Branch Offices
THE PROGRAMME HANDBOOK NO. 8
European Union
Cross-border Cooperation Programme Poland - Belarus - Ukraine 2007-2013
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Branch Offices THE PROGRAMME HANDBOOK NO. 8
Photograph on cover: Shutterstock.com
CONTENT INTRODUCTION ____________________________ 4 OPERATION OF THE BRANCH OFFICE IN LVIV (UKRAINE) _______________________ 7
OPERATION OF THE BRANCH OFFICE IN BREST (BELARUS) ____________________ 15
OUR WORK ________________________________ 8 CONSULTATIONS _____________________________ 8 EVENTS _____________________________________ 9 MONITORING VISITS __________________________ 11 INFORMATION & PROMOTION __________________ 12 FOSTER COOPERATION ________________________ 13 DAILY WORK _________________________________ 13 FEEDBACK ABOUT OUR WORK _________________ 14
OUR WORK ________________________________ 16 CONSULTATIONS ____________________________ 16 EVENTS ____________________________________ 18 MONITORING VISITS _________________________ 21 INFORMATION & PROMOTION ________________ 21 FOSTER COOPERATION ______________________ 22 DAILY WORK _________________________________ 23 FEEDBACK ABOUT OUR WORK _________________ 24
INTRODUCTION
The main aim of cross border cooperation is to strengthen the potential of bordering regions, to foster mutual efforts and exchanging of the best experience in order to solve common problems. Through joint management of our Programme and projects, mutual trust and understanding, we are strengthening and enhancing the cooperation process. In view of the Programme’s complexity and wide geographical range of action, its implementation is guaranteed also through branch offices. In order to ensure closer proximity to the potential beneficiaries and the main actors involved at local and national level, to promote our Programme and assist the Joint Technical Secretariat (JTS), to keep informed applicants and beneficiaries located in participating countries, two Branch Offices (BO) were established. 4
Such mutual support and cooperation activities are playing a crucial role in guaranteeing the quality and effectiveness of the Programme. The Branch Office in Lviv (Ukraine) is operating on the Ukrainian part of the Programme, which includes: Lvivska, Volynska, Zakarpatska oblasts and such adjacent cooperation areas as Rivnenska, Ternopilska and Ivano-Frankivska oblasts, while the Branch Office in Brest (Belarus) is covering the Hrodna oblast, Brest oblast, seven western districts of Minsk oblast: Miadziel, Viliejka, Maladziečna, Valožyn, Stoŭbcy, Niasviž, Klieck and adjacent cooperation areas: eastern part of the Minsk Oblast (15 districts and the city of Minsk) and Homieĺ oblast.
Minsk Region Hrodna Region Homieĺ Region Brest Region Volyn Region Rivne Region Lviv Region Ternopil Region Ivano-Frankivsk Region Zakarpattya Region
BOs actively assist the Joint Technical Secretariat in the implementation of the Programme by informing potential beneficiaries in participating countries of the activities planned, consulting Ukrainian and Belarus Beneficiaries and Partners of the projects which have been approved for EU financing. Also, the BOs are responsible for organising the events of the Programme on the territory of Ukraine and Belarus providing information about the Programme and its projects to anyone interested in it, as well as performing other tasks required by the Joint Technical Secretariat or joint Programme structure.
The main goal of this brochure is to present the activities of Branch Offices from inside, to show the first-hand opinion and comments of their experts, and to give for our readers the most actual information.
