The 25 Pioneer Projects for Provinces Preparing For the EU Programme Have Been Signed Today

The twenty five pioneer projects which will be conducted within the context of the "Provinces Preparing for the European Union Programme", which was announced on 2^nd February 2011 by the European Union Secretariat General (EUSG), have been signed today by the participation of Minister of the Interior Mr. Osman GÜNEÞ, Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Mr. Egemen BAÐIÞ, Secretary General Ambassador Mr. M. Haluk ILICAK and the Governors from beneficiary cities at the ceremony in Governors House (Vali Galip DEMİREL Vilayetler Evi).

Within the framework of this multi-annual programme which is foreseen to be implemented gradually in every province of Türkiye, 79 very successful projects proposed by the provinces were evaluated by the EUSG. As a result of the technical and administrative evaluation, 25 provinces had been awarded financial assistance in the framework of the budget of 2011. In this context, the projects of the Provinces Preparing for the European Union Programme are supported within the context of the "Improving the Effectiveness of Governorships in the EU Accession Process Project", which has been conducted for more than a year by the EUSG in cooperation with the Ministry of the Interior.

The 79 successful and creative project proposals in the context of The Provinces Preparing for the European Union Programme which are financed through EUSG's own resources have demonstrated Türkiye's determination to benefit from EU funds and financial aid.

This multi-annual programme has been launched as of 21 June 2011 with pioneer projects that cover 25 different provinces from all the seven regions. The Programme is intended to encompass all the provinces gradually in the upcoming years and introduce a new and dynamic dimension to the EU perspective of Türkiye. The projects supported within the programme aim thus at spreading enthusiasm and motivation about the EU throughout the whole country and raise awareness about Türkiye's EU Accession Process both at the local and central level.