1. Summary of Approved Projects - First Call
Overview
492 projects submitted (Regional Initiative + Capitalisation Projects)
35 Regional Initiative projects approved under conditions
Total of over €60million ERDF
Projects covered 8 of the 10 sub-themes
Combined with the 6 Capitalisation Projects 23% of budget spent
(Programme duration: )
Second Partner Meeting Vienna 13th of October European Urban Landscape Partnership INTERREG IVC bid 1

2. Programme Priorities Summary of Approved Projects
Priority 1: Innovation and Knowledge Economy (ERDF 55%)
4 x Innovation, Research & Technology Development
11 x Entrepreneurship and SMEs
1 x Information Society
3 x Employment, Human Resources and Education
Priority 2: Environment and Risk Prevention (ERDF 39%)
7 x Energy and Sustainable Transport
2 x Biodiversity and Preservation of Natural Heritage
5 x Natural and Technological Risks
Water Management
Waste Management
2 x Cultural Heritage and Landscape €
Second Partner Meeting Vienna 13th of October European Urban Landscape Partnership INTERREG IVC bid 2

3. CERAMICA – 12 partners – €2,140,600 Summary of Approved Projects
Overview
Aim is to develop local and regional development strategy recommendations and instruments for the ceramics and small crafts sector
Result of a long-term cooperation between partner cities
12 municipal partners (or representative bodies) from 7 countries
Good balance between Eastern and Western countries
Second Partner Meeting Vienna 13th of October European Urban Landscape Partnership INTERREG IVC bid 3

4. CERAMICA – 12 partners – €2,140,600 Summary of Approved Projects
Transfers of best practices provide a unique opportunity to:
Learn from each others' experiences
Acquire new methodologies, processes or techniques that help develop new products
Open up new markets for enterprises and crafts(wo)men
Identify effective marketing and training tools or create new jobs and enterprises
Second Partner Meeting Vienna 13th of October European Urban Landscape Partnership INTERREG IVC bid 4

5. CERAMICA – 12 partners – €2,140,600 Summary of Approved Projects
Lessons learnt will be reflected into jointly developed local and regional development policy recommendations
 validated by politicians formally represented in the project
Action plans for implementation into other EC programmes
Highly improved effectiveness and durability of the project results ensured
Organisation of major European and regional events
 Wide dissemination of best practices identified to successfully preserve and promote the ceramics and small crafts sector in partners’ regions and beyond
Project clearly addresses the objectives of the programme and the Lisbon agenda
Second Partner Meeting Vienna 13th of October European Urban Landscape Partnership INTERREG IVC bid 5

6. PRESERVE – 14 partners - € 1,589,281 Summary of Approved Projects
Overview
Aim of PRESERVE is to improve the effectiveness of regional development policies, with focus on cultural heritage and landscape policies as endogenous factors of economic development
14 regional and local representatives from 11 different countries
Old and new member states
Wide EU-geographical coverage
Second Partner Meeting Vienna 13th of October European Urban Landscape Partnership INTERREG IVC bid 6

7. PRESERVE – 14 partners - € 1,589,281 Summary of Approved Projects
Regional policymakers develop work plan to apply recommendations and improve their cultural heritage and landscape policies using:
Common evaluation methodologies
Exchange of best practice
Audits from other regional experts (Peer Reviews)
Second Partner Meeting Vienna 13th of October European Urban Landscape Partnership INTERREG IVC bid 7

8. PRESERVE – 14 partners - € 1,589,281 Summary of Approved Projects
Strong emphasis on dissemination of results to other regions
Follow-up project with PRESERVE partner regions and new regions  promotion of lesser-known areas
“Spill-over effect”
Wide dissemination of regional best practices
Second Partner Meeting Vienna 13th of October European Urban Landscape Partnership INTERREG IVC bid 8

