Over 200 representatives of local authorities, the non-governmental sector, branch organizations and media attended the Information Days about the first Call for Proposals for the Cross-Border Cooperation Programme, co-financed by the Instrument for Pre-Accession. The events took place on October 7, 2009 in Kyustendil and October 8, 2009 in Strumica.
The Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works (Managing Authority), in cooperation with the Ministry of Local Self-Government (National Partner Authority), organized the Information Days about the first Call for Proposals within Programme.
Experts from the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works (Managing Authority), from the Ministry of Local Self-Government (National Partner Authority) and from the Technical Assistance team attended the information days. They presented the objectives of the Programme and clarified the application guidelines by answering a number of concrete questions by the participants in the events. 
Yuliana Nikolova, head of Secretariat of the Council for Management of EU funding in Bulgaria, and Minister of Local Self-Government Musa Xhafferi arrived in Strumica especially for the event.
They emphasized on the opportunities for development of the cross-border regions, presented by the Programme. Minister Xhafferi called for quality project proposals which would bring life in the cross-border regions closer to European standards.
Yuliana Nikolova called upon the participants in the forum to „learn together to manage European funds well in order to live better". She pointed out that the Programme aimed at helping smaller municipalities and those would be a focal point of EU policies in the next financial framework of the bloc. 
The First Call for Proposals was launched on September 14. The deadline for submission of project proposals is 4 p.m. local time on December 14, 2009 on the address, indicated in the Applicant's Guide for the Call for Proposals.
Under present Call for Proposals an indicative amount of EUR 4 131 652 is available for the project proposals from both partnering countries. Project proposals would have to target one of the following priority axes:
1. Economic Development and Social Cohesion
2. Improvement the Quality of Life
You can find the complete application documentation, including the Applicant's Guide available for download on the following internet pages: http://www.ipa-cbc-007.eu/, http://www.mrrb.government.bg/, and http://www.mls.gov.mk/
The events within the information campaign are organized by Consortium „STRATEGMA - European Institute" with the financial support under the BG 2006/018-389.01.03.01 Technical Assistance Project. The campaign also includes forthcoming training sessions and a Partnership Forum.
Презентации:
Call_for_Proposals_MKD.pdf (1.02 MB)CBC_Programme_MKD.pdf (674.33 KB)