International cooperation
International cooperation
The Mazovia Voivodeship conducts international cooperation with the regions of the European Union, Central and Eastern Europe and Asia in accordance with the “Priorities of International Cooperation of Mazovia Voivodeship”, that was adopted with a Resolution No. 27/06 of the Mazovia Voivodeship on 18 December 2006.
Affiliate development of interregional contacts with selected regions is a consequence of the opportunities and community development needs of the Mazovia region. It primarily serves mutual and beneficial economic cooperation, exchange of information and experiences in the preparation of projects financed by the European Union, the creation of favourable conditions for business cooperation, social organisations as well as the development of fixed and multilateral cooperation with major international organisations and institutions that bring together territorial self-governments of European countries.
Bilateral cooperation of Mazovia Voivodeship is implemented on the basis of agreements, declarations and letters of intent.
At present the Mazovia Voivodeship has 18 signed cooperation agreements: Pest County (Hungary), Brandenburg and Saxony-Anhalt (Germany), Brussels-Capital Region (Belgium), Ile-de-France (France), Stockholm Region (Sweden), Veneto Region (Italy), Bratislava Region (Slovakia), Central Bohemia Region (Czech Republic), Uusimaa Region (Finland), Zagreb County (Croatia), Lviv, Kiev, Odessa and Vinnitsa Regions (Ukraine), Akmola Region (Kazakhstan) and Shandong and Hebei Provinces (China) and letters of intent: with Santa Catarina in Brazil, the Province of Gyeongsangbuk in the Republic of Korea and Gujarat Region in India. A cooperation is also carried out in the framework of the so-called Little Weimar Triangle on the basis of mutual declaration on cooperation between Mazovia Voivodeship and the Brandenburg and the Ile-de-France.
The subjects of cooperation within the agreements are, among many others, issues concerning territorial self-government, culture, education, economy and trade, transport and communications, labour market, agriculture and agri-food processing, environmental protection and water management, health and social policy, sport and tourism.
Interregional cooperation is carried out in the form of study visits, conferences, seminars, conventions.
The Mazovia Voivodeship is represented at the European Union institutions forum and international associations, the Airport Regions Conference (ARC), on the Forum of Countries in the Visegrad Group, the PURPLE Initiative and the Network of European Regions using space Technologies – Nereus, European Chemical Region Network ECRN, Environment Conference of the Regions of Europe ENCORE, European Social Network, METREX – Network of European Metropolitan Regions and Areas as well as the European Network of Culinary Heritage. Since 2004, the Marshal of Mazovia Voivodeship is a member of the Committee of the Regions. On the 10th of February 2010 he has been appointed to the Bureau of the Committee of the Regions. He participates in the committees: COTER (Commission for Territorial Cohesion Policy) and ENVE (Committee on Environment, Climate Change and Energy).
Since 2002, the Mazovia Voivodeship has its representative office in Brussels.