Neighbourhood Programme Romania – Ukraine 2004 – 2006 (PHARE CBC)
Project (title and reference number): “Education for Durable Mountain Rural Development trough AgriTourism – Kiss of the Mountains” (RO 2004 / 016 – 942.01.01.06)
Implementation period: 2006 – 2008
Project partners: RoMontana – National Association for Mountains and Rural Development (www.romontana.org); Mountain Area Agency / Training and Innovation Centre for Development in the Carpathians – CEFIDEC, Ministry of Agriculture (www.azm.gov.ro); Romanian Mountain Forum; Suceava County Council (www.cjsuceava.ro); “Dorna” Mountain Farmers Federation (www.famdorna.ro); Chernivtsi City Community Organization “Business Centre”, Ukraine; Bukovyna Partnership Agency, Ukraine.
Project objectives and main results: The project aimed at a “package” of actions that addressed some key factors for starting a sustainable development project in the mountain border localities from Ukraine, Chernivtsi area, Storojinet, Putyla and Visnita rayons, by transferring the experience from Dorna Basin, Suceava county, Romania.
Components: a) Organization of initiation and guidance courses on agri-tourism and mountain rural development, for groups of mountain stakeholders: young farmers, agricultural specialists, mayors, school principals and official representatives from rayon’s and regional level, courses that will be organised in partnership with Training and Innovation Center for Development in the Carpathians CEFIDEC – Vatra Dornei, The Romanian Mountain Forum, Mountain Farmers’ Federation Dorna (FAMD) and Suceava County Council; b) Conceiving a study on the agri-tourism and social-economical potential of the mountain areas from Storojnet, Putyla and Visnita rayons, Chernivtsi area, with proposals of inter-regional interest; c) Having an experience exchange in the field of mountain agri-tourism and rural tourism, between the mayors from Dorna Basin and Campulung Moldovenesc and the mayors of the mountain localities situated in the Ukrainian border area, Chernivtsi region, in order to know and discover possibilities to develop tourism, cultural realities and other business opportunities regarding the economical support and services for mountain agri-tourism and rural tourism; d) Providing technical assistance on setting-up three pilot mountain agri-tourism farms, one for each rayon (Storojnet, Putyla and Visnita); e) Establishment of two organizations for women, one in Romania and the other in Ukraine, that will deal with producing and turning quality handicraft activities into account, on both sides of the border; f) Organizing a “Mountain Caravan” in the mountain localities of Ukraine, by delivering public conferences – in order to raise awareness – on “Sustainable development of mountain area, through agri-tourism and the quality of mountain product”;
g) Selective participation of the stakeholders involved in this project, in a festival in Romania and one in Ukraine, with a folkloric, handicraft and tourism character, both of them organized in the mountain area; h) Completion of the project, by organizing a seminar to assess the results obtained and analyze the perspective to enhance the cross-border cooperation in the field of sustainable development of mountain tourism, agri-tourism and communities.
Project budget: 225.200 EUR