About us
The European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation TATRY Limited (abbreviated EGTC TATRY Ltd) is a new institution for cross-border cooperation, established by Poland’s Euroregion “Tatry” Association (Związek Euroregion „Tatry”) and the Slovak Region “Tatry” Association (Združenie Región “Tatry”). It has legal personality under Regulation (EC) No 1082/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 July 2006 on a European grouping of territorial cooperation (EGTC), and the most extensive legal capacity accorded to legal persons under national law.
In its functioning, EGTC TATRY relies on the Convention on the Creation of the European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation TATRY Ltd, signed by the Chair of the Council of the Euroregion “Tatry” Association and the Chair of the Council of the Region “Tatry” Association in Nowy Targ on 14 August 2013, and on the Statutes of the European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation TATRY Ltd, signed in Kežmarok on 14 August 2013. EGTC TATRY was registered by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland and acquired legal personality on 20 September 2013. The Grouping is headquartered in the town of Nowy Targ, Poland.
EGTC TATRY is the second such grouping with the participation of Polish partners and with registered offices in Poland, coming after EGTC TRITIA which was registered in February of 2013. We are the first ECTC in Poland created by a euroregion.
Basic characteristics of EGTC TATRY
First
EGTC TATRY is cross-border organisation comprising:
- Euroregion Tatry Association on the Polish side
- Region Tatry Association on the Slovak side
EGTC TATRY possesses legal personality under the law of the European Union, as well as legal capacity of the fullest extent afforded to legal persons under Polish law.
Second
The area of intervention covered by EGTC TATRY includes
1) in the Republic of Poland; the Małopolska Voivodeship
2) in the Slovak Republic; Kežmarok, Levoča, Poprad, Sabinov, and Stará Ľubovňa counties in the Prešov Region, Dolný Kubín, Liptovský Mikuláš, Námestovo, Ružomberok, and Tvrdošín in the Žilina Region, and Spišská Nová Ves in the Košice Region
Area – 13.700 km2
Inhabitants – 1.500.000 persons
Third
The objective of EGTC TATRY is the further development, facilitation, and propagation of Polish-Slovak cross-border cooperation for the purpose of strengthening social and economic cohesion in the Grouping's area of intervention on the Polish and Slovakian sides of the Tatra Mountains.
The tasks of the EGTC TATRY focus primarily on the preparation and implementation of territorial cooperation projects cofinanced by the European Union via the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund, and/or the Cohesion Fund, as well as projects without the financial contribution of the European Union.
Additionally, the Grouping may participate in the management and implementation of programs or parts of programs funded by European Union., particularly Polish-Slovak cross-border microprojects.
Fourth
EGTC TATRY bases its activity on a Convention signed in Nowy Targ between Euroregion Tatry Association and Region Tatry Association on August 14th, 2013, and a Statute signed on August 14th in Kežmarok.
The Convention and Statute are the mandatory and fundamental documents on which the registration of EGTC TATRY is based.
EGTC TATRY acquired legal personality on the day of its entry into the registry maintained by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland, that is on September 20th, 2013.
Fifth
EGTC TATRY has its registered offices in Nowy Targ, for which reason it is registered in Poland.
The choice of location of the registered offices has significant legal repercussions, as it defines in particular the applicable law under which the functioning of the EGTC and its Convention and Statute are interpreted, as well as defining the organs responsible for its control. In the case of EGTC TATRY the applicable law is that of the Republic of Poland.
Sixth
EGTC TATRY as an individual legal person has the following organs:
An Assembly, which is the highest organ of the Grouping. It consists of 14 representatives of the members of the Grouping, of whom seven represent Euroregion Tatry Association and seven represent Region Tatry Association.
A Director, who is the statutory executive organ of the Grouping, who directs the activity of the Grouping, and who takes actions on its behalf.
A Supervisory Board, which is the control organ of the Grouping, established to supervise the Grouping's activities. The Supervisory Board consists of six members, three of whom represent Euroregion Tatry Association and three pf whom represent Region Tatry Association.
