CROSS BORDER COORPERATION NETWORK OF BORDER GOVERNORSHIPS OF GREECE, BULGARIA AND TURKEY

At 8th of November, 2003 the meeting is organized between Turkey's, Greece's and Bulgaria's border Governorships in Xanthi (İskeçe), Greece. For this meeting these Governorships attend.

•  Edirne (Turkey)

At this meeting the Governorships decide to set up a special Network to take precautions against natural calamities, communicable diseases. The other important thing is to work together about tourism and EU Funds. At the end of this meeting, they prepare a protocol. According to this Protocol, the Central Bureau is established in Orestieada, Greece. In this Bureau, the Countries are represented.

At 25 February 2003 in Orestiada (Kumçiftliği) and 15-16 April 2004 in Alexandrapolis (Dedeağaç) some meetings are organized and Network Regulation is discussed. The Executive Committee's members are defined.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

PRESIDENT: Governor of Xanthi (Georges Pavlidis)

VICE-PRESIDENTS: Governor of Edirne (Nusret Miroğlu)

Governor of Smolyan (Petar Fidanov)

COUNSEL: Governor of Evros (Nikolaous Zambounidis)

SECRETARY GENERAL: Governor of Haskovo (Rayna Yovcheva)

It is decided that three representatives from three countries would be in charge in the Central Bureau created by Executive Committee in Orestiada (Kumçiftliği) and to prepare common development plans for the region and to submit the developed projects the European Union Institutions. Through this Cooperation Network, the determination of problems and solution of these problems in the regions where stay underdeveloped because of their location by the Border, preparation of plans and programmes on natural calamities and economical development, awareness of EU and the other institutions on the region's problems will be achieved.

Governor of Smolyan in Bulgaria, Governor of Xanti (İskeçe) in Greece and Governorship of Edirne in Turkey attended the meeting was held in Orestiada (Kumçiftliği) on August 31, 2004. It is decided to organize thematic meetings in every single member province of the Network. Mentioned meetings will be held at the latest in 6 months and the meetings' date will be decided by the Governorships. According to the decision;

* Governorship of Rodopi; Animal Disease and Communicable Disease

* Governorship of Kavala; Fighting Against Mosquitos (with the Cooperation of Serres Governorship)

* Governorship of Edirne; Improvement Tourism

* Governorship of Evros; Civil Defence

* Governorship of Smolyan; Cooperation Between Universities

At this meeting, English language is selected as a literary language and the Centre is opened on 27 October 2004.

The first chain of the meetings is held in Edirne on 13 December 2004 about “Development of Tourism Mutually” .

Second meeting which is entitled “Protection from Natural and The Other Disasters, Protection of Environment and Natural Life” is held in Orestiada of Evros Province in Greece at 17 th of January 2005.

A meeting between experts on the theme “Fighting Against Mosquitos” is decided to hold and mentioned meeting is realised by the experts from Evros and Edirne Governorships in İpsala at 26 th of January.

Following meeting on the same subject is held in Aleksandroupolis (Dedeağaç) where is capital of Evros Province by participation of the same experts from Evros and Edirne Governorships. Common contention subjects and studies to be carried out on mosquitos are discussed in both meetings.

According to the decisions taken on 31 August 2004, a meeting which subject is “Cooperation Between Universities” is held on 21 March 2005 in Smolyan in Bulgaria. Together with governors, rectors, vice-chancellors and members of the universities participated in the meeting. At the meeting, it is decided to come together again in October, 2005 in Xanthi (İskeçe), Greece in order to discuss the other points, determine a calender for next meetings and establish a Committee which will coordinate the cooperation consistently.

The meeting is held about “Control of Mosquitoes and Protection of Public Health” between 3-4 April 2005 in Serres (Serez) in Greece. At the meeting it is decided to take measures which are necessary to prevent the diseases occuring because of mosquitoes, to draw maps which show jit areas, to fight against epidemic disease together, to take control measures about malaria, to determine the dispersal of mosquitoes according to regions, to state the chemicals used by each prefecture, to declare the results taken to the network of prefectures, to give information to the borders about epidemic diseases and malaria, to prepare a project about the subject on fighting against mosquitoes in the framework of INTERREG III / A.

At the meeting which the decision of establishing a tripartite commission to follow the works which will be done on this subject is made, Gazenfer Ay who is responsible for Malaria Unit is chosen from Edirne as a member of Commission.

A meeting on the theme “Prevention of Animal Diseases and Contention with them by Highlighting to Exotic Diseases” is held in Komotini (Gümülcine) at 11 th of April, 2005.

