Memo: Operational Programme Germany (Saxony) – Czech Republic 2007-2013

On 20 December 2007, the European Commission approved a Cross-border Cooperation Operational Programme between Germany and the Czech Republic for the period 2007-13. The Programme involves providing Community support as part of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) for the following regions along the German-Czech border:

Vogtlandkreis, Aue-Schwarzenberg, Annaberg, Mittlerer Erzgebirgskreis, Freiberg, Weißerritzkreis, Sächsische Schweiz, Bautzen and Löbau-Zittau as well as kreisfreie Stadt Plauen in Germany;

Karlovarský kraj (with the counties of Karlovy Vary, Sokolov and Cheb), Ústecký kraj (with the counties of Chomutov, Most, Teplice, Louny, Litoměřice, Ústi nad Labem und Děčín) as well as Liberecký kraj (with the counties of Česká Lipa, Liberec, Jablonec nad Nisou and Semily) in the Czech Republic.

Other regions of both countries can participate in the projects as adjacent areas receiving a maximum of 20% of the ERDF funding allocated to the Programme. The Operational Programme falls within the framework laid out for the European Territorial Cooperation Objective and has a total budget of around €241 million. Community funding through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) amounts to some €207 million, which represents approximately 2.4% of the total EU investment earmarked for the European Territorial Cooperation Objective under the Cohesion Policy 2007-13.