Coffee Committee of the Regions. based organisations in both Irish jurisdictions. Before joining 11.30 Parallel ‘good practice’ workshops. These 45 Redwood Suite, Radisson Blu Farnham Estate Hotel, Cavan CCBS, Ruth was Research Coordinator for Border Action (formerly minute long workshops will be repeated so that each ADM/CPA), where she had responsibility for commissioning and conference participant has a choice of attending two Chair: Ms Helen Johnston, Chair, Centre for Cross Border Ms Lucinda Creighton TD is the Irish supervising thematic evaluations of projects funded through the EU workshops Studies Minister of State for European Affairs. She PEACE Programme, drafting Monitoring and Evaluation Guidelines 1. Cooperation and Working Together (CAWT) – was elected as a Fine Gael Dublin City for funded projects and developing quality control procedures for health training in the Irish border region: led 9.00 Dr José Antonio Ruiz de Casas, Programme Councillor for the Pembroke electoral assessing individual project evaluations. Before that she worked as by Ms. Linda Saunderson and Mr. Lawrence Manager, EU policies of European Transnational area in 2004. She qualified as a barrister an independent research and evaluation consultant, specialising in McGrath, CAWT, Derry and Interregional Cooperation, DG REGIO, European before being elected to Dáil Éireann as gender, equality and peace and conflict issues. 2. Tradelinks – business mentoring in the Irish Commission, Brussels: Cross-border training and its youngest member in 2007. She has border region: led by Mr. Kieran Mathers, Trade impact assessment - a view from the European served as Fine Gael Spokesperson on Dr Joachim Beck has been Director of Links, Newry Commission European Affairs; as a member of the Joint the Franco-German Euro Institute in Kehl, 3. Raising the participation of women in public First respondent: Mr Martin Guillermo Ramirez, Oireachtas (Parliamentary) Committee near Strasbourg (www.euroinstitut.org) life- women’s capacity building in N.W. Ireland Secretary General, Association of European Border on European Affairs; as a member of the since 2006. Before that he was Head of and Scotland: led by Ms Noirin Clancy, Women Regions Joint Oireachtas (Parliamentary) Committee on European Scrutiny; Public Management at the Swiss-based into Public Life, Donegal Second respondent: Professor Michel Casteigts, as Chairperson of a Parliamentary Sub-committee on the role of consultancy firm PROGNOS AG and, in the 4. EuroSchola – teacher training in the Czech- University of Pau and the Pays d’Adour, France the Oireachtas in European Affairs; as Fine Gael Spokesperson on 1990s, Managing Director of INFOBEST Polish border region: led by Mr. Hynek Böhm, 10.15 Launch of the Impact Assessment Toolkit for Cross Immigration, Integration and Equality, and as a member of the Joint Strasbourg/Kehl, an agency providing Institut EuroSchola, Trinec, Czech Republic Border Cooperation by Dr Ruiz de Casas –with Oireachtas (Parliamentary) Committee on Justice, Defence and cross-border citizens information. He 5. The inter-cultural dimension in cross-border contributions from its principal authors, Ms Ruth Women’s Rights. She is also a former Vice-President for Youth of has written and edited several books on training in the Upper Rhine: led by Ms Anne Taillon, Centre for Cross Border Studies and Mr. the European People’s Party. She was re-elected to Dáil Éireann in public management and cross-border Thevenet, Deputy Director, Euro-Institut, Kehl, Sebastian Rihm, Euro-Institut 2011 and was appointed Minister of State for European Affairs by cooperation and administrative culture in Europe. Germany 10.45 Refreshment break the Taoiseach, Enda Kenny. 1.00 Lunch in the Botanica Restaurant 11.15 Round table discussion with panel: Dr Ruiz de Casas, Ms Linda Saunderson is a trained 2.00 The challenges of training and evaluation for Mr. Jim Higgins MEP, Ms Marian Harkin MEP and Registered General Nurse who has worked European Territorial Cooperation programmes Mr Shaun Henry (Director of Programmes, Special EU Mr Andy Pollak is founding Director in several specialities including Cardiology, Mr Tomasz Petrykowski, Coordinator, INTERACT Programmes Body, Belfast) with contributions from the of the Centre for Cross Border Studies General Medicine and Accident and Point Viborg, Denmark floor (with offices in Armagh and Dublin), and Emergency. In 1986 she was appointed 2.30 European achievements and challenges in cross-border 12.45 Closing remarks by Ms Marian Harkin MEP Secretary of Universities Ireland and as a Sister in Accident and Emergency in training and higher education 12.55 Lunch the Standing Conference on Teacher the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast. She 1. Cross-border local authority training in 2.00 Afternoon excursion to Newgrange Education North and South (SCoTENS). moved to the Erne Hospital in Enniskillen Ireland: Ms Caroline Creamer, Deputy Director, Now over 12 years old, the Centre in 1993 as the Sister in Accident and International Centre for Local and Regional researches, develops and provides Emergency there. In 2000 she became Development, Armagh: management support for a wide range Clinical Services