9. Message received from INTEREG IVC information Point
Dear Mrs Erne, Relevant information about the approved regional initiative projects will be published soon on the programme website.
2 out of 35  projects approved under conditions, focus on ‘Cultural Heritage and Landscape’ and are currently in close contact with JTS Officers.
Once the projects will be fully approved, we will come back to you to answer any specific questions.
After consulting Joint Technical Secretariat, we can provide you with the following information on the 2 regional initiative projects under "Cultural Heritage and Landscape" subtheme, approved under conditions in the 1st call.
1°/ CERAMICA – 12 partners – total budget of EUR 2,140,600.00
Many European cities and regions can boast of deep-rooted cultural traditions in the field of ceramics and small crafts. Preserving cultural values and cultural heritage has since long been a priority area for the European Union. However, besides preservation, cultural heritage is a major asset in economic terms for European regions: it also generates jobs, household income and stimulates local economic development.
Towns of ceramic and small crafts traditions, endowed with a rich artistic heritage, are nevertheless facing severe problems: globalisation exacerbating competition and ageing population of craftsmen, both leading to a continuous decline of the sector. 
CeRamICa is the result of a long cooperation of the municipality of Hódmezővásárhely, lead partner in Hungary, with eleven other European cities with whom they share a common cultural heritage and face the same difficulties and eagerness to preserve and promote the ceramic and small crafts sector in Europe.
Partners will join forces and exchange best practices to jointly develop local and regional development strategy recommendations and instruments to support and boost the ceramics and small crafts sector in the partner regions. These sets of recommendations will be drawn with the aim of preserving and promoting this significant European cultural heritage and thus making the sector a competitive driving force of the local economies.
All 12 partners are municipalities (or representative bodies) from 7 countries, offering a good balance between Eastern and Western countries to enrich the exchanges and transfers of experiences between them.
The starting point will be a thorough analysis of the sector in partners’ region, including interviews of all relevant stakeholders. The study will be a mean to identify best practices that led to tangible results. Its results will directly feed the core activities of the project: the intensified transfers of experiences and best practices.
The transfers of best practices will provide a unique opportunity to learn from each others' experiences, acquire new methodologies, processes or techniques that helped develop new products, open up new markets for enterprises and crafts(wo)men, identify effective marketing and training tools or create new jobs and enterprises.
The project clearly addresses the objectives of the programme and the Lisbon agenda. The lessons learnt will be reflected into jointly developed local and regional development policy recommendations, validated by politicians formally represented in the project. They will also include action plans for implementation into other EC programmes. Their effectiveness will be highly improved and durability of the project results ensured.
Last but not least, major European and regional events will be organised as to widely disseminate best practices identified to successfully preserve and promote the ceramics and small crafts sector in partners’ regions and beyond.

10. Message received from INTEREG IVC information Point
2°/ PRESERVE – 14 partners – total budget of EUR 1,589,281.22
In order to become "the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world”, the European Union relies on the harmonious and sustainable development of its Member States, but also of their Regions. Being particularly close to the citizens, and best aware of their strengths and needs, Regions are indeed key actors in the overall EU strategy for more growth and better jobs.
In addition to promoting eco-innovation, or supporting renewable energy sources and greater energy efficiency, Regions use the preservation and sustainable promotion of their landscape and cultural heritage as an important tool to support the diversification of their economies and the reconciliation of economic development with environmental interests.
The sound development of these sectors can indeed improve the quality of life of the local population, creating high quality jobs, facilities and services. However, many examples show that badly planned branding of landscape and cultural heritage assets can be a threat to the beauty and diversity of the European territory, rather than a vehicle for economic growth, job creation or innovation. In other words, Regions must be careful when developing their cultural heritage strategies, thinking in sustainable terms and adopting holistic approaches to managing these policies.
The aim of PRESERVE is to improve the effectiveness of regional development policies, specifically focusing upon cultural heritage and landscape policies as endogenous factors of economic development.
The PRESERVE concept developed as a logical progression of an exchange on a core regional development issue: 14 regional and local representatives from 11 different countries - representing old and new member states and a wide EU-geographical coverage - gathered and discussed the difficulties they faced when implementing cultural heritage and landscape policies, and decided to join forces with the AER in this project.
Using common evaluation methodologies, the exchange of best practice, and audits from other regional experts (Peer Reviews), the regional policymakers will be able to develop a work plan which will enable them to apply the recommendations and improve their cultural heritage and landscape policies.
The project places a strong emphasis on the dissemination of results to other regions: the aim is to include the PRESERVE partner regions and new regions in a follow-up project aimed at defining “paths” of sustainable eco-Regions in Europe, thereby contributing to the promotion of lesser-known areas. As a pre-condition to their participation, Regions will be asked to apply the tool developed through PRESERVE, thus ensuring that the project has a spill-over effect and that regional best practices are widely disseminated, benefiting Europe’s diversity and sustainable development.
Kind regards,
Agnieszka BŁASIAK
Assistant
INTERREG IVC Information Point East Mickiewicza 15 street  Katowice – Poland Tel: +48 32   - Fax: