Immediate Objectives and Programme Results. In the programming year 2002, out of the general cross-border regional development priorities the programme focuses on the objective of environment protection (Priority 5 of the Joint Programming Document) implemented through a joint grant scheme. The grant scheme primarily supports projects of local initiatives that can directly contribute to the improvement of natural and environmental conditions of the direct border region and also have a strong cross-border impact. Implementation of the proposed project promotes the protection of rivers, the underground and surface water basis, the air, the flora and fauna as well as the entire landscape through bilateral actions. As a result, actual forms of long term co-operation among environmental protection institutions will be established and improved. The Joint Small Projects Fund (JSPF) supports the key objectives of the Hungarian-Slovak Phare CBC Programme in the form of small-scale, "people-to-people” development activities of a cross-border nature. The ultimate objective will be to enhance the capability of the local and regional authorities to develop and implement joint projects within the border region.
