Cross-border Programme 2007-2013 IPA CBC The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia – Republic of Albania Ministry of Local Self Government Ministry of European Integration Cross-border Programme TABLE OF CONTENT GLOSSARY OF ACRONYMS ...........................................................................................................................4 SECTION I DESCRIPTION AND ANALYSES OF THE ELIGIBLE AREAS..................................................5 1 INTRODUCTION AND PROGRAMMING PROCESS ..........................................................................5 2 THE MAP AND THE DESCRIPTION OF THE ELIGIBLE AREAS .......................................................6 3 CURRENT SITUATION IN THE ELIGIBLE AREAS .............................................................................8 3.1 DEMOGRAPHY........................................................................................................................................ 8 3.2 GEOGRAPHICAL FEATURES .............................................................................................................. 9 3.3 INFRASTRUCTURE .............................................................................................................................. 10 3.3.1 Roads ........................................................................................................................................... 10 3.3.2 Border crossings......................................................................................................................... 11 3.3.3 Railways....................................................................................................................................... 11 3.3.4 Airports ......................................................................................................................................... 12 3.3.5 Telecommunication .................................................................................................................... 12 3.3.6 Water supply, waste water, waste disposal............................................................................ 12 3.3.7 Electricity...................................................................................................................................... 13 3.3.8 Health ........................................................................................................................................... 13 3.4 ECONOMY.............................................................................................................................................. 13 3.4.1 General features ......................................................................................................................... 13 3.4.2 Agriculture and rural development ........................................................................................... 14 3.4.3 Industry, mining and energy...................................................................................................... 15 3.4.4 SME sector .................................................................................................................................. 15 3.4.5 Tourism ........................................................................................................................................ 16 3.5 HUMAN RESOURCES.......................................................................................................................... 17 3.5.1 Education, Research and Development.................................................................................. 17 3.5.2 Labour market and poverty ....................................................................................................... 18 3.6 ENVIRONMENT AND NATURE .......................................................................................................... 20 3.7 CULTURE................................................................................................................................................ 21 3.8 INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT...................................................................................................... 22 3.9 SWOT ANALYSIS OF THE ELIGIBLE AREAS ................................................................................. 23 SECTION II PROGRAMME STRATEGY................................................................................................... 28 1 EXPERIENCE WITH CROSS-BORDER ACTIVITIES AND LESSONS LEARNT....................................... 28 2 COOPERATION STRATEGY....................................................................................................................... 29 2.1 SUMMARY CONCLUSIONS FROM THE ANALYSES .................................................................... 29 2.2. OBJECTIVES OF THE CROSS BORDER PROGRAMME ............................................................ 30 3 PRIORITIES AND MEASURES .................................................................................................................. 31 3.1 PRIORITY ONE (I) ................................................................................................................................. 31 2 Cross-border Programme 3.1.1 Measure I.1.................................................................................................................................. 32 3.1.2 Measure I.2.................................................................................................................................. 33 3.1.3 Measure I.3.................................................................................................................................. 34 3.2 PRIORITY TWO (II), TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE............................................................................. 35 3.2.1 Measure II.1................................................................................................................................. 35 3.2.2 Measure II.2................................................................................................................................. 36 4 COHERENCE WITH OTHER PROGRAMMES ........................................................................................... 37 4.1 FORMER YUGOSLAV REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA’S PROGRAMMES.................................... 37 4.2 ALBANIAN PROGRAMMES................................................................................................................. 38 4.3 HORIZONTAL ISSUES ......................................................................................................................... 38 SECTION III FINANCIAL PROVISIONS..................................................................................................... 40 SECTION IV IMPLEMENTING PROVISIONS ........................................................................................... 41 1 PROGRAMME STRUCTURES .................................................................................................................... 41 1.1 ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURES AT NATIONAL LEVEL .....................................................41 1.2 OPERATING STRUCRURES .....................................................................................................41 1.3 JOINT MONITORING COMMITTEE........................................................................................... 42 1.4 JOINT TECHNICAL SECRETARIAT .......................................................................................... 43 1.5 CONTRACTING AUTHORITIES.................................................................................................44 1.6 PROGRAMME BENEFICIARIES................................................................................................45 2 IMPLEMENTING RULES ............................................................................................................................. 46 2.1 BASIC IMPLEMENTATION RULES.................................................................................................... 46 2.2 GRANT AWARD PROCESS ................................................................................................................ 46 2.3 CO-FINANCING AND ELIGIBILITY OF EXPENDITURE................................................................. 47 3 INFORMATION, PUBLICITY AND CONSULTING ...................................................................................... 48 4 FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT ........................................................................................................................ 48 5 MONITORING AND EVALUATION.............................................................................................................. 49 5.1 MONITORING......................................................................................................................................... 49 5.2. PROGRAMME EVALUATION............................................................................................................. 49 6 REPORTING ................................................................................................................................................ 49 3 Cross-border Programme Glossary of acronyms CBC Cross-border Cooperation CBIB Cross-border Institution Building CEFTA Central European Free Trade Agreement EU European Union GDP Gross Domestic Product IPA Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance IUCN World Conservation Union JMC Joint Monitoring Committee JTS Joint Technical Secretariat MDG Millennium Development Goals MIPD Multi-annual Indicative Planning Document NDP National