Visit of fifteen Secretaries-General was aimed at getting general information about particular areas from regional perspective, including territorial and fiscal decentralization, its impact on relationship between ministries and regions, regional development and Structural funds. As Mr. Viktor Niznansky, plenipotentiary of Slovak government for decentralization of public administration, participated in the meeting, Secretaries-General could obtain opinions on the process of transfer of competence from the view of representatives of the city, self-governing region and the state.
„At the beginning of year 2006 we are facing the most important task – stronger participation in implementation of European funding. We want to develop Regional Operational Programme, which will cover measures in the field of local infrastructure, services for entrepreneurs, tourism infrastructure, youth education and labour market mobility. Together with Presov Self-governing Region we want to cooperate on drafting the Joint Development Plan Slovakia-East. From the socio-economic perspective, both regions belong to the least developed areas in Slovakia and to 10 least developed regions in the EU. This is why we are ready to assume more responsibility in using the EU funding in Slovakia. Present central decision making process didn`t work as an effective instrument to reduce regional disparities. In the new programming period we intend stronger participation in the process of project selection and more efficient financial distribution of funding, allocated to Slovakia-East, as well as participation in managing and monitoring of particular projects. From estimated amount of 11 billion EUR, allocated to Slovakia in the next programming period, almost 3.5 billion should come to Eastern Slovakia,“ said during the meeting with Dutch Secretaries-General Mr. Emil Durovcik, Vice-President of the Kosice Self-governing Region.
Secretaries-General of Dutch Ministries were interested in changes, Slovakia had to get through during the past three years. They appreciated decentralization process of public administration, but also detected, if representatives of self-government don`t consider it too quick. “We highly esteem the steps, made by Slovakia in this sphere. It was extremely difficult for us to understand, what was happening in Slovakia during the period 1993-1998, but know we clearly see the direction of your steps. Slovakia is not only the City of Bratislava, also Eastern Slovakia needs development intentions. We wanted to know them,“ said Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Mr. Laurent Stokvis.