On Monday, 23 September 2024, we celebrated Interreg Cooperation Day at the historic castle in Vinica under the slogan European values transcend borders – raising awareness about natural disasters. The event, organised by the European Commission, was held for the thirteenth year in a row and attracted a large number of participants from Slovenia and Croatia, including representatives of local authorities, protection and rescue experts and the general public.
The participants were addressed by Andrej Kavšek, Mayor of the Municipality of Črnomelj; Aleš Mrkela, Head of the Programme Managing Authority; Stella Arneri, Director of the ETC Office at the Croatian Ministry of Regional Development and European Funds; and Marko Koprivc, State Secretary at the Slovenian Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development. The speakers underlined the importance of cross-border cooperation and the need to join forces in preventing natural disasters.
The event focused on the presentation of the HITRO and HITRO 2 projects, which are key to cross-border cooperation in the field of protection and rescue. The projects, which involve Slovenian and Croatian partners, aim to set up a rapid response task force to respond to natural disasters, such as earthquakes and floods, affecting the border area. The project representatives, Mihael Dujam, Margita Adamič and Jože Vrščaj, presented the two projects to the participants and demonstrated effective measures in the event of natural disasters through short films.
One of the key agenda items of the day was a practical rescue exercise on the Kolpa River, which demonstrated the preparedness of units to respond to the increasing frequency of disasters that result from climate change. Having a trained and equipped protection and rescue unit in place not only contributes to the population’s safety but also enables a rapid and efficient response to natural disasters in a cross-border area. The participants also took part in firefighting games.
The event was also an opportunity to visit the EU Funds Travelling Office, which provided the participants with useful information on EU co-financing opportunities and successfully implemented projects in the area. By visiting the office, the participants got the chance to have direct contact with experts and to learn about the opportunities offered by the EU in the fields of sustainable development, infrastructure and social cohesion.
Interreg Cooperation Day 2024 reaffirmed that Slovenia and Croatia are committed to sustainable cooperation for a shared future where European values such as security, solidarity, and sustainable development transcend national borders.
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