On Saturday, 25 June, in the seat of the Euroregion Tatry in Nowy Targ, the conference "Europe rich with the Carpathians" was opened by the Deputy Speaker of the Sejm Marek Kuchciński. The conference "Europe rich with the Carpathians" was opened by Marek Kuchciński, Deputy Speaker of the Sejm. It was another conference dedicated to the Carpathians this year.
The conference was organized by the Carpathian Parliamentary Group, the Nowotarski Starost, the Mayor of Nowy Targ and Euroregion Tatry. During the opening speech Marshal Kuchciński reminded that "as of 1st July the leadership in the Council of the European Union is taken over, after Hungary, by the Republic of Poland and therefore it is necessary to accelerate and enrich the discussion and reflection on the current state and future development of the Carpathians, in the geographical area of this mountain range from Austria to Serbia".
It is true that the cooperation of several Carpathian countries, which are very diverse, is developing well, but further intensive joint action is needed to accelerate the development of the Carpathians. - Our ambitious plan is to raise the issues of the Carpathians to the European level during the Polish presidency of the European Union, not only in terms of improving cooperation but also in financial matters. We would like, in this second half of the year, to raise the issue of the EU budget project for 2014-2020, which would take into account the issue of financial support for the development of the Carpathians, or at least improve the coordination of cooperation within the Carpathian region - announced Marshal Kuchciński. He noted that "in addition to the Council of the European Union, the European Parliament and the European Commission, so-called macro-regions and their strategies, meaning cooperation of several countries in a given geographical area, are gaining importance in Europe.
Thus, for example, we have the Baltic strategy, in which the countries of northern Europe that lie in the basin, or rather the basin of the Baltic Sea cooperate, because it includes, among others, Ukraine. We have the Danube macro-region and the Danube strategy, as well as the Alps macro-region and the Alpine strategy. Although discussions on the Carpathian strategy began in 2001, i.e. at a similar time to the Danube strategy, the former has not yet produced results in the form of EU financial support.
The Marshal suggested that it would be good for such a package to include a proposal for the future organisational functioning of the Carpathian Convention and its secretariat. Important postulates from the Carpathian Conference in Przemyśl (February this year) could also be taken into account, one of which proposed that the idea and problems of the development of the Carpathians should be presented in greater detail at a pan-European conference on 8 September in Krynica. Another postulate suggested that the governments of the Carpathian countries should be asked to hold talks and include the Carpathian project in their plans for negotiating the financial perspective of the European Union.
Still another proposed to ask the government to introduce the Carpathian issues as one of the priorities of the Polish Presidency. It was also proposed that the Eastern Partnership should be a part of the whole Carpathian programme. Among the postulates was a proposal to organize cyclic meetings on the Carpathians with the participation of parliamentarians, governmental and local authorities, non-governmental organizations, Euroregions and other institutions.
There was also a proposal to include universities in the process of integration of the Carpathians and activities related to the preparation of the Carpathian programme, as well as a proposal to create Carpathian teams at the level of legislative authorities in all the Carpathian countries, i.e. in the parliaments of Poland, Ukraine, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and other countries. These parliamentary teams would contribute to easier introduction of similar legal regulations, and also - as control bodies in relation to executive authorities - they would support acceleration of cooperation between governments and local governments. And this is in fact what is happening now - concluded Marshal Kuchciński, inviting next speakers to present their speeches during the first panel.
Thus, among others, Janusz Zaleski, Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Environment, spoke about the most important problems of the Carpathians which are referred to in the initiatives undertaken in the framework of the Carpathian Convention. Marek Lisansky, Consul General of the Republic of Slovakia in Cracow, focused on the problems of the Tatra Mountains on both sides of the border, including the infrastructural backwardness, stressing very strongly the need to treat these mountains as one whole, without separating them into the Slovak and Polish Tatra Mountains. Antoni Nowak, director of the Office of the Euroregion "Tatry" in Nowy Targ, cited numerous examples of cross-border cooperation within the Euroregion.
In the second panel, chaired by Senator Władysław Ortyl, Marian Radosowsky, former Minister of Agriculture of the Slovak Republic, spoke about agriculture in the Slovak Carpathians. The rector of the Podhale State Higher Vocational School, Professor Stanisław Hodorowicz, presented a psychological and sociological portrait of the highlanders of Podhale. Andrzej Walawski, Deputy Director of Rabka S.A. health resort, spoke about the opportunities and problems of the Carpathian spas. Wojciech Wartak, manager of the Mining Plant "Geotermia Podhalańska", presented the ecological benefits of using geothermal energy for heating buildings; and Waldemar Rataj, president of the "Pro Publico Bono" Foundation, spoke about the benefits of cultural tourism and the role of the civil society.
In the third panel, chaired by MP Edward Sularka, Pavol Macala presented the Slovak Historical Institute "Slovak Matrix" which he directs. Janczy, president of the local Sheep and Goat Breeding Association, presented the history of shepherding in the Carpathians and the prospects for the development of mountain sheepherding. Jadwiga Pilch, curator of the Orava Ethnographic Park Museum in Zubrzyca Górna, spoke about the wooden architecture, lifestyle and customs of the highlanders and regional products of the Carpathians. The Mayor of Żywiec, Antoni Szlagor, spoke about Mountain Brands as an opportunity for the development of mountain regions. Stanislaw Trebunia-Staszel presented the role of the International Festival of the Mountain Lands that he runs in Zakopane in promoting the culture of the region. Finally, Maciej Motor Grelok presented the role in the promotion of the Carpathian region on the example of the Polish Highlanders Association.
