Introduction

By signing the agreement establishing the joint Euroregion Glacensis between the Association of towns and municipalities in borderland of Bohemia, Moravia and Kłodzko on the Czech side and the Association of Kłodzko region on the Polish side, several years of efforts to develop mutual cross-border cooperation on both sides of the border were completed. The foundations of the largest and currently the oldest Czech-Polish euroregion have been laid.
 
Regional Association of the Euroregion Borderland of Bohemia, Moravia and Kłodzko - Glacensis Euroregion and the Association of towns in Kłodzko region, known as supporting the idea of transborder cooperation, European unity, in an effort to develop friendly and mutually beneficial contacts between the Czech Republic and Poland, taking care of the preservation of common cultural heritage of border areas, while taking into account the provisions of the European Framework Convention on cooperation between territorial authorities and institutions (adopted by the European Council in Madrid on 21 May 1980), decided to create the Euroregion Borderland of Bohemia, Moravia and Kłodzko - Euroregion Glacensis.

 

Euroregions are the type of transnational unions or associations of municipalities and towns. The aim of the Euroregion, an international association of towns and municipalities, is to support the implementation of projects reflecting all forms of cooperation between the contracting parties. The main motive of the associated towns and municipalities, which are represented by their local public administration representatives, is to eliminate inequalities between regions on both sides of the border, which leads to a gradual balancing economic and social development.

Cooperation extending beyond the boundaries helps to mitigate the disadvantages of a borderland. It overcomes national border areas and improves living conditions of local people there. It has to intervene in all cultural, social, economic and infrastructural aspects of life of citizens.

Euroregion Glacensis is a transnational non-profit interest association of towns and municipalities and other legal entities in the districts of  Náchod, Rychnov nad Kněžnou, Hradec Králové, Trutnov, Jičín, Chrudim, Svitavy, Ústí nad Orlicí, Pardubice, Jeseník a Šumperk on the Czech side and the Association of towns and municipalities of districts Kłodzko, Ząbkowice, Wałbrzych, Strzeliń a Dzierżoniow on the Polish side. Its main task is to promote Czech-Polish cross-border cooperation and borderland development, which are connected by narrow geographical and historical and political ties.

The Euroregion was founded by an agreement establishing the Czech-Polish Euroregion Glacensis in Hradec Kralove on 5 December 1996. The official seat is located in Rychnov nad Kněžnou where the Secretariat of the Czech Euroregion also acts. The seat of the Polish Association and thus the Polish Secretariat of the Euroregionu Glacensis is located in Kłodzko.

The Euroregion is situated within the three regions: Hradec Kralove, Pardubice and Olomouc Region and is the largest Czech-Polish Euroregion with the longest common border. In exceptional cases, there are some consents to membership established with entities located outside the defined territory, such as a municipality of Benecko in the district Semily.
 

Development cooperation between the two parts of the Euroregion based on the European Charter of cross-border regions. Coordination in the form of recommendations and suggestions for economic, social and cultural development of the territory and their reciprocity to programmes that are being prepared and implemented by appropriate authorities of the border region in Poland and the Czech Republic.

Support for development in the following areas of activity:

• regional planning
• cooperation in economy and trade
• environmental preservation and improvement
• construction and adaptation o infrastructure beyond boundaries
• cooperation in prevention and elimination of the consequences of natural disasters and catastrophes
• tourism development and establishment of new border crossing points
• cooperation in fields of education, culture and sport
• cooperation in humanitarian and social spheres

The continuing task of the Euroregion Glacensis is to overcome prejudices and barriers that started in the previous period and to facilitate integration based on the principles of subsidiary within the European integration of the Czech Republic and Poland, to restore function of border crossing points not only as the end of a territorial sovereignty , but also as a bridge enabling meetings and synergies of the two nations that use this specific geographic positioning to ensure a dynamic development and at the same time to create a permanent joint elements of friendly coexistence of the two nations.

With its role, the Euroregion Glacensis has become a trial on a joint path to Euro-Atlantic structures and part of everyday life.

Members of the Czech Euroregion comprise towns and municipalities of regions such as: Náchod, Rychnov nad Kněžnou, Hradec Králové, Trutnov, Jičín, Chrudim, Svitavy, Ústí nad Orlicí, Pardubice, Jeseník a Šumperk. The Euroregion is located in the administrative area of Hradec Králové, Pardubice and Olomouc Region.

Hradec Králové and Pardubice Region are the part of the NUTS II North-East cohesion region, Olomouc Region is a part of the NUTS II Central Moravia.

Map of Euroregion Glacensis areas of activity available here.

You may find the basic information about the Euroregion Glacensis here