The first Assembly meeting of the newly established European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC) was held on 3 February in Gorizia. EGCT is the first Italian based multilateral body with a fully legal international personality.
It is composed of one Italian municipality, Gorizia and two Slovenian municipalities, NovaGorica and St.Peter-Vertoiba.
CEI Secretary General, Ambassador Gerhard Pfanzelter, emphasized the strategic role played by the CEI as Lead Partner of the Adria-A project in paving the way for the agreement of the three municipalities.
The Assembly elected the former Foreign Affairs Minister, Franco Frattini, as its first President, thus recognizing his outstanding commitment to the Italian-Slovenian cross-border cooperation. The ADRIA A project, funded under the Cross-border Cooperation Programme Italy – Slovenia 2007-2013, aims at contributing to the accessibility and transport reorganisation in the entire cross-border area, in order to form a unique integrated Italian – Slovene metropolitan transport area. The overall objective is to define the missing links in the Italian and Slovene railway infrastructural network in order to guarantee a common transport model for the whole territory.The CEI will closely monitor the projects of the first Italian - Slovenian EGTC and will promote the use of this important legal instrument of territorial cooperation and European cohesion in its Member States.
*** EGTC is a European legal instrument designed to facilitate and promote cross-border, transnational and interregional cooperation. EGTC is a legal entity and as such, will enable regional and local authorities and other public bodies from different member states, to set up cooperation groupings with a legal personality. For more information: fortuna@cei-es.org