Slovakia
Programmes summaries :
Western Slovakia, Central Slovakia and Eastern Slovakia Regional Operational Programme
1. Operational Programme "Western Slovakia, Central Slovakia and Eastern Slovakia Regional Operational Programme" - Programme under the Convergence Objective, co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)
2. Overview
On 26 September 2007, the European Commission approved a Regional Operational Programme for the Slovakian regions of Western Slovakia, Central Slovakia and Eastern Slovakia for the period 2007-13 (only the regions in red on the map). The Operational Programme falls within the Convergence Objective framework and has a total budget of around €1.7 billion. Community investment through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) amounts to some €1.45 billion, which represents approximately 12.5% of the total EU investment earmarked for Slovakia under the Cohesion Policy for 2007-13.
3. Purpose and aim of the Programme
The Regional Operational Programme aims to improve regional infrastructure, which is one of the most significant determinants of the population’s quality of life. Interventions in the context of the Programme seek to support civil infrastructure toward fulfilling current qualitative and quantitative requirements. Infrastructure is also one of the main determining factors for the competitiveness of the economy, the attractiveness for investments and establishing and building businesses. Specific measures will improve building energy efficiencies.
The global objective of the Operational Programme is to increase the availability and quality of the civil infrastructure in the three “Convergence” regions. These measures will address:
- educational infrastructure
- social infrastructure
- cultural infrastructure
- tourism infrastructure
- regeneration of settlements
- regional and local roads.
4. Expected impact of the investments
The Programme will ensure the reconstruction and modernisation of civil infrastructure facilities. Infrastructure renewal efforts will also increase building energy performance levels. In addition, the Programme will support projects that improve public, non-commercial, tourism infrastructure quality. In addition, intervention will ensure the regeneration of about 380 settlements and the reconstruction of approximately 600 km of regional roads.
The Programme will increase the number and quality of services provided in the field of civil infrastructure support facilities and create new jobs.
5. Priorities
The principal objectives of the Regional Operational Programme are to:
- increase the level of services provided in the field of education
- increase the scope and level of services provided in the social field
- strengthen the cultural potential of the regions and tourism development
- strengthen the competitiveness of settlements
- increase the quality and safety of public concourses
- increase the level of transport serviceability of the regions.
The following priorities represent the structure of the Regional Operational Programme "Western Slovakia, Central Slovakia and Eastern Slovakia":
Priority 1: Infrastructure of education [approximately 24.1% of total funding]
This priority interventions address reconstruction, expansion and modernisation of selected preschool facilities, primary schools and secondary schools. The aim of these interventions is to meet the requirements for modern quality and capacity standards for each type of facility.
Priority 2: Infrastructure of social services, social-legal protection and social guardianship [approximately 15.8% of total funding]
This priority interventions address strengthening, reconstructing, extending and modernising selected social service facilities, facilities for social/legal protection and facilities for social guardianship. The objective of these interventions is to meet the requirements for modern quality and capacity standards for each type of facility.
Priority 3: Strengthening the cultural potential of the regions and tourism infrastructure [approximately 13.1% of total funding]
This priority aims to strengthen cultural potential and the development of the tourism sector by supporting the following measures:
- regional and local memory and heritage fund institutions (such as public galleries, libraries, museums)
- revitalisation of unused or non-suitable cultural monuments
- non-commercial, public tourism infrastructure
- regional and local level tourism promotion
- tourism partnership and clusters reinforcement.
Priority 4: Regeneration of settlements [approximately 33.1% of total funding]
The objective of this priority plans to address urban issues in about 20 urban areas either experiencing or threatened by physical deterioration and social exclusion by implementing targeted development strategies. These strategies include housing renovation. Other interventions under this priority address:
- regenerating about 330 growth pole centres by improving their physical environment
- regenerating about 30 municipalities in separated rural settlements in Roma
- preparing and updating regional development documents
- supporting non-commercial rescue services infrastructure.
