To increase the reactive and preventive capacity in case of forest fire or floods in the Giurgiu - Ruse cross - border cooperation area, as well as to improve the cooperation and communication between the governmental and non - governmental organizations in Romania and Bulgaria in the field of emergency situations.

994,135.10 euro, out of 845,014.81 euro ERDF

Lead Beneficiary (LB): Giurgiu County Council

Beneficiary 2 (B2):  Bulgarian Red Cross (BRC)

Beneficiary 3 (B3): Red Cross Giurgiu Branch

Beneficiary 4 (B4): University of Ruse “Angel Kanchev”

Start date: 26.05.2020

End date: 25.12.2023

Duration: 43 months

Ruse in Bulgaria

Giurgiu in Romania

• Training of Trainers on awareness raising and floods preparedness among the general population;
• Organizing one seminar for prevention of the personnel involved in the management of forest fires and floods in the Giurgiu - Ruse area;
• Development of "Info Days" for forest fires and floods in the Giurgiu – Ruse area;
• Flood preparedness of population Ruse and Giurgiu area;
• Organization of Round tables and conferences;
• Providing operational centres with modern communication and intervention equipment for floods and forest fires.                                                        

Programme outputs:

- 4 of joint partnerships in the field of joint early warning and emergency response

- 276.000 - Population benefiting from flood protection measures

- 500.000 - Population benefiting from forest fire protection measures

– 500.000 - Population benefiting from actions of risk management

  Programme results: The quality of the joint risk management in the CBC area

The project has ended on 25.12.2023.

The following progress has been achieved during the project implementation period:

The conferences for launching the project were organized in 2020, online on the 28^th of July by the LB and on the 30^th of September 2020 by the B2- Bulgarian Red Cross.

LB – Giurgiu County Council received on 14.09.2022 two Water trucks (20 tons) with pump which will be used by ESI Giurgiu for interventions in case of floods or forest fires.

On 10.03.2023 took place the reception of the emergency intervention equipment (Respiratory protection devices, thermal imaging integrated in the mask).

A common strategy for intervention and preventive action against forest fires in the Giurgiu - Ruse area was developed and can be accessed at the following link: https://emergencysituationsrobg.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Strategie-rezumat-engleza_en-1.pdf

A joint partnership was concluded on 06.12.2023 between Giurgiu County Council and Giurgiu County Prefect Institution, Ruse Regional Administration, Emergency Situation Inspectorate Giurgiu, Giurgiu Municipality, Comana Municipality, Singureni Municipality, Prundu Municipality, Izvoarele Municipality, Schitu Municipality, Gostinu Municipality and Dve Mogili Municipality.

B2 – Bulgarian Red Cross, participated at the trainings and Info Days organized by Beneficiary 3 – Red Cross Giurgiu Branch and also participated at the signing of collaboration protocols between B3 and institutions responsible for flooding and forest fire intervention in the Giurgiu-Ruse cross-border cooperation area.

During the period 28.02-01.03.2023, B2 organized an Info Day in Ruse which was attended by 58 people, 15 of them from Romania.

During the period 23-24.03.2023 a round table and conference were organized and were attended by 62 participants, 24 of them from Romania.

On 30.03.2023 took place the training of the population according to W.P. 4 - Flood preparedness of the population in the Ruse and Giurgiu area in the municipality of Slivo Pole - the village of Ryahovo and the town of Slivo Pole, as well as in a school in the town of Dve Mogili. Trained persons from the adult population - 49, of which three Romanian citizens, and from the students in high school course - 24 persons.

B3 – Red Cross Giurgiu Branch organized 7 training sessions in the field of flood protection measures. Also organized a round table and a conference (15-16.09.2022) and an event with the institutions responsible for the intervention in the event of floods and forest fires in the Giurgiu-Ruse cross-border cooperation area (29.09-02.10.2022).

During the period 27-28.04.2023 were organized the Info Days in Giurgiu.

The Partnership for training actions and volunteering in flood situations, was concluded on 03.04.2023 between Red Cross Giurgiu Branch and Bulgarian Red Cross, Sport Club of the Fire Safety and Civil Protection Department in Ruse and NGO Association Euroregion Danubius.

