Natural and cultural resources
Priority 3: Cooperating on natural and cultural resources for sustainable growth in CENTRAL EUROPE
This priority responds to the need for protecting and sustainably using natural and cultural heritage and resources, which are subject to increasing environmental and economic pressures as well as usage conflicts. Heritage and resources also constitute valuable assets of central European regions and represent important location factors benefitting regional development. Furthermore, the programme will focus on improving the quality of the environment in functional urban areas. To this aim, key challenges like land use conflicts, air, soil and water pollution or waste management will be addressed. Improvements will directly benefit the quality of life of urban residents. The financial allocation to this priority is around EUR 89 million ERDF. Projects to be funded will have to tackle one of the three specific objectives formulated under this priority:
Specific objective 3.1: To improve integrated environmental management capacities for the protection and sustainable use of natural heritage and resources
Transnational cooperation will allow for improving the capacities of the public sector and related entities dealing with the protection and sustainable use of natural resources by supporting the development and implementation of integrated environmental strategies and tools as well as the joint testing of pilot solutions. This will facilitate a larger uptake of the integrated environmental concept into the public and private sector such as the application of innovative technologies and introducing resource efficient solutions.
Specific objective 3.2: To improve capacities for the sustainable use of cultural heritage and resources
Transnational cooperation will help improving capacities of the public and private sector dealing with the protection and sustainable use of cultural heritage and resources by supporting integrated approaches. This will allow for coordinating the preservation and management of cultural heritage and resources with sustainable growth. The development and implementation of strategies and policies for valorising cultural heritage and exploiting potentials of cultural and creative industries will trigger economic opportunities and employment at regional level.
Specific objective 3.3: To improve environmental management of functional urban areas to make them more liveable places
Transnational cooperation will help to increase capacities of the public sector and related entities for integrated environmental management ensuring compliance with environmental policies by supporting the development and implementation of integrated environmental management to improve the environmental performance of functional urban areas. Enhanced governance will contribute to better planning, management and decision making thereby reducing usage conflicts and negative externalities on the environment. The development and implementation of strategies and tools as well as the joint testing of pilot applications (e.g. for site rehabilitation) will trigger investments for improving the quality of the urban environment.