Seventh
EGTC TATRY has its own budget.
The functioning of the EGTC is financed by the institutions which have created it. Its start up and operational expenses are covered by own capital drawn from membership contributions.
Funds for the functioning and realisation of its tasks will be acquired independently, primarily via the implementation of projects cofinanced from European Territorial Cooperation programs for the 2014-2020 programming period. The Grouping may also use funding from other sources, such as the Norway Grants, and the International Visegrad Fund, etc.
The key activities of Euroregion Tatry regarding the creation of EGTC TATRY
- the Declaration of the Council of the Cross-boder Euroregion Tatry Association signed at Červený Kláštor on December 21st, 2007
- the creation by the Council of the Cross-border Euroregion Tatry Association of a Polish-Slovak working committee at the turn of 2008 and 2009, which began the first work on the Convention and Statute
- the Declaration of the 15th Congress of the Cross-border Euroregion Tatry Association on the creation of EGTC TATRY, ratified in Muszyna on April 17th, 2009
- the network project entitled From Euroregion Tatry to a European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation, carried of from January 2011 to September 2013 as part of the Republic or Poland-Slovak Republic Cross-border Cooperation Program 2007-2013
The Polish-Slovak EGTC Commission
The Council of the Cross-border Euroregion Tatry Association created an EGTC Commission on June 15th, 2011 for the purpose of drafting the founding documents of the Grouping, the Convention and Statute. During joint sessions and individual meetings of the Polish and Slovak members, the Commission:
- carried out risk/benefit analysis and compared the added value of an EGTC to the then current form of cooperation
- identified and analysed the basic competences, experience, and potential of the partners and future members of the EGTC
- carried out an analysis of the national legal frameworks and researched relevant regulations concerning the planned EGTC, the nature of the partnership, etc. Analysed the legal consequences of each regulation with regard to the relation of EU regulations to national legislation
- checked procedures for the approval of a request for the registration of an EGTC in accordance with national legislation
- worked out drafts of the Convention and Statute in cooperation with national authorities
Why have we created EGTC TATRY?
- to realise Polish-Slovak cross-border cooperation at a higher formal, legal, qualitative, and institutional level
- to overcome formal barriers in joint Polish-Slovak enterprises encountered due to differing legal and institutional systems in Poland and Slovakia, due to unequal access to EU funds, etc.
- to mutually resolve various types of cross-border problems in the local communities of the Polish-Slovak borderland areas
- to acquire an instrument serving the founders of the EGTC TATRY - that is, Euroregion Tatry Association on he Polish side and Region Tatry Association in the Slovak side, and thus also the member local governments of both associations - for the acquisition of EU finding in a greater amount than heretofore
- EGTC TATRY will be an ideal instrument for the realisation of projects as it simultaneously meets four of the requirements for cross-border cooperation: joint preparation of projects, shared realisation, shared financing, and common personnel, making it eligible to be a sole beneficiary capable of independently realising projects
- to facilitate the management of EU projects, and in particular to manage microprojects in the new financial conditions of the EU 2014-2020 programming period
The process of creating EGTC TATRY
- 28.08.2012 – the Extraordinary Congress of Euroregion Tatry Association approves the drafts of the Convention and Statute, and also passes a measure approving entry into the future EGTC TATRY
- 19.10.2012 – the Extraordinary Congress of Region Tatry Association approves the drafts of the Convention and Statute, and also passes a measure approving entry into the future EGTC TATRY
- 14.06.2013 – the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland approves the accession of Euroregion Tatry Association to the future EGTC TATRY
- 16.07.2013 – the Chancellery of the Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic approves the accession of Region Tatry Association to the future EGTC TATRY
- 14.08.2013 – the first session of the Assembly of EGTC TATRY ratifies the Convention and Statute
- 20.09.2013 – the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland enters EGTC TATRY into the registry of EGTCs, at which point EGTC TATRY acquires legal personality