The website is updated and it runs at the following address: https://emergencysituationsrobg.com.

B4 – University of Ruse “Angel Kanchev” received the Geographic Information System (GIS) and integrated it into it’s technological environment. This GIS system will help establish a list of areas likely to be affected by forest fires.It was elaborated a bilingual inventory (in Romanian and Bulgarian languages) with areas which can be affected by forest fires in the Giurgiu-Ruse area. Also it was elaborated an assessment of the vulnerabilities and hazards that can be generated by the forest fires in the Giurgiu-Ruse area.

In the period 05-07.04.2023 in Veliko Tarnovo the event titled “Concluding collaboration protocols with the institutions that have attributions in the field of floods and forest fire intervention in the Giurgiu - Ruse cross border cooperation area” was held, organized by the team of the University of Ruse.

On 24^th of November 2024 two joint cooperation protocols were concluded by University of Ruse “Angel Kanchev”, namely:

1. Partnership for the Danube river concluded between University of Ruse "Angel Kanchev" and Regional administration- Ruse district, Bulgarian Ports infrastructure Company - Ruse, branch Port-Ruse, Regional Historical Museum – Ruse, Giurgiu County Council, National Company Administration of Danube River Ports and County Museum „Teohari Antonescu". This partnership aims at establishing, under the conditions of the law, the general framework of cooperation between the Parties, directed to protection of Danube River and the Danube space from forest fires and floods in the Giurgiu - Ruse region as well as to preservation of the biodiversity, natural and cultural heritage.

2. Partnership agreement for the education of children and young people for sustainable management of forest fires and floods concluded between University of Ruse "Angel Kanchev" and Regional Management of Education – Ruse, Regional Directorate "Fire Safety and Protection of Population, Bulgarian Red Cross, Giurgiu County Council, School Inspectorate-Giurgiu, High School "Ion Maiorescu"-Giurgiu, High School "Nicolae Cartojan"-Giurgiu, Emergency Situation Inspectorate-Giurgiu and Red Cross Giurgiu Branch. This partnership aims at establishing, under the conditions of the law, the general framework of cooperation between the Parties, directed to education of children and young people for sustainable management of forest fires and floods in the Giurgiu - Ruse region.

The overall objective of the project is to improve joint risk management in the cross-border area by increasing the responsiveness of specific actors in the fight against forest fires in the cross-border area Dolj-Lom, Montana, thus strengthening institutional and technical management capacity in case of disaster and emergency response.

941,964.13 euro, from which 800,669.50 euro FEDR

Lead beneficiary (LB): Dolj County Council

Beneficiary 2 (B2): Lom Municipality

Beneficiary 3 (B3): INSPECTORATE FOR EMERGENCY SITUATIONS OLTENIA, Dolj

Beneficiary 4 (B4): "Mihai Bravul" Dolj County Inspectorate of Gendarmerie, Dolj

Start date: 21.07.2020

End date: 29.12.2023

Duration: 41 months and 9 days

Montana (BG)

Dolj (RO)

• Increasing intervention capacity in fighting forest fire in the cross border area;
• Experience exchange in forest fire joint risk management;
• Establishing joint partnerships in the field of risk management situations generated by fire;
• Raising awareness campaign;
• Setting up Lom fire brigade Volunteers for prevention and fire fighting;
• Communication.

Programme outputs: Population benefiting from forest fire protection measures: 46 700 persons; Number of joint partnerships in the field of joint early warning and emergency response: 4;

Programme results: The quality of joint risk management in the CBC area: 3;  

Current Project Status:

The end date of the implementation period of the project was 29.12.2023, but because of delays in the implementation of activities by LB, the project was included on the list of un-finalized projects, according to the provisions of the Romanian Government Decision no. 36/2023, following the decision of the Monitoring Committee of the Interreg V-A Ro-Bg Programme, no. 313/14.11.2023. The new completion date of the project is 30.04.2023.

