At the end of June 2019, the Romanian and Ukrainian authorities finalised the signing of the financing contracts for the four large infrastructure projects included in Romania-Ukraine Joint Operational Programme 2014-2020, totalising 21.1 million Euro, out of which 17.3 million Euro being European funds (which represents 30% of the programme budget).
The four large infrastructure projects which receive financing under Romania-Ukraine Joint Operational Programme are, as follows:
1. Clean River, with a total budget of 4.3 million Euro (of which 3.8 million Euro being European funds), aims at the rehabilitation of the waste water networks of the border area in the Danube Delta, in order to prevent the man made emergency situations. The project funds will be used for the rehabilitation of the waste water and sewerage networks of the city of Izmail and of the Tulcea County Hospital, the modernisation of two treatment plants for the wastewater and one wasterwater pumping station in Izmail. Professionals from both states will be trained in the prevention, intervention and citizens’ education regarding the mand-made emergency situations. The lead beneficiary of the project is Izmail City Council (Ukraine), which will implement the activities with Tulcea County Council (Romania), Odessa Regional Council (Ukraine) and the Association of Cross-border Cooperation Lower Danube Euroregion (Romania).
2. Regional Cooperation for Prevention and Fighting of Cross-border Crime between Romania-Ukraine (SAGA) focuses on the increase of police cooperation through improved information exchange between Romanian and Ukrainian structures by means of an IT platform. Having a budget of 5.2 million Euro (3.2 million Euro grant), the project partners, the General Inspectorate of the Romanian Police, the General Inspectorate of the Border Police, “Bucovina” Inspectorate for Emergency Situations of Suceava, the Main Department of the National Police of Ivano-Frankivsk Region, Botoșani County Police Inspectorate, Maramureș County Police Inspectorate, Satu Mare County Police Inspectorate and the Territorial Inspectorate of Border Police Sighetu Marmatiei will rehabilitate the police stations in the border area, will develop an IT system for cooperation, will buy modern equipment and will carry out a training programme for the police officers in Romania and Ukraine.
3. Improvement of the population safety and security level in the cross-border area by enhancing the joint training and cooperation actions in emergency management (BRIDGE), with a total value of 7.4 million Euro (6.6 million Euro grant) aims at training the staff involved in the emergency situations as well as providing the necessary infrastructure. The project is being implemented by the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations in Romania, the General Inspectorate of Aviation (Romania), the General Inspectorate of the Romanian Gendarmerie, the Departent of State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Chernivtsi Oblast, the Department of State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Ivano-Frankivsk Region, and Bucovina Inspectorate for Emergency Situations of Suceava County. The financing will help build a training infrastructure for emergency situations and a landing site for helicopters in Suceava (Romania), modernise the dispatch center of the State Service Department of Emergency Situations in Chernivtsi (Ukraine), modernise a training center in Ivano-Frankivsk (Ukraine), procure special vehicles and prepare the legal framework for organising and operating the structures involved in emergency situations management.
4. Cross-border Health Infrastructure, having a total budget of 4.2 million Euro (with 3.7 million Euro grant) will enhance the modernisation of several hospitals’ sections, i.e. the rehabilitation and endowment of the sterilisation and orthopedic sections of Tulcea County Hospital (Romania); rehabilitation of a building of Macin City Hospital (Romania); modernisation and endowment of the surgical section of the Danube Basin Hospital in Izmail (Ukraine); rehabilitation and endowment of paediatric section of Izmail City Hospital (Ukraine). The lead beneficiary, Tulcea County Council (Romania), will implement this project together with Macin City (Romania), Danube Basin Hospital in Odessa, Izmail City Council, and the Associtation of Cross border Cooperation Lower Danube Euroregion (Romania).
The activities of the four projects will be implemented within 36 months from the signing of the contracts.
These projects totalise approximately 30% of the European funds allocated to Romania0Ukraine Joint Operational Programme 2014-2020.