The External Newsletter of the Swiss-Romanian Cooperation Programme continues to keep you updated with the latest developments and events.

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1 Welcome! The External Newsletter of the Swiss-Romanian Cooperation Programme continues to keep you updated with the latest developments and events. Summary: The conference on tourist s security in natural areas Poiana Brasov 29 February 2016 Support for NGOs assisting victims of human trafficking High Nature Value: An answer to the challenges faces by Romania s farming Landscapes and communities International Conference on Early Intervention for Children with Deafblindness or Multisensory Impairments Launch of the book Beyond the Horizon in Transylvanian Highlands NGO Block Grant: Info session Visit to SORTILEMN furniture factory in the city of Gherla Technical mission of Romanian partners in Bern Conference on tourist s security in natural areas Poiana Brasov 29 February 2016 The Conference on tourist s security in natural areas took place in Poiana Brasov. On this occasion, Swiss and Romanian experts from the institutions involved in the field of protection of environment, biodiversity and tourism defined their role in the managing the tourist s security in the natural areas.

2 This activity is carried out within the project Strengthening the Capacity of the Romanian Gendarmerie, part of the Thematic Fund Security of the Swiss Romanian Cooperation Programme, financed through a grant from Switzerland of CHF 1,882,353 (85% Swiss contribution and 15% Romanian contribution) to the enlarged European Union. The project aims to transfer knowledge and expertise in two of the areas where Switzerland has sound experience and credibility: the public order management during public demonstration and sporting events - mainly with an international dimension and the tourist s security in natural areas. With support provided by Swiss experts, proposals for improving the internal regulatory framework in the field of prevention and fight against violence during public demonstrations and sporting events have been prepared and already submitted to the Romanian concerned bodies for their approval. Moreover, new practices on maintaining public order during major public events or sporting are about to be adopted. At the same time, have been adopted new rules and regulations regarding both the tourist s security in the mountain areas and the environment preservation, the most important being the New Forestry code and the Law regarding the hunting. Support for NGOs assisting victims of human trafficking The National Agency against Traffic in Persons (ANITP) has organised a call for proposals to finance projects aiming at the improvement of the quality of the assistance of the victims of human trafficking. For the first time, a partnership between public institutions and non-governmental institutions active in countering human trafficking will be put in place since ANITP, as Executing Agency, will manage these funds. In this respect, Romanian NGOs assisting victims of human trafficking will have the possibility to submit projects proposals for increasing the help for at least 300 victims of trafficking and improve the quality of their services. At the same time, these activities will develop the capacity of ANITP in providing funds to NGOs. Furthermore, the law enforcement cooperation between Romania and Switzerland will be improved. The Swiss Romanian Cooperation Programme, will support, through a grant of CHF (85% Swiss contribution and 15% Romanian contribution), NGOs

3 which assist directly the victims of human trafficking. In this respect, two calls of proposals will be organised during the coming three years. High Nature Value: An answer to the challenges faces by Romania s farming Landscapes and communities Closing conference On 15 March 2016 WWF Romania, Adept Foundation and Propark Foundation have organised an international conference promoting the concept of High Nature Value Farmland, successfully introduced in Romania, where 30% of agricultural land may be considered as such. High Nature Value farmlands (HNV) are individual farms or farmed landscapes comprised of many farms that carry out farming in balance with nature, which is beneficial for both farm sustainability and ecological conservation. The event which marks the closure of the Project Rural Development and High Nature Value Farmland in Romania funded through a Swiss grant of CHF was opened by Achim Irimescu, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, and Jean-Hubert Lebet, Ambassador of Switzerland to Romania. On this occasion, specialists from several domains, farmers and local authorities debated the possibilities of preserving and boosting the social, economic and environmental values of the most important HNV farmed landscapes in Europe. Jean-Hubert Lebet, Swiss Ambassador to Romania, and Achim Irimescu, Minister of Agriculture SRCP

