Black Sea Joint Environmental Monitoring and Protection – ALERT

The project “Black Sea Joint Environmental Monitoring and Protection”, ALERT, code eMS BSB-538 is financed by Joint Operational Programme Black Sea Basin 2014-2020, Priority 2. Promote coordination of environmental protection and joint reduction of marine litter in the Black Sea Basin, Specific Objective 2.1 Improve joint environmental monitoring.

The financing Programme has as wider objective “to improve the welfare of the people in the Black Sea Basin regions through sustainable growth and joint environmental protection”.

The eligible area of the Programme is:

• Romania: South-East region;
• Bulgaria: Severoiztochen, Yugoiztochen;
• Greece: Kentriki Makedonia, Anatoliki Makedonia Thraki;
• Turkiye: TR10 (İstanbul), TR21 (Tekirdağ, Edirne, Kırklareli), TR42 (Kocaeli, Sakarya, Düzce, Bolu, Yalova), TR81 (Zonguldak, Karabük, Bartın), TR82 (Kastamonu, Çankırı, Sinop), TR83 (Samsun, Tokat, Çorum, Amasya) şi TR90 (Trabzon, Ordu, Giresun, Rize, Artvin, Gümüşhane);
• Ukraine: Odessa, Mykolaiv, Kherson, Zaporosh’ye and Donetsk Oblasts, Autonomous Republic of Crimeea, Sevastopol;
• Republic of Moldova, Georgia, Armenia: whole territory.

The total available financing ensured by Neighborhood and Enlargement Instrument (ENI) funds has a value of 49.038.597,00 Euro, plus 10% that represents the national co-financing.

The first call for project proposals was opened for a period of 4 months, during period January 31^st - May 31^st 2017. This project is one of the 24 projects approved within the first call, with a value of the ENI funds requested by approximately 18, 8 million Euros.

Programme official website: blacksea-cbc.net/

Directorate-General for Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations official website: ec.europa.eu/neighbourhood-enlargement/about/directorate-general_en

PERIOD

The implementation period of the project is 31 months, during period 10.08.2018 – 09.03.2021

OBJECTIVES

The overall objective of the project observes the general objective of the Joint Operational Programme Black Sea Basin 2014-2020 and consists in the development of a long-term cross-border relation between the partners involved, in terms of emergencies caused by the environment and other types of threats.

The project includes integrated activities for prevention, protection and intervention in emergencies caused by environmental dangers such as earthquakes, floods, landslides or forest fires. The expected results include:

• Implementation of an integrated environmental monitoring system in all three partner countries;
• increasing the capacity of the public institutions to intervene and manage emergency situations in an efficient manner;
• raising the awareness of the public opinion in the Black Sea Basin with regard to environmental issues;
• developing innovative IT solutions (online platforms and mobile phone applications) that are easily accessible to the population and organizations concerned with environmental and emergency situations;
• improving the availability of data in the Black Sea Basin regarding emergency situations, as well as environmental risks and vulnerabilities by elaborating an environmental management plan and other studies in the field.

FINANCES

The financing sources are ensured in conformity with stipulations of the Subsidy Contract no. 88854/02.08.2018, code eMS BSB-538, referring to funds allocated from European Neighborhood Instrument - ENI (92%) and co-financing funds from partners involved in the project (8%).

The project has the following allocated funds:

• Total value: 723,472.24 Euro;
• Lead beneficiary 1 - Constanța County Council own contribution: 29,628.00 Euro;
• Beneficiary 2 - Ungheni District Council own contribution: 29,628.00 Euro.
• Beneficiary 3 - Bulgarian Association for Transfer of Technology and Innovation own contribution: 17,027.54 Euro;

SUMMARY

The Black Sea Basin Joint Operational Programme 2014-2020 represented the financing opportunity for the creation of a partnership between the following EU and non-EU partners: Constanta County Council as Lead Beneficiary, together with partners: Ungheni District Council - Moldova and Bulgarian Association for Transfer of Technology and Innovation - Bulgaria, in order to sustain the financing for project "Black Sea Joint Environmental Monitoring and Protection".