Manager in Sperrin 2. Higher education and research cooperation of cooperation programmes and Lakeland Trust and in 2007 Assistant Director of Emergency Care between France, Germany and Switzerland: projects between Ireland and Northern and Medicine in the Western Health and Social Care Trust. She is Ireland in education and training, health, ICT, the economy, public currently on secondment to the Cooperation and Working Together administration and other practical areas. Andy is a former religious (CAWT) cross-border network of health authorities as Programme Manager for the Acute INTERREG IVA Project. She holds an Women’s Council of Ireland and the Women’s Human Rights project training and the development of the online monitoring International Relations; and a Member of the Senate of the Advanced Diploma in Healthcare and a Diploma in Health Service Alliance where she coordinated the production of a shadow system. A Pole, he holds degrees in Management in International University of Llubljana. Stanka is a Member of the Public Service Management. She has also carried out the adaptation of the report to the UN CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of All Relations and Social Sciences from Poland and Denmark Society of Slovenia and of Slovenia’s Governmental Strategic Emergency Care chapter of the Chapman & Hall Textbook of Adult Forms of Discrimination Against Women) Committee on the Irish respectively and is currently pursuing an MBA programme at Board for Regional Development. She is editor of the international Nursing by Lillian Sholtis Brunner. government’s compliance with CEDAW. Durham University. journal Uprava, published by the Faculty of Administration, and a member of the editorial boards of academic journals in Belgrade, Mr Lawrence McGrath is a trained Mr Hynek Böhm is Project Manager Ms Caroline Creamer is a Research Rijeka, Sheffield and Cork. She has headed and undertaken Registered General Nurse who qualified as and Vice-chairman of Institut EuroSchola, Fellow with the National Institute for numerous research projects in the areas of public administration, a Nurse Tutor in 1980. He was Director of which works in the Czech-Polish-Slovak Regional and Spatial Analysis (NIRSA), competitiveness and cross-border institutional cooperation. Nursing Education and Associate Director border region. He has been involved NUI Maynooth and Deputy Director of the of Nursing Administration in King Fahd mainly in developing and implementing International Centre for Local and Regional Dr Eithne Knappitsch moved to University Hospital in Saudi Arabia from cross-border projects in the fields of Development (ICLRD). Her research Austria following her studies in Applied 1982-1988, and worked as Deputy Director training, human resource development experience and interests include regional Languages (French and German) and of Nursing of Al Ain University Hospital and project development for the public and local development and regeneration, European Studies at the University of in the United Arab Emirates from 1989- administration and education sectors. spatial planning practice and policy, Ulster . She initially worked as a Lecturer 1996. On his return to the UK he became He has also been overseeing the work collaborative working and participative at the University of Klagenfurt and at an Associate Lecturer in the University of leading to the establishment of the new decision-making, and inter-territorial and the same time completed a PhD on Ulster. From 2000 to 2007 he was Senior EGTC (European Grouping of Territorial cross-border development. She holds a Carinthian Politics and the Slovene Nurse at the Erne Hospital in Enniskillen. During this period, Larry Cooperation) TRITIA in the region. This will focus on cross-border Diploma in Environmental Resources Management from Dublin Minority Question. In 2005-2008 she was Executive Director of Nursing (temporary) during the hospital transport and infrastructure, economic cooperation, tourism and Institute of Technology; an MA in Geography from NUI Maynooth; spent time lecturing at the University trust’s reorganisation. He then became General Manager (Accident energy. an MA in Town and Country Planning from University of the West of Ulster and the Carinthia University and Emergency and Unscheduled Care) for the Western NHS Trust of England / Open University, and is currently a part-time PhD of Applied Sciences and working as a in Northern Ireland . Since 2010 he has been working as CAWT’s Ms Anne Thevenet has been Deputy candidate in NUI Maynooth. researcher at the Northern Ireland Assembly. Since her return to Education and Staff Development Facilitator (Acute Project). Director of the Euro-Institut since 2007. Austria, Eithne has been working as a Lecturer and researcher She holds a Diploma in political sciences, Professor Jean-Alain Héraud is for the School of Management at Carinthia University of Applied Mr Kieran Mathers has over 25 years a Masters in European studies and a Professor of Economics at the University Sciences. She teaches courses on Intercultural Communication experience in industry, having worked Masters in management, and has worked of Strasbourg ; head of its Faculty of and doing business