4 International Conference on Early Intervention for Children with Deafblindness or Multisensory Impairments On 18 March 2016, the Ambassador of Switzerland to Romania participated in the opening of the International Conference on Early Intervention for Children with Deafblindness or Multisensory Impairments, organised by Sense International in Bucharest. This event approached various themes around the development of children with multisensory impairments. On this occasion, the results of the Research Report on Early Intervention for Children with Multisensory Impairments in Romania, covering the years , and the Best Practice Model has been presented. The conference was attended by specialists in education, health and social services from Romania and abroad, representatives of national and local authorities, Sense International Romania partners in implementing the project, parents of children with deafblindness, as well as other NGOs active in the field of disabilities. The conference took place in the frame the project Early Intervention for Multisensory Impaired Babies A Unique and Innovative Approach Initiated by the Civil Society financed through a Swiss grant of CHF 214,725.- under the Thematic Fund First Call of the NGO Block Grant of the Thematic Fund Civil Society Development. H.E. Jean-Hubert Lebet, Ambassador of Switzerland to Romania, addresses to participants SRCP

5 Specialists in education, health and social services attended the conference SRCP Natura 2000 and Rural Development: Launch of the book Beyond the Horizon in Transylvanian Highlands On 11 March 2016 was launched the book Beyond the Horizon - the Transylvanian Highlands at the bookstore Carturesti. The event aimed at promoting the unique itineraries in the pristine areas from the protected area Podisul Hirtibaciului and was organised in the frame of the project Natura 2000 and Rural Development within the Thematic Fund Civil Society Participation. General public of all ages participated in the discussions regarding the protected areas in Romania and the importance of preserving the nature. The book will raise awareness on the preservation of the protected areas in Romania. The project Natura 2000 and Rural Development is co-financed by a grant of CHF 993,053.- from Switzerland through the Swiss Contribution to the enlarged European Union. It aims to improve the implementation of the EU Natura 2000 and the national protected area network and to promote the rural development in Romania through the involvement of the local stakeholders.

6 NGO Block Grant: Info session Swiss Intermediate Body (SIB) of the Thematic Fund for Civil Society implementation organised in Bucharest an Information session with all organisations awarded with a grant within the 2 nd round of the Call for proposals of the, NGO Block grant, the Social Component. The aim of the meeting was to offer the grant beneficiaries the necessary information for a smooth and efficient implementation of the projects and for a good communication between the Executing Agencies and the SIB. Moreover, participants had the opportunity of networking and finding important information about the financed projects. At this session were present 70 persons, representatives of the EAs. The representatives of the organisations offered short presentations of the projects and thus laid the foundation for collaborations at both local, but also national level, through identifying the common points of interest. The financed projects target promotion of new/ innovative approaches in providing social services, but also the increase of the NGOs role in policy process. The total amount of the 33 financed projects exceeds 4 Mio CHF (the exact amount is CHF 4,227,908.34). Thomas Stauffer, Head of the Swiss Contribution Office in Bucharest, stated in its opening the Swiss financial support goes beyond each and every project, aiming at supporting Romanian NGOs as a voice of the civil society, but also as service providers. He commended the participating organisations for their work and underlined the strong competition they had to face in the selection. Representatives of the organisations offered short presentations of the projects SRCP

7 Thomas Stauffer, Head of the Swiss Contribution Office in Bucharest SRCP

8 District heating in Arad: the boiler of SORTILEMN furniture factory in the city of Gherla to operating on gas and biomass February 26, a delegation of Mr. secretary of state Attila GYORGY, vice-mayor of Arad muniacipality, Mr. Levente BOGNAR, Mrs. Claudia Macra, project manager within Arad City Hall, chief engineer of Arad City Hall and Mr. Andrei Cotutiu, expert within the Ministry of Public Finance - NCU, conducted a visit to SORTILEMN furniture factory in the city of Gherla. The visit aimed to exchange experience in the context of "District heating in Arad - Rehabilitation of the transport network and heat distribution and transformation substations in New Arad district" project. The project is part of a wider program, Energy Cities, financed through the Focus Area 4 - Improvement of the environment, within the Swiss-Romanian Cooperation Programme. SRCP

9 Mission in Bern During January 2016 a Romanian delegation composed of representatives of Ministry of Public Finance, Ministry of Regional Development and Public Administration and Ministry of European Funds conducted a technical mission in Bern. The purpose of the event was to discuss with the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs the implementation status of projects funded under the Project approach of the Swiss - Romanian Cooperation Programme and to clarify a number of technical aspects, mainly regarding the project Sustainable Energy Action Fund. SRCP Swiss Contribution Office Embassy of Switzerland in Romania Str. Gr. Alexandrescu, 16-20, București T:(+4021) F:(+4021) E: bukarest@eda.admin.ch

10 National Coordination Unit Ministry of Public Finance Strada Apolodor nr 17. București T:(+4021) F:(+4021) E: unsubscribe from this list update subscription preferences