Priority 5: Regional roads ensuring transport serviceability of the regions [approximately 10.5% of total funding]
The objective of this priority is to increase transport service levels by:
- reconstructing and modernising second and third class regional roads
- reconstructing and developing transport sub-systems that increase transport safety and reduce the impact of similar systems on the environment
- ensuring interconnections that assure effective movement of people and goods and reduce deficiencies in the road network.
Priority 6: Technical assistance [approximately 3.1% of total funding]
Technical assistance will ensure effective management and implementation of the Programme. Financial support covers activities for preparation, management, monitoring, evaluation and control of the Programme and information on the Programme, together with activities that reinforce the administrative capacity for implementing the Programme.
6. Managing Authority: Ministry of Construction and Regional Development of Slovakia – Bratislava, Slovakia
Contact details:
Mr Radoslav Behúl
Prievozská 2/B
825 25 Bratislava
Slovakia
Telephone: +421 2 5831 7473
Fax: + 421 2 5831 7583
E-mail: behul@build.gov.sk
Website: www.build.gov.sk
Programme web page: www.strukturalnefondy.sk
Transport
1. Operational Programme “Operational Programme Transport 2007-2013” - Programme under Convergence Objective, co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Cohesion Fund
2. Overview
On 13 September 2007, the European Commission approved an Operational Programme for Slovakia for the 2007-13 period. The Operational Programme “Transport” falls within the Convergence Objective framework and has a total budget of around €3.8 billion. Community investment through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) amounts to some €877 million, and through the Cohesion Fund to around €2.3 billion. This represents approximately 29.4% of the total EU investment earmarked for Slovakia under the Cohesion Policy for 2007-13.
3. Purpose and aim of the programme
The overall objective of the Programme is to support sustainable mobility through the development of transport infrastructure and the improvement of public passenger transport. The measures will contribute to the interconnectivity of the Slovak regions and an improved access to the Trans-European Network for Transport (TEN-T). This will contribute to the reduction of regional disparities, improve economic development and increase the competitiveness of the Slovak economy.
With major transport infrastructure lagging behind as compared to other EU Member States, Slovakia needs to concentrate on:
- the further development of highways and expressways;
- the modernisation of the railway infrastructure;
- improvements to public intermodal terminals;
- the challenges of environmental sustainability in the context of the climate change;
- support for public transportation.
The Operational Programme shall promote activities directly related to major transport infrastructure and sustainable mobility. It will therefore contribute substantially to the achievement of the Lisbon and Gothenburg strategic objectives.
4. Expected impact of the investments
The Programme will ensure the modernisation of approximately 200 km of railways, 170 km of new highways, expressway and first-class roads. This will result in timesavings of about 1 hour in passenger railway transport and 70 minutes for both passenger and freight road transport. Another result will be a decrease in the number of accidents on roads, an increase in the density of higher-class roads as well as an increase of the share of railway transport for freight.
5. Priorities
The goals of the Operational Programme “Transport 2007-2013” are to:
- construct major transport infrastructure;
- improve the accessibility of regions through investments in transport infrastructure;
- support public passenger transport.
The following priorities represent the structure of the Operational Programme "Transport 2007-2013":
Priority 1: Railway infrastructure [approximately 24.4% of total funding]
The objective of this priority is to modernise and develop railway infrastructure in the context of TEN-T. This will enhance interoperability, increase speed limits and increase operational quality and safety.
Priority 2: Road infrastructure TEN-T [approximately 30.3% of total funding]
This priority aims to contribute to the construction of new motorways in the context of access to TEN-T. This will have a significant impact on the accessibility to the major European road network, road safety and road quality.
Priority 3: Intermodal transport infrastructure [approximately 3.2% of total funding]
This priority will contribute to a network of public intermodal terminals based on the principles of sustainable mobility. This creates the basic conditions for the development of environmentally friendly transport systems.
