European Commission Gives Green Light To Austria-Hungary Cross-Border Cooperation

  • 6 Jul 2015 9:00 AM
European Commission Gives Green Light To Austria-Hungary Cross-Border Cooperation
The European Commission (EC) has given the green light to a cross-border cooperation programme between Hungary and Austria worth 30 billion forints (EUR 95m). The commission Interreg funds will cover 78 million euros. The commission’s statement cites Corina Cretu, commissioner for regional policies, as saying that the Austrian-Hungarian border is invested in symbolic significance.

“Hungary made history when in May 1989 it started dismantling” the border fence. “Now, 25 years later we are trying to dismantle existing obstacles.” it said. The money is for the joint preservation of the natural environment and improving transport links.

In March, a conference was held in Sopron (Ödenburg), in Western Hungary, on developing the railway network between Austria and Hungary by tapping funding from the so-called “Juncker package.

” Levente Magyar, state secretary for the Foreign Ministry, said good relations between the two neighbours would grease the wheels of support for the developments. Governor of Burgenland Hans Niessl told the conference that developments would create some 2,200 jobs near the border as well as bringing other economic advantages to the region.

MTI photo: doublethinkproject.com

Source: hungarytoday.hu

Republished with permission

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