The overall objective of the Programme: improving wellbeing of cross-border communities through crossborder cooperation and sustainable use of cultural and natural heritage of Lithuania and Poland cross-border area.
The Programme territory consists of these regions (on NUTS-3 level):
• Alytus county (Lithuania) (lith. Alytaus apskritis);
• Kaunas county (Lithuania) (lith. Kauno apskritis);
• Marijampolė county (Lithuania) (lith. Marijampolės apskritis);
• Tauragė county (Lithuania) (lith. Tauragės apskritis);
• Vilnius county (except for Vilnius city) (Lithuania) (lith. Vilniaus apskritis);
• Ełcki subregion (Poland) (pol. Podregion Ełcki);
• Suwalski subregion (Poland) (pol. Podregion Suwalski);
• Białostocki subregion (Poland)(pol. Podregion Białostocki).
Main objectives of the Programme
The Programme is having three priorities:
Priority 1. Promoting environmental wellbeing.
Priority 2. Promoting physical, emotional and cultural wellbeing.
Priority 3. Strengthening cooperation of local stakeholders.
Priority 1. Promoting environmental wellbeing.
Specific objective 1.1. PO 2 (vii) Enhancing protection and preservation of nature, biodiversity and green infrastructure, including in urban areas, and reducing all forms of pollution.
Preliminary EU contribution: 30 percent of total budget (EUR 13.7 million ERDF funding)
Related types of action:
• Exchange of experience of policies applied in the fields of nature protection, preservation of biodiversity, reduction of pollution, development of green infrastructure;
• Joint actions and cooperation in environmental education and awareness raising;
• Protected areas adaptation for sustainable tourism and education;
• Maintenance and improvement of green public spaces in rural and urban areas;
• Joint actions to reduce water pollution (pesticides, heavy metals, other pollutants), including water pollution in river catchment areas;
• Joint development of pilot water and waste water solutions;
• Cooperation and joint actions identifying and strengthening functional links and/or areas in the scope of environment protection and nature preservation in the Programme area and its nearest vicinity, enhancing scope of positive environmental impact on the cross-border area.
Priority 2. Promoting physical, emotional and cultural wellbeing
Specific objective 2.1. PO4 (v) Ensuring equal access to health care and fostering resilience of health systems, including primary care, and promoting the transition from institutional to family- based and community-based care
Preliminary EU contribution: 20 percent of total budget (EUR 9.14 million ERDF funding)
Related types of action:
• Joint development or upgrade of health care services, long term care services, help lines, on-line
• services related to health, emergency services, joint trainings for medical, supporting staff and volunteers;
• Joint actions and cooperation encouraging active and healthy ageing;
• Development of mobile health care services;
• Joint actions and cooperation in the area of mental health.
Priority 2. Promoting physical, emotional and cultural wellbeing
Specific objective 2.1. PO4 (vi) Enhancing the role of culture and sustainable tourism in economic development, social inclusion and social innovation
Preliminary EU contribution: 30 percent of total budget (EUR 13.7 million ERDF funding)
Related types of action:
• Development of joint marketing strategies and their implementation;
• Development of joint tourism and culture routes;
• Joint cultural events and activities, including search of partners on the other side of the border with matching activities;
• Development of joint tourism and culture products;
• Sustainable development of natural and cultural heritage, including intangible assets, for tourism and community needs (social, educational, cultural);
• Joint initiatives in the field of maintenance and revitalisation of sites of cultural and natural heritage; • Cooperation and joint actions implementing the concepts of tourism cross-border functional area proposed in the EC study “Identification of key elements for creating the touristic cross-border functional area at the Lithuanian –Polish border“
Priority 3. Strengthening cooperation of local stakeholders
Specific objective 3.1. ISO (iii) Build up mutual trust, in particular by encouraging people-to-people actions Preliminary EU contribution: 10 percent of total budget (EUR 4.57 million ERDF funding)
Related types of action:
D• Delivery of initiatives (conferences, workshops etc.), aimed at strengthening the networking and cooperation capacity of local actors;
• Joint trainings and other types of capacity building;
• Joint events and cultural activities;
• Activities supporting citizen’s involvement in decision making, political participation, enforcement of local communities’ organisations, strengthening civic power of citizens and their civic engagement;
• Purchase of small-scale equipment and small scope investments necessary for cooperation project and sustainability activities;
• Promotion of sport and healthy lifestyle of cross-border communities.
Priority 3. Strengthening cooperation of local stakeholders
Specific objective 3.2. ISO (vi) Other actions to support better cooperation governance
Preliminary EU contribution: 10 percent of total budget (EUR 4.57 million ERDF funding)
Related types of action:
• Transfer of good practices and cooperation activities between local, regional and national authorities and public service providers;
• Development and implementation of joint training programmes, online training and study programmes, cooperation and joint actions in the area of vocational training;
• Cooperation with employers and organisation of practical learning in private companies located on programme territory;
• Joint actions and cooperation in the area of firefighting and rescue services;
• Exchange of experience of policies applied in the fields of circular economy and energy efficiency; • Share of best practices in the field of social integration and working with disadvantaged groups, joint development or upgrade of social services, including piloting and social innovation; joint trainings for social service providers and other specialists working with the target groups; • Joint activities (events, workshops, etc.) for target groups;
• Purchase of small-scale equipment and investments necessary for cooperation project and sustainability of its results;
• Joint actions identifying and strengthening functional thematic relationships in the Programme area and its nearest vicinity, enhancing impact on the cross-border area.