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Lviv 6 Photograph: Juanedc, flickr.com, www.flickr.com/photos/juanedc/
OPERATION OF THE BRANCH OFFICE IN LVIV (UKRAINE) GENERAL INFORMATION [ Start date of operation ] 28th of September 2010 [ number of staff ] 3 persons [ Key experts ] Olga Parasotska, Head of Branch Office
“…We live here and we understand Ukrainian realities. To a great extent, we share the same opinions, have the same values and suffer from the same
Vasyl Khimyak , Senior Expert
problems as other people in Ukrainian
Olena Zubrytska, Senior Expert
cross-border regions… We are always
Dina Goncharova, Senior Expert (2010-2012)
here, easy to reach, speak the same
[ Contact details ]
language…”
5 Tyktora Str., Lviv, Ukraine Tel./fax: +38 0322 61 02 59 e-mail: lviv@pl-by-ua.eu
Olga Parasotska, Head of LBO
Photograph: Lviv Branch Office
OUR TEAM Our organisation started in 2005 as a CBC Information Centre within the Neighbourhood Programme PolandBelarus-Ukraine 2004-2006 working as an antenna office for both Ukraine and Belarus. In July 2010, a new page in our history opened – we became a Branch Office of the Cross-border Cooperation Programme PolandBelarus-Ukraine 2007-2013. The Opening took place on the 28th of September 2010 and since that time, our branch produced fruitful results of our activities.
The Lviv Branch Office Team: Olga Parasotska (on the very left), Olena Zubrytska (in the middle) and Vasyl Khimyak
We started as a team of experts with a background in linguistics and diverse work experience in international projects, consulting, education and tourism. 7
OUR WORK
CONSULTATIONS Our Branch Office has a variety of tasks to perform. First of all, we provide information about the Programme to all potential beneficiaries and help our visitors to shape their idea into a project. That means, we assist them at all stages of project preparation.
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KEY FACT More than 1000 consultation provided
When a project is contracted, new questions arise. At this stage, we advise on registering at the Ministry of Economy and Trade of Ukraine and help to solve implementation issues like changes in projects, accounting and contracting requirements, reports and many others.
To date, over 1000 consultations have been provided by our experts.
Photograph: Lviv Branch Office
Consultation to the Umbrella Project IPBU.03.02.00-18-826/12 representative, Halyna Lytvyn
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! EVENTS
KEY FACTS * 6 trainings for BO experts * 60 info events attended by LBO experts * 16 workshops for beneficiaries * 8 workshops for i nstitutions
Conducting events is an essential part of our job, too. We organise and help help in carrying out of trainings, workshops, conferences, meetings, press-conferences etc. From the beginning of LBO operation we assisted in organisation of the following Programme events:
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Joint Monitoring Committee (JMC) meeting (Truskavets, Lviv Oblast, Ukraine)
Joint Programming Committee (JPC) meeting (Lviv, Ukraine)
60 60 info events (including conferences, seminars, trainings and festivals attended by LBO experts) for more than 2500 participants
2 Opening events of the BO, held in Lviv (Ukraine)
18 Workshops for about 600 beneficiaries (the topics included contracting, reporting, procurement, visibility)
1 Final Award Event of Competition for Schools (the event near Lviv was attended by 133 children from 3 participating countries and included a contest and integration activities).
Info seminars for more than 900 potential beneficiaries held in different places on the Ukrainian Programme area
8 Workshops for representatives of institutions involved in Programme implementation (Oblast State Administrations, audit firms etc.);
1 Annual Conference “Cross-border Capitalization�(Lviv, Ukraine) for 245 participants
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Our team also has trainings and participates in different events – to get new ideas, skills and be more competent in all aspects of project management.
6 Trainings for BO experts
3 Participation at 3 Meetings of JTS’s
2 Participation at 2 INTERACT meetings for Communication Officers.
Photograph: Lviv Branch Office
Training on Public Procurement Procedure in Ukraine, 30-31 October 2013, Lviv
Opening Event/European Cooperation Day, 27 September 2012, Lviv (Ukraine)
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MONITORING VISITS Another field of our activities is project checks. We are not the inspectors to fear, but advisors helping to detect problems and solve them. For us, visiting projects help to learn more about projects, detect problems at an early stage, and, of course, it’s an opportunity to enrich our experience and to learn new things!
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monitoring visits conducted
Photograph: Lviv Branch Office
To date, 39 project checks have been executed, including Lviv, Volyn, Ivano-Frankivsk and Zakarpattya oblasts projects. The problems, detected during such visits are summarized and submitted for consideration of JTS and Ukrainian Ministry of Economic Development