1. ASSOCIATION OF CROSS BORDER COOPERATION „LOWER DANUBE EUROREGION„ ASSOCIATION OF CROSS-BORDER COOPERATION “LOWER DANUBE EUROREGION”

2. The ASSOCIATION (ACT EDJ) is a non-governmental entity, founded in April 2009, by public institutions, from Romania: Galati County Council, Braila County Council and Tulcea County Council, from Ukraine: Odessa Regional Council, Odessa Regional State Administration and Reni District Council and from Republic of Moldova: Cahul District Council and Cantemir District Council, with the GOAL: to assist the sustainable development of the administrative-territorial units that constitute the Association, through the enlargement of the cooperation between members and the development of the profitable relations in all areas of common interest.

3. ASSOCIATION OF CROSS-BORDER COOPERATION “LOWER DANUBE EUROREGION” OBIECTIVES (I): Sustainable development of all the administrative- territorial units that constitute the Association The integrated cross-border economic development The promotion of public and private investments and increased access to resources Continuous improvement of the transportation and communication infrastructure within and between the border regions The development, modernization and improvement of public services

4. ASSOCIATION OF CROSS-BORDER COOPERATION “LOWER DANUBE EUROREGION” OBIECTIVES (II): The development of cross-border tourism and of the third sector The efficient and integrated management of the area’s potential The elaboration of specialty strategies, programs, studies and investigations with cross- border impact Providing consultancy and counseling to the interested persons, in the field of cross- border cooperation, human right observance, the development of civic conscience, sustainable economic development, environmental protection and also other fields of general interest The efficient and integrated management of issues related to environmental protection

5. ASSOCIATION OF CROSS-BORDER COOPERATION “LOWER DANUBE EUROREGION” Romania Commission for regional development and cross-border cooperation Commission for facilitating the activities concerning people’s safety and fight against crime Commission for environmental and exception situations

6. ASSOCIATION OF CROSS-BORDER COOPERATION “LOWER DANUBE EUROREGION” Republic of Moldova Commission for local economic development and strategic planning Commission for education, science and sportive activities Commission for cultural activities and interethnic relationship

7. ASSOCIATION OF CROSS-BORDER COOPERATION “LOWER DANUBE EUROREGION” Ukraine Commission for the development and the promotion of cross-border tourism Commission for transport, communications and energy Commission for health and social activities

8. ASSOCIATION OF CROSS-BORDER COOPERATION “LOWER DANUBE EUROREGION” Project portfolio 1. Inventory, assessment and remediation of the anthropogenic sources of pollution in the “Lower Danube” Region of Romania, Ukraine and Republic of Moldova Total buget: 5,819,540 euro, the value of the grant is 5.181,782.42 euro Implementation period: 28 months Beneficiary: Odessa State Department for Environmental Protection, Ukraine; Partners: Romania: ACT EDJ, Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve Authority Tulcea, Eco-Counselling Galati; R.Moldova: Environmental Pollution Prevention Office of the Ministry of Environment of Moldova; Ukraine: Ukrainian Scientific Centre of Ecology of the Sea of Ministry of Environmental Protection, Institute of Market Problems and Economic and Ecological Research, National Academy of Sciences; General objective: to reduce the environmental impact of chemical dumps and wastewater discharges in the Lower Danube region as well as enhance environmental monitoring of soil and water pollution and make the information publicly available.

9. ASSOCIATION OF CROSS-BORDER COOPERATION “LOWER DANUBE EUROREGION” 2. Regional Business Incubators’ Network “Black Sea BI-Net” Total budget: 644,018.45 euro, the grant value: 575,881.30 euro Implementation period: 18 months Beneficiary: Organization for Small and Medium Enterprises Sector Development; Republic of Moldova Parteners: Romania: ACT EDJ; Greece: European Regional Framework for Co-operation Inter-Regional Development Organization; Armenia: Small and Medium Entrepreneurship Development National Center; Ukraine: Regional Fund for the Support of the Entrepreneurship of Zaporîzhye region; Turkey: Middle Black Sea Development Agency; General objective: To accelerate the development of a productive and competitive economy and improve cooperation in the Black Sea region.

10. ASSOCIATION OF CROSS-BORDER COOPERATION “LOWER DANUBE EUROREGION” 3. Innovative instruments for environmental analysis in North Western Black Sea Basin (Black Sea E-eye) Total budget: 769,265 euro, the grant value is 692,340 euro Implementation period: 18 months Beneficiary: Galati “Lower Danube Euroregion” University, Romania; Parteners: Romania: ACT EDJ, Danube Delta National Institute for Research & Development; Armenia: European Integration Organization; Republic of Moldova: Cross-border Cooperation and European Integration Agency; Ucraina: Agency for Sustainable Development and European Integration “Lower Danube Euroregion, Izmail; General objective: Supporting the development of durable environmental policies by deploying innovative research initiatives focused on the analysis, monitoring and investigation of physical-chemical and biological parameters of surface aquatic systems in North Western Black Sea Basin.

