New opportunities for regional development

through cross-border cooperation

Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development

November 16, 2011

Sustainable Development Strategy of Latvia until 2030

• Approved by Latvian Parliament on June 10, 2010

• Defines long-term:

– overall national development objectives

– social, economic and environment development priorities and development directions

– spatial development perspective

Spatial development perspective of Latvia until 2030

Policy directions for sustainable and balanced territorial development

Main aspects: •accessibility and mobility

•settlement as the economic development, human life and work environment

•spaces of national interest – unique specific territories

AccessibilityDevelopment directions:

• improvement of external accessibility

• improvement of internal accessibility

• availability of communications, mass media and data transmission

Settlement structure

Development directions:

• enhancement of the potential and competitiveness of the development centres

• mutual co-operation and interaction of urban and rural areas

• establishing of functional networks of development centres

Spaces of national interestDevelopment directions:• rural development space

• Baltic Sea coastal area

• Riga metropolis area

• Eastern border (EU external border)

• outstanding areas of nature, landscape and cultural history

Urban priority “Polycentric development”

• Increased importance of strategic planning at local level– providing support for implementation of local development strategies and

local initiatives

• Investments are based on the real needs of a particular territory – identified in the development strategy

• Opportunity to make complex investments that cover more than one sector

• Opportunity to coordinate (in time and space) investments related to different sectors

Objective • To foster polycentric development

– strengthening competitiveness, accessibility and attractiveness of the urban environment and city-regions according to integrated local development strategies

Advantages of territorial approach

Cooperation with Estonia • Latvian – Estonian Commission for cross border cooperation - a

significant platform for the determination of the common objectives and solutions for cross border cooperation

• Implementation of priorities set within “Latvian-Estonian Future Cooperation Report” - initiative of prime ministers

• Estonia-Latvia cross-border cooperation programme - implemented according to the principles of European Territorial Cooperation promoting sustainable development and economic competitiveness of the Programme area through achieving an integrated and cross-border approach to economic, social and environmental development.

• Latvia-Russian Federation Intergovernmental Commission for scientific, technological, humanitarian and cultural cooperation (since 2007)

• Working Group on Regional cooperation – a new format for discussions on interregional and cross-border cooperation (since 2010)

• The declaration on partnership between both countries for modernization (signed in 2011)

• Elaboration of the memorandum of understanding on regional and cross-border cooperation between the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development of the Republic of Latvia and the Ministry of Regional Development of Russia (draft 2011)

• Agreements on economic cooperation between the Ministry of Economics of Latvia and the Regional Administrations of Russian Federation (and its implementation through Action Plans)

Instruments and forms of bilateral strategic cooperation between Latvia and Russia

CBC as a platform for realisation of regional policy and strategies

Estonia-Latvia-Russia cross-border cooperation ENPI Programme allows to implement joint regional initiatives aimed at:

• increasing of competitiveness and investment attractiveness of border regions, • Improvement of the environmental situation, • as well as raising of living standards and well-being of citizens. Important feature of CBC programmes – is a possibility of

implementation of joint investment projects with infrastructure component.

Motives for CBC:• Overcome national peripherality• Promote economic growth• Eliminate barriers for transit• Ensure equal living conditions and better mobility of border inhabitants• Exchange of best practice and know-how

Latvia’s regional priorities for cross-border cooperation

Vidzeme:• Development of cross-border clusters and business networks (food

processing and wood processing sectors)• Development of labour force, vocational and higher education• Alternative and renewable energy sources• To increase possibilities of health care institutions to offer health services

of a higher quality by using information and communication technologies• Cross-sectoral cooperation between culture and social fields

Latvia’s regional priorities for cross-border cooperation

Latgale:• Tourism (public infrastructure, joint marketing, joint routes and

products, cooperation network, increase of number of tourists)• Culture (joint activities and events, improvement of infrastructure)• Sport (joint competitions, infrastructure)• Energy efficiency (heat insulation of public buildings, awareness raising,

trainings for local specialists)• Transport and logistics (transport info network & system, infrastructure,

marketing)• Entrepreneurship (business trainings, investments forums and

exhibitions, business support network)

Latvia’s regional priorities for cross-border cooperation

Riga Region:• Socio-economic development, including business development:

cooperation in knowledge-based entrepreneurship and innovation; cooperation in industrial development, small and medium enterprises networking, market expansion, marketing activities; cooperation in the field of logistics; tourism services and joint tourism product development.

•  Environmental and natural resource protection: ecology, nature protection; water resource management improvement; waste recycling and resource efficiency in business.

•  Local initiative and local government cooperation.

Thank you for your attention!

Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development