INTERREG IIIC East Effectiveness and impact study - first results Researchers have presented first results about how INTERREG IIIC operations help achieve programme objectives and contribute to the development of regions. The research team, a consortium of Italian SOGES Group and Austrian company ÖIR, is currently touring a number of East zone regions to present their results and carry out interviews with project partners at ‘reference group meetings’. Since 2005 the researchers have been studying data of 415 project partners located in programme zone East. Among others, a questionnaire has been sent to inquire about the institutions’ motivation to participate in INTERREG IIIC. The results of the analysis have been visualised through maps that are part of the presentations given at the ‘reference group meetings’ (see: download section below). Asked about the link between their region’s development programmes and INTERREG IIIC related activities, most project partners said that learning about other regions and exchanging information is their main motivation to participate in the programme. They also identified the upgrading of skills and the improvement of institutional structures and working procedures as important benefits. Meetings with 21 of the most active regions from all nine member countries of the East Zone are currently taking place to find out in detail how IIIC operations influence the regional development processes and Structural Fund policies in the regions. In these meetings participants discuss their motivation and describe obstacles posed by the Programme administrative structures as well as by governance structures within their regions. One of the obstacles mentioned was that politicians often do not understand the importance of “soft skill” projects and much effort has to go into discussing the usefulness of investments into know-how transfer. Participants also found that multiple participation in various INTERREG IIIC projects as well as RFO subprojects increase the chances of INTERREG IIIC having a real impact on the region. If regions are actively involved in several INTERREG IIIC projects whose goals correspond with the regional strategy the effect of IIIC multiplies, as seems to be the case of Malopolska where “each Euro invested into the INTERREG IIIC brings back 11 Euros to the region”, said one project partner. Although the final results of the study are still to be submitted, the first results seem to indicate that regions consider INTERREG IIIC as a useful tool for international co-operation as well as an important platform to learn from each other, discuss innovation strategies and co-operate on pilot projects. Schedule of ‘reference groups meetings’ in 2006: Italy, Bologna, March, 23 Slovakia, Kosice, April, 5 Poland, Krakow, April, 21 Slovenia, Ljubljana, April, 24 Hungary, Budapest, April, 27 Germany, Berlin, May, 4 Greece, Thessaloniki May, 11 Czech Republic, Prague, May, 29 Austria, Vienna, scheduled for: Mid June Slovakia meeting_expert´s results (830.6 KB/) Slovakia meeting_national representative´s presentation (364.1 KB/) Slovakia meeting_JTS about future (152.2 KB/) Germany meeting_expert´s results (957.4 KB/) Greece meeting_JTS presentation (315.1 KB/) Hungary meeting_JTS presentation (315.0 KB/) Poland meeting_JTS presentation (213.0 KB/) Slovenia meeting_expert´s results (460.1 KB/) Slovenia meeting_national representative´s presentation (510.4 KB/) Czech meeting_expert´s results (4.9 MB/)