11. ASSOCIATION OF CROSS-BORDER COOPERATION “LOWER DANUBE EUROREGION” 4. Citizen engagement in the prioritization, design and implementation of local development policies (SolveNet) Total budget: 498,020 euro, grant value is 448,213 euro Implementation period: 18 months Beneficiary: SMART Development Center, Romania; Parteners: Romania: ACT EDJ; Republic of Moldova: The Institute of Public Policy; Armenia: European Integration Organization; Ukraine: Agency of Sustainable Development and European Integration “Lower Danube” Euroregion; General objective: Capacity building for organizations of civil society in order to strengthen their role in the prioritization, design and implementation of local and regional development public policies.

12. ASSOCIATION OF CROSS-BORDER COOPERATION “LOWER DANUBE EUROREGION” 5. Sustainable Tourism Development in the Lower Danube Region of Ukraine, Moldova and Romania Total budget: 2,215,000 euro, grant value is 1,809,000 euro Implementation period: 24 months Beneficiary: Regional Development Agency, Ukraine; Parteners: Romania: ACT EDJ; Eco-Counselling Center Galati; Republic of Moldova: Republican Environmental Association for Quaternary Research "INQUAMoldova”, ECOMOLDTUR; Austria: Friends of Nature International; Serbia: Danube Competence Centre; Ukraine: State Department for Environmental Protection in Odessa Oblast, Department of Culture and Tourism, Odessa City Council, Agricola, Odessa Oblast Branch of Association for Promotion of Rural Green Tourism in Ukraine, “Odessa-Basket” Sports Club for Disabled People; General objective: To improve the economic performance of the border area through the diversification and modernisation in a sustainable manner of cross-border tourism in the Lower Danube region of Ukraine, Romania and Moldova.

13. ASSOCIATION OF CROSS-BORDER COOPERATION “LOWER DANUBE EUROREGION” Association visit card: Finance: Implementation of a project portfolio with a grant value of aproximative100,000 euro, domains tackled: culture and human resource development Project contracted or in contracting phase, with a grant value for the Association of approximate 590.000 euro, intervention areas: environmental protection, economic development, good governance, sustainable tourism, with an implementation period of maximum 28 months; Visibility: National and European level: member of Romanian NGDO Platform – FOND which is also a member of CONCORD (The European NGO confederation for relief and development) and member of Danube Competence Centre – Belgrad; Events and Partnerships National and International events: NGO Forums at the Black Sea, since 2010 as participant and in 2013 as part of the organizing team, participant/exhibitor at the “Smart Cities, smart regions – Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs event, June 2012, TRIALOG Forum, Viena 2013, Partnerships with NGO from 15 European countries and 3 non European countries.

14. ASSOCIATION OF CROSS-BORDER COOPERATION “LOWER DANUBE EUROREGION” An opportunity for the NGO sector Public Private Partnership (PPP) and Public social private partnership (PSPP)– solutions for sustainable development PPP is a government service or private business venture which is funded and operated through a partnership of government and one or more private sector companies. PSPP are methods of co-operation between private and government bodies. A PSP partnership is thus related to a specific field of activity and has the explicit purpose of assuring long-term financing and generation of resources for products and services in order to fulfill purposes of social protection, support and improvement of opportunities for disadvantaged people or groups of disadvantaged people. www.wikipedia.com

15. ASSOCIATION OF CROSS-BORDER COOPERATION “LOWER DANUBE EUROREGION” PPP roles “Actors”: central/regional/ local authority and the private companies Financing Leading partner Demand Private sector as stipulated in the PPP contract, Public sector The technical and operational risks are assumed by the private company Public utility service that is included in the management of the public authority: transport, environment, social sectors

16. ASSOCIATION OF CROSS-BORDER COOPERATION “LOWER DANUBE EUROREGION” PSPP roles “Actors” : “Actors” : central/regional/local authorities, social economy entities, NGO and private enterprise Financing Leadership Demand The infrastructure for implementation of social products and services, i.e. Financing of development of social products and services From both public and private sector Research / analysis of needs, ideas, coordination from planning through set-up and operation Public sector Assurance of cash flow by agreeing to buy the products and services Public utility

17. ASSOCIATION OF CROSS-BORDER COOPERATION “LOWER DANUBE EUROREGION” In Romania The concept of PPP (started in 2006, 2010) is on public debate stage its applicability is including: -transport infrastructure: roads, railroads, intermodal terminals, maintenance services, railroads - environmental infrastructure: waste-water treatment facilities, waste management -social infrastructure: schools, hospitals, prisons (construction, rehabilitation, management) -energy: generation, transport and research Applicability of PSPP project according to the Romanian law: starting the debate on the social economy concept: entities development.

18. ASSOCIATION OF CROSS-BORDER COOPERATION “LOWER DANUBE EUROREGION” ”We are transforming CHALLENGES into OPPORTUNITIES!”

19. ASSOCIATION OF CROSS-BORDER COOPERATION “LOWER DANUBE EUROREGION” Thank you Natalia Budescu Collection House, Galati History Museum Romania, Galati City, Eroilor Street no. 64, postal code 800119 Phone/Fax: 0040 236 411 022 E-mail: actedj@gmail.comactedj@gmail.com