in South East and Central Europe, and is as a Systems Manager with Norbrook in the German Parliament and in cross- Economics and Management Science, and involved in several cross-border projects. Her research interests Laboratories, a leading veterinary border cooperation at the Austrian-Czech- a member of the research institute BETA lie in intercultural dynamics and cross-border cooperation within pharmaceutical company based in Slovak-Hungarian border. As Deputy (joint lab UdS-CNRS). His research activities a broader European context. Newry. He is a quality specialist and Director of the Euro-Institut, she is in are mostly in the field of the economics was self-employed as a Quality Systems charge of human resources, contacts of innovation and research policy studies. Ms Milena Grion studied economic Consultant before joining Newry and with funders and the development of new He specialises in the territorial aspects of and finance as an undergraduate Mourne Enterprise Agency in 2002. Kieran strategies, as well as the development and science and innovation policies. He has and took a Masters in International was the operational manager for the SEED delivery of training courses in areas such as regional planning and led several European research projects Business, during which time she studied Business Development Programmes, economic development. She also lectures on cross-border issues within the BETA on subjects like Science at Nanterre University in France. She Businesspoint and the Rural Enterprise at universities in the Upper Rhine region. An important part of her and Technology regional convergence; technological foresight in a worked for many years in the export Awareness Programme before becoming Programme Manager for job consists of developing relations with other border regions. multi-level context, and the multi-level and multi-actor governance department of Italian trading companies, Tradelinks. He has a BSc (Hons) in Chemistry and Biology and is a Since 2010 she has coordinated the Transfrontier Euro-Institut of science policy. For the past three years he has been in charge of including in countries like Romania and member of the Institute of Quality Assurance. Network (TEIN), which brings together centres and institutes of the scientific ‘pillar’ for the French part of the tri-national trans- the former Czechoslovakia. She joined cross-border cooperation in 10 different European border regions. border Upper Rhine metropolitan (i.e. Alsace) region. His most the ForSer (Formazione e Servizi per la Ms Noirin Clancy is Coordinator of recent research orientations have focused on the concept of Pubblica Amministrazione) wing of ANCI Women into Public Life (WIPL), a cross- Mr Tomasz Petrykowski is Coordinator creative territories. (Association of Italian Municipalities) in border partnership between three of the INTERACT Point Viborg (Denmark), 2002. Since 2004 she has been a consultant for local authorities in women’s organisations in Donegal where he manages a team of six Professor Stanka Setnikar-Cankar has training, management and organisation issues, and in the design (Second Chance Education Project for professionals specialised in European held the Chair of Economics and Public and management of innovation and transnational projects. From Women), Derry/Londonderry (Foyle Territorial Cooperation. INTERACT Sector Management at the University of 2005-2007 she was ANCI’s training expert for the Friuli Venezia Women’s Information Network) and supports the European Territorial Ljubljana since 2004 and has been Dean of Giulia regional administration. Since 2007 she has been in charge Scotland (Engender). Donegal County Cooperation Programmes with capacity the university’s Faculty of Administration of the Innovation and International Department, where she has Council is the lead partner. Based in building through training, facilitation since 2009. She holds a PhD with worked on projects funded by a number of EU programmes: Lifford, the aim of WIPL is to address the and analysis. Tomasz previously worked specialisations in Macroeconomics, Equal, Leonardo, INTERREG Italia-Austria, INTERREG Italia-Slovenia, under-representation of women in public at the INTERREG III and IVB North Sea Entrepreneurship and Economic Growth. and Intelligent Energy Europe. Since 2010 she has been the Italian life. WIPL is funded by the INTERREG IVA Programme Secretariat as a Senior She is a former Lecturer, Senior Lecturer representative on the CBN cross-border network developed with Programme and supported by the Special EU Programmes Body Finance Officer, where he was responsible for coordination of and Assistant and Associate Professor the Carinthia University of Applied Sciences and the University (SEUPB). Before coming to WIPL, Noirin worked with the National project monitoring, development of programme procedures, in the Faculty; a former Vice-Dean for of Ljubljana. Ms Helen Johnston is Chair of the represents more than one hundred border and cross-border regions Ms Marian Harkin MEP has been an Mr Shaun Henry has been working with Centre for Cross Border Studies. In her in Europe in their relations with the EU institutions, the Member independent Member of the European the