Priority 4: Infrastructure for integrated transport systems [approximately 14.7% of total funding]
This priority seeks to integrate public railway transport into urban transportation systems. This will contribute to both public transportation and sustainable transport mobility.
Priority 5: Road infrastructure (expressways and first-class roads) [approximately 23.1% of total funding]
The objective of the further development of expressways and first-class roads is to contribute to the proportional and gradual development of national road infrastructure. This will contribute to eliminating critical bottlenecks in terms of traffic volumes and road accidents.
Priority 6: Public railway passenger transport [approximately 2.8% of total funding]
This priority aims to improve the quality of railway services and to supplement activities focusing on railway infrastructure modernisation. This measure addresses:
- the renewal of regional and inter-regional routes
- mobility support for passengers with reduced mobility
- support for regional and suburban transport.
Priority 7: Technical assistance [approximately 1.5% of total funding]
Technical assistance will ensure the implementation of the Programme. Financial support inter alia covers elaboration of conceptual and strategic documents, administration, monitoring, evaluation and control.
6. Managing Authority: Ministry of Transport, Posts and Telecommunications – Bratislava, Slovakia
Contact details:
Mr Dušan Rizek
Námestie Slobody 6
P.O. Box 100
810 05 Bratislava
Slovakia
Telephone: +421 259494111
Fax: +421 252494794
E-mail: dusan.rizek@telecom.gov.sk
Internet:
Operational Programme Technical Assistance
1. Operational Programme “Operational Programme Technical Assistance 2007-2013” - Programme under Convergence Objective, co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)
2. Overview
On 26 September 2007, the European Commission approved an Operational Programme for Slovakia for the 2007-13 period. The Operational Programme “Technical Assistance” falls within the Convergence Objective framework and has a total budget of around €114 million. Community investment through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) amounts to some €97 million, which represents approximately 0.8% of the total EU investment for Slovakia under the Cohesion Policy for 2007-13.
3. Purpose and aim of the programme
Overall aims of the Operational Programme are:
- to ensure effective and transparent management. The creation of a unified implementation environment that increases the effective use of EU funding should achieve these goals. Strategic evaluations and analysis will be important tools.
- to strengthen and to support EU fund administrative management capacities
- to ensure monitoring system functioning
- to boost the level of information to the public
- to ensure transparent and effective financial management.
The Programme will finance control and audit activities and will ensure IT system effective functioning and administrative financial management capacities reinforcement The establishment and support of public-private partnerships will help achieve administrative financial management capacities reinforcement as well as indirect assistance.
4. Expected impact of the investments
The Operational Programme in Slovakia will ensure administration capacities improvement in the fields of management, monitoring, evaluation and information, as well as in the fields of financial management, control and audit.
5. Priorities
The goals of the “Technical Assistance 2007-2013” Operational Programme in Slovakia will ensure effective, efficient and proper (financial) management, implementation, control and audit of the Structural Funds and the Cohesion Fund in the years 2007-2013. In the context of sustainable development, these efforts will contribute to the achievement of the strategic goal to increase competitiveness, employment and economic performance in the regions of Slovakia.
The following priorities represent the structure of the Operational Programme "Technical Assistance 2007-2013" in Slovakia:
Priority 1: Preparation, management, monitoring, evaluation, information and reinforcement of the administrative capacities in these fields [approximately 55.0% of total funding]
The specific objective of this priority is to raise the quality of management, coordination, implementation, information, monitoring and evaluation of aid implemented within the context of the Slovak National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF). Another goal is to support the effective conduct of the tasks of the CCA as the main coordination body for the Structural Funds and the Cohesion Fund in the years 2007-2013.
Priority 2: Financial management, control, audit and reinforcement of the administrative capacities in these fields [approximately 45.0% of total funding]
The specific objective of this priority is to raise the quality of financial management, control, and audit as well as the coordination of these activities. In addition, the Programme will introduce instruments that provide an indirect form of assistance through public-private partnerships and a Certifying Authority as well as an Audit Authority.