During the period 02-05.10.2023, B3 - Inspectorate for Emergency Situations Oltenia in collaboration with B4 "Mihai Bravul" Dolj County Inspectorate of Gendarmerie organized the joint application for forest fire simulation, in Craiova and was attended by all the project partners.

During the period 05-08.12.2023 B2 – Lom Municipality organized and participated the team management meeting, the workshop for elaboration of partnership agreements, the seminar and the joint application for forest fire simulation which took place in Lom and were attended by all project partners.

During the period 05-08.12.2023 LB organized the elaboration and signing of the following joint partnerships in the field of risk management situations generated by fire:

a) Partnership agreement concluded between Dolj County School Inspectorate and Regional Department of Education – Montana;

b) Partnership agreement concluded between Dolj County and Lom Municipality;

c) Partnership agreement concluded between "Mihai Bravul" Dolj County Inspectorate of Gendarmerie and Voluntary Unit Civil Protection – Lom;

d) Partnership agreement concluded between Inspectorate for Emergency Situations Oltenia, Dolj County and Voluntary Unit Civil Protection – Lom.

LB concluded the contract no. 102/28.11.2023 for supplying of a warning alarming system consisting in 6 electonic sirens and 1 alarming system
with SC AXATEL SERVICE SRL. The sirens and the alarming system were delivered and installed according to the contract, on 14.12.2023.

B2 has concluded the contract for the execution of reconstruction works for the building which will serve as the headquarters of the volunteers fire brigade on 5^th of May 2023 and the works started on 05.06.2023, according to the Protocol for the opening of a construction site and for determining the construction line and level. Currently the reconstruction works are 100% finalized and Act no. 15 for acceptance of the construction have been issued on 02.11.2023.

The final press conference was organized by LB in Craiova on 15.12.2023.

All the activities within the project have been finalized and all the equipment have been purchased.

The general objective of the project is to develop road infrastructure in the cross-border area by improving access between nodes and the TEN-T network in the region. The proposed project envisages the modernization of two roads - Road II-81 Kostinbrod-Berkovitsa-Montana from km 94 + 000 to km 101 + 199.48, Montana district and road DJ561B Segarcea-Drănic from km 0 + 000 to km 12 + 130, county Dolj with a total length of 19.32 km.

7,737,783.80 euros, of which 6,577 116.22 euros ERDF

Lead Beneficiary (LB): Road Infrastructure Agency, Bulgaria

Beneficiary 2 (B2): Territorial Administrativ Unit Dolj County, Romania

Start date: 02.04.2020

End date: 29.12.2023

Duration: 44 months and 28 days.

Montana in Bulgaria

Dolj in Romania

• Modernization of the DJ561B Segarcea-Drănic road from km 0 + 000 to km 12 + 130, Dolj county;
• Modernization of the II-81 Kostinbrod-Berkovitsa-Montana road from km 94 + 000 to km 101 + 199.48, Montana district;
• Development of 5 common mechanisms consisting of education and information campaigns (awareness);
• Organizing communication and promotion activities.

Program achievements: 19.32 km of rehabilitated roads, 3 common mechanisms that facilitate the connection of secondary / tertiary nodes to the TEN-T infrastructure

The results of the program: 67,177 people from the cross-border area will be served by modernized infrastructure leading to TEN-T

The project is finalized.

On the behalf of LB:

The upgrading of the Road II-81 from km 94+000 to km 101+199, is finalized, and from 18.08.2022 the modernized road is put into use.

Regarding the implementation of road safety and awareness activities, the Road Infrastructure Agency signed on 17.12.2020 a contract for the implementation of road safety and advertising activities, for which it received brochures to be used in the awareness campaign for speed management and human tolerance on roads.

On the behalf of B2:

The upgrading of the County Road DJ 561B km 0+000 to km 12+130, were finalized from 21.12.2023 and the reception of works has been made on 11.03.2024.

Regarding the implementation of road safety and advertising activities, on 30.09.2020 B2 signed a contract for the distribution of various specific promotional materials to target groups within the awareness campaigns.

Within the project was developed a joint package of traffic safety measures, related to their investment objectives, which includes solar radar speed signs, noisy road markings and guardrails reflectors installed at a smaller distance, performed on the modernized road sections in Montana District and Dolj County.