Special EU Programmes Body since day job she is a Senior Social Policy States and the Council of Europe. Parliament for the North-West Ireland 2002. During the programme period 2000- Analyst at the Irish National Economic constituency since 2004. She is a 2006 he was the Director of the Peace and Social Council (NESC) in Dublin. She Professor Michel Casteigts is an graduate of University College Dublin and Reconciliation Programme (PEACE authored the NESC report Well-being Inspector General of Public Administration and taught maths in a school in Sligo for II) and the INTERREG IIIA Programme. He Matters. Helen previously worked at the in France and Associate Professor at the 23 years. Her interest in voluntary and was seconded to the Ministry for Regional Irish Combat Poverty Agency where she University of Pau et des Pays d l’Adour community affairs provided her with a Development in Romania in 2007-2009 was Director for six years and Head of in south-west France. He is the founding lifelong involvement in and respect for to advise on the implementation of EU Research for eight years. During her time president of the Euro-Institute of Kehl what can be achieved in the voluntary Structural Funds. Following his return to with Combat Poverty, she was involved and has wide experience – both from a sector. She is a former Chairwoman of the Belfast in 2009, Shaun was appointed in implementation of the EU PEACE practical and an academic perspective Council for the West and was responsible for the campaign which as the Director of the Managing Authority for the PEACE III and Programme, with Pobal, in the Border Counties. A native of Northern - of cross-border cooperation in Europe. led to the retention of Objective 1 Status for the west of Ireland. INTERREG IVA Programmes. Before his employment with the SEUPB Ireland, Helen worked in the Northern Ireland Civil Service in the He has published several books and Another achievement of the Council of the West was the creation he worked in the Rural Development Council in Northern Ireland early years of her career. She has qualifications in environmental numerous articles on questions of cross- of the Western Development Commission which has been very and had the experience of working in East Africa for two years science, town and country planning, business administration and is border cooperation policy-making and is effective in encouraging employment and in attracting people to with Ireland Aid (under the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs) currently pursuing a doctorate in governance. currently developing a multi-disciplinary research approach within live and work in areas which had difficulty in attracting economic and for five years with Concern Worldwide. He has a bachelor’s the Transfrontier Euro-Institute Network (TEIN). investment. In 2002 Marian won a seat to represent Sligo/Leitrim in degree in Agriculture, a Masters in Forestry and an MBA in Business Dr José Antonio Ruiz de Casas is Dail Eireann, and was elected an MEP two years later. In her work in Administration. the Programme Manager, EU policies of Mr Sebastian Rhim works for the Euro- the European Parliament she has had a particular interest in issues European Transnational and Interregional Institut in Kehl as an assistant for studies. to do with volunteering and carers. Cooperation, at DG REGIO in the He is member of the project team which European Commission in Brussels. He is developed the Impact Assessment Toolkit IMPACT ASSESSMENT TOOLKIT FOR CROSS-BORDER a Spanish diplomat who has worked in for practical cross-border cooperation TEIN COOPERATION Uruguay, Buenos Aires, Gambia and in in Ireland together with Centre for Cross the Department for European Affairs in Border Studies Deputy Director Ruth This conference – funded by the EU INTERREG programme (managed This toolkit, developed by the Centre for Cross Border Studies the Spanish Foreign Affairs Ministry. He Taillon and the Euro-Institut Director by the Special EU Programmes Body) and organised by the Centre together with the Euro-Institut in Kehl, Germany – and again funded holds Doctorates in Human Geography/ Joachim Beck. Mr. Rihm holds an MA in for Cross Border Studies – is partly a product of the Transfrontier by the EU INTERREG programme (managed by the SEUPB) – will be Sociology and Public Law and Political European Public Administration from Euro-Institut Network (TEIN). This new EU Leonardo programme- launched at this conference. While it has been developed specifically Theory from the Universidad Autónoma de the Universities of Applied Sciences in funded network brings together cross-border research and training for use in Northern Ireland and the border counties of Ireland, it . He has also held a doctoral fellowship at Tufts University Ludwigsburg and Kehl and a Diploma in institutes, and university departments dealing with cross-border is intended that the methodology it uses can be easily adapted to in Boston, Massachusetts and been a visiting researcher at Boston Public Administration – with a specialisation in social insurance – cooperation, in 10 European Border Regions: the Centre for Cross other cross-border regions of Europe. University. He holds a Masters in urban