Specialists on the subject and department represantatives from Governorships mention the situation in their provinces and fighting against animal diseases in the meeting where representatives of border Governorships in three countries attend. What kind of cooperation could be done between border Governorships issue is discussed after exchange of know-how and a conclusion notice is published as a result of the meeting including the decision of establishing of disinfection unites on the entrance and exit points of the countries by taking into consideration of the opinions and suggestions of the trinity committee where a specialist from each Governorship is in charge.

With the participation of Deputy Governors of Edirne and Evros, authorised persons of Tourism Departments, some hotel proprietors and tourism agencies a tourism meeting is held in Orestiada (Kumçiftliği) on May 26, 2005. The necessity of implemention new progress, preparation of brochures, development of common projects for EU funds are emphasized in the meeting and hotel proprietors in Orestiada (Kumçiftliği) state that they are ready for organizing a seminar they can share their technical knowlegde. It is emphasized that if the INTERREG III-A Programme will be launched between two countries, to prepare common projects under the Programme would be very important for development of tourism.

Meetings on the theme “Fighting Against Mosquitos” are held with the participation of specialists from Governorship of Evros in Greece and Governorship of Edirne in Turkey in Ipsala on July 8 and July 26, 2005. Policies and methods implementing both in Evros and in Edirne within the context of fighting are discussed mutually and state that the same technics and materials are used on applying insecticide to larva. It is stated that Greece started to fight against larva on April 10 and Edirne on April 7 and fighting against adults for example by ULV and closed area are not implemented in Greek side. Applying insecticide and fighting methods implemented in our country in 2005 are told and fighting against adults by ULV tool is shown to the Greek Delegation. Delegations visit the areas where larva struggle are implemented to do necessary controls and took water sample. A meeting as a continuity of this meeting is held with the participation of Turk and Greek delegations in Governorship of Evros in Greece on July 26, 2005.

By the invitation of Georgios Pavlidis, who is both the President of the Cross Border Cooperation between Border Prefectures and the Governor of Xanti (İskeçe), a meeting is held in Central Bureau on September 26, 2005 and some decisions are made about next period studies of the Network. Governorship of Edirne appoint a representative on January, 2005 and she has been in charge of the Network since then. Coordination between Network and Governorship of Edirne is provided by the European Union Coordination Centre (EUCC).

Governorships' Network holds a meeting on “Avian Influenza (Bird Flu)” in Didimotiho (Dimetoka) in Greece October 21, 2005 and specialists from two countries give information about precautions taken both in Turkey and in their own Provinces. At the end of the meeting to establish a centre for management of probable crises in the future, to operate the Centre in case of a bird flu and to call the directors of Veterinary and Health departments of each country decisions are made.

A meeting on the theme “Bird Flu” is held with the cooperation of General Secretariat to East Macedonia-Thracian Region and Network of Governorships on November 9, 2005 in Xanthi (İskeçe). Precautions should be taken about the disease and protection methods and infection risks of disease for people are discussed in the meeting.

A meeting on the theme “Cross Border Cooperation in Civil Defense” is held in Haskovo, Bulgaria with the participation of Governor of Haskovo, Deputy Governors of Burgas and Yambol from Bulgaria, Deputy Governor of Evros from Greece, Governor of Edirne and Vice Governor of Kırklareli from Turkey and technocrats from related provinces by the coordination of Cross Border Cooperation Network of Border Prefectures on December 6-7, 2005.

The importance of three countries' coordination is emphasized and a common solution in case of natural disasters and technological accident is discussed in the meeting.

The project “Establishment of Crises Centre in Edirne and Kırklareli” that Edirne Province prepared for under the measure “In case of Natural Disasters” of Bulgarian-Turkey Cross Border Cooperation Programme for Programming 2006 is discussed on Bulgarian side. After the evaluations, the Bulgarian side agree with it and submit a Supporting Letter for the project.

The project envisages working commonly during natural or technological disasters as well as before and after it and aims to develop institutional capacity and coordinated strategies in both sides of the region of Turkey - Bulgaria CBC Programme with the aim of facilitating the coordination / cooperation, and overcoming any disaster instance with minimum damage.

The project is prepared by Governorship of Edirne European Union Coordination Centre (EUCC), providing data from Directorates of Civil Defense of Edirne and Kırklareli and submitted to State Planning Organization. The Project is now waiting for the approval of European Commission to be granted.

Last update: 11.09.2006