To improve the sustainable use of the natural and cultural heritage in the target cross-border region Dobrich-Constanta (Harsova – Krushari) through the development and promotion of joint tourism product ZALDAPA-DRY VALLEY-CARSIUM.

3,202,768.49 euro, out of which 2,722,353.19 ERDF

Lead beneficiary (LB): Territorial Administrative Unit Harsova Town (Romania)

Beneficiary 2 (B2): Krushari Municipality (Bulgaria)

Beneficiary 3 (B3): Museum of National History and Archaeology Constanta (Romania)

Beneficiary 4 (B4): Regional Museum of History – Dobrich (Bulgaria)

Start date: 20.05.2017

End date: 19.12.2023 (the project is included on the non-functional projects list and has a new completion deadline established for 31.12.2024)

Duration: 79 months

Harsova Town, Constanta, Constanta County, Romania

Krushari Village, Dobrich, Dobrich District, Bulgaria

• Information and publicity: temporary and permanent panels, joint press conferences, personalized press folders, press releases, TV spots, Radio spots, promotional film, web-site, bilingual posters, leaflets;
• Revitalization of Cultural Heritage in Harsova through the restoration, conservation and enhancement of Ensemble “Vasile Cotovu” as a Multicultural Center Museum;
• Development of tourism infrastructure of Fortress Zaldapa - Municipality KRUSHARI;
• Development of tourism infrastructure in Dry Valley;
• Setting up an outdoor museum in Krushari Municipality;

• Workshop on the topic: developing and promoting of a cross-border tourism product – advantages and challenges;
• Creation of a joint marketing strategy;
• Establishing of a touristic route and guided tour "Zaldapa-Dry Valley-Karsium”;
• Promotion of the joint tourism product through a presentation film and a web site;
• Preparation of advertising package for joint tourism product;
• Organization of a scientific symposium: recovery of Harsova Town’s and Krushari Municipality’s Memory;
• Archaeological camp;
• Conducting two promotional events.

Programme outputs:

   - 1 integrated tourism product;

   - 4,000 visits to supported sites of cultural and natural heritage and attraction;

   - 1 common strategy;

Programme results: 45,000 tourist overnights in the CBC region.

Current Project Status:

The implementation period of the project ended on 19.12.2023, but because of delays in the investment activity of LB – TAU Harsova Town and of the remaining soft project’s activities, the project was included on the list of non-functional projects. The new completion date of the project is 31.12.2024.

Many activities foreseen within the project are already completed:

- The tourism infrastructure of Fortress Zaldapa - Municipality Krushari was developed;

- The tourism infrastructure in Dry Valley was developed;

- An outdoor museum in Krushari Municipality was set up;

- A workshop on the topic: developing and promoting of a cross-border tourism product – advantages and challenges; establishing of a touristic route and guided tour “Zalpada – Dry Valley – Karsium”;

- The joint tourism product was promoted through a presentation film and a web site;

- The marketing strategy, available in both English and Bulgarian, was developed;

- The touristic guide, available in Romanian, English and Bulgarian languages, was elaborated;

- An archeological camp was organized.

B2 – Krushari Municipality has set up an open-air museum in the center of Krushari, where the artefacts and findings from the fortress Zaldapa were exhibited.

The presentation movie of the project can be accessed at the following link: https://acrossborderunion.primaria-harsova.ro/new/galerie-foto-video/(available in English, Bulgarian and Romanian languages).

The 10 streets foreseen to be modernized in Harsova are finalized and the reception of the works was done.

Regarding the restauration works at the Multicultural Centre “Vasile Cotovu” (the Old School and the Pedagogue’s House), the construction works are suspended from 21^st of March 2024. In order to finalize the remaining project’s activities, LB started the procedures for taking a loan. Taking into account the unclear period for obtaining the loan and the impossibility to recover the registered delays, LB is considering to establish a new date of completion of the project.

B3 – Museum of National History and Archaeology Constanta and B4 – Regional Museum of History Dobrich have developed the joint scientific volume. The volume was printed in 400 copies by the projects beneficiaries.