planning from Universidad from the University of Applied Sciences in Ludwigsburg. Border Studies (Ireland-Northern Ireland); the Euro-Institute (Upper Carlos III in Madrid. Rhine region between Germany, France and Switzerland); Institut In the past EU-funded cross-border programme and project Mr Jim Higgins MEP has been a Fine EuroSchola/Olza Association (Czech-Polish Silesia); Carinthian promoters have often found it difficult to demonstrateimpact : Mr Martin Guillermo Ramirez has been Gael Member of the European Parliament University of Applied Sciences/University of Ljubjana/ForSer i.e. the changes that have taken place as a result of the activities Secretary General of the Association of for the North-West Ireland constituency (Austrian-Slovenian-Italan border regions); Catalan Euro-Institute for undertaken. The Impact Assessment Toolkit for Cross-Border European Border Regions (AEBR), with its since 2004, and was re-elected in 2009. Cross-Border Cooperation (Catalonia); Université de Pau and des Cooperation can help to define and clarify the extent to which headquarters in Gronau on the German- A member of Mayo County council from Pays de l’Adour (south-west France); Université de Nice (French- the programme or project is likely to contribute to the desired Dutch border, since 2006. A native of 1979 to 1995, he was elected to Dail Italian border); Institut Européen pour la Coopération Territoriale changes. Many problems of Northern Ireland and the Irish border Albacete in , he holds a bachelor’s Eireann in 1987, and re-elected in 1989, (French-Belgian border); University of Southern Denmark (Danish- region do not respect jurisdictional boundaries. The toolkit will help degree in Medicine and Surgery and a 1992 and 1997. He was appointed a German border) and Euro-Institut Caribéen (Caribbean space). to determine whether a cross-border approach is the appropriate Masters in Humanitarian Medicine. After Minister of State at the Department of level of intervention and, if so, to identify the ‘added value’ of such finishing his medical studies he was Finance and later Minister of State at the TEIN members come together to (among other things) exchange cooperation. elected International and Co-operation Department of the Taoiseach, Department good practice of cross-border cooperation in their regions; work on Secretary of the Socialist Youth of Spain, of Defence and Government Chief Whip. joint products such as impact assessment toolkits and toolkits for It will identify whether the proposed activities could have a greater and was also a member of the Bureau of As Fine Gael’s Justice, Equality and Law Reform Spokesman he training cross-border cooperation project managers; work to ensure overall impact – socially, economically or environmentally – if ECOSY (European Young Socialists). From 1995 to 2006 he worked brought the Dáil’s attention to the ‘Sheedy Affair’ which led to the that the latest research on cross-border cooperation is disseminated undertaken on a cross-border basis than separately within each at the Regional Government of Extremadura, especially in the areas forced resignation of judges from the High Court and the Supreme to European institutions, governments, regional administrations and jurisdiction. For example, will new relationships be built between of cooperation for development, international relations and health Court. He also raised allegations of Garda corruption in County other key actors; and guarantee the quality of cross-border training people or organisations that would not have developed otherwise? and welfare policies. He has been Chef de Cabinet at the Regional Donegal which led to the establishment of the Morris Tribunal in Europe by working to develop a unified certification system. Will the cross-border activities lead to new ways of working or more Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Advisor in the Cabinet of the of Inquiry. In the European Parliament Jim is a Member of the intensive collaboration that would not have been the case if they had President, and Regional Secretary for International Co-operation. The Committee on Transport and Tourism and a Substitute Member of been carried out separately? Will a cross-border approach be more Association of European Border Regions was founded in 1971 and the Committee on Fisheries. efficient and/or effective than a single jurisdiction approach? CONTACTS

The Centre for Cross Border Studies 39 Abbey Street, Armagh BT61 7EB, Northern Ireland Tel: 0044-(0)28-3751-1550 [048 from Republic of Ireland] E-mails: Andy Pollak [email protected] Ruth Taillon [email protected] Patricia McAllister (conference organiser) [email protected] Conference organiser’s mobile: 0044 (0)7811 962134

The Radisson Blue Farnham Estate Hotel www.radissonblu.ie/Cavan For directions see http://www.radissonblu.ie/farnham-estate-hotel/location

Find Us Sat Nav co-ordinates for Farnham Estate: Latitude 53°59.519’ N Longtitude 7°23.983’ W

Farnham Estate is located four kilometres from Cavan Town (on the R 198) and is 90 minutes drive from Dublin and two hours drive from Belfast.

This conference has received financial support from the EU INTERREG IVA Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body.