6. Managing Authority: Ministry of Construction and Regional Development of the Slovakia – Bratislava, Slovakia
Contact details:
Mr Michal Santai
Prievozská 2/B
SK-825 25 Bratislava
Slovakia
Telephone: +421 258317390
E-mail: santai@build.gov.sk
Information Society
1. Operational Programme “Operational Programme Information Society 2007-2013” - Programme under Convergence Objective, co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)
2. Overview
On 17 September 2007, the European Commission approved an Operational Programme for Slovakia for the 2007-13 period. The Operational Programme “information Society” falls within the Convergence Objective framework and has a total budget of almost €1.2 billion. Community investment through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) amounts to some €993 million, which represents approximately 9.1% of the total EU investment earmarked for Slovakia under the Cohesion Policy for 2007-13. Only the Convergence regions (in red on the map) are eligible)
3. Purpose and aim of the programme
The overall objective of the Operational Programme is to create an information society as a means to developing a performing knowledge-based economy in Slovakia. The Programme aims to use the technological change of recent years positively in order to make Slovakia an attractive location in which to invest and to live.
The development of an information society in the Slovak Republic will only be possible through a greater use of information and communication technology (ICT) in business, households and public administration. Greater inclusion can only become a reality if e-Government services are in place, enabling users to access high quality services online. To make these services available to the public, the Programme must achieve equal access by ensuring greater availability of better ICT infrastructures.
4. Expected impact of the investments
The Programme will ensure the creation of 577 new jobs, out of which 50 will come from the research and development (R&D) sector. The Programme will also trigger investment of €432 million per year, install an additional renewable energy capacity of 8.5 MW and decrease greenhouse gas emission by 95 000 tonnes per year.
5. Priorities
The principal objectives of the Information Society Programme are:
- electronisation of public administration (i.e. transforming the paper-based environment into an electronic-based environment)
- development of electronic services
- development and renewal of the infrastructure of repository institutions
- improvement of the availability of broadband internet access.
The following priorities represent the structure of the Operational Programme "information Society 2007-2013":
Priority 1: Electronisation of public administration and development of electronic services [approximately 70.7% of total funding]
Currently Slovakia is at the early stages of implementing e-Government services. The potential of not only making public services available online but also to re-engineer processes to make them more simple and effective has resulted in the identification of this area as a priority for Slovakia. This measure aims to create a central online portal through which the public will access electronic services. The measure aims also to launch back office applications as well as a range of methods (such as service kiosks, digital TV, mobile phones) that provide still other electronic services. The Operational Programme will ensure the availability of the network of Integrated Service Points across the country.
Priority 2: Development and renewal of the national infrastructure of repository institutions [approximately 16.5% of total funding]
Repository institutions across Slovakia contain an enormous quantity of cultural, scientific and intellectual heritage. This priority seeks to make this material available to users regardless of their location. Taking advantage of technology to provide digital access to repository archives will achieve these objectives. Furthermore, digitising content will enable the broadest possible application of data in the fields of R&D, innovation, local development and regional development.
Priority 3: Improvement of broadband internet access [approximately 9.7% of total funding]
This priority will provide broadband access to everyone. Currently Slovakia is one of the least developed EU Member States in terms of broadband access. One of the main reasons for this situation is the inadequate development of networks. The Programme will concentrate on the least commercially attractive areas as a means of ensuring universal access.
Priority 4: Technical assistance [approximately 3.1% of total funding]
The Programme will employ technical assistance during implementation. Financial support covers administration, monitoring and control.
6. Managing Authority: Office of the Slovak Government – Bratislava, Slovakia
Contact details:
Mr Marek Canecky
Námestie Slobody 1
SK-813 70
Bratislava
Slovakia
Telephone: +421 257295552
Fax: + 421 257295553
E-mail: marek.canecky@vlada.gov.sk
Internet: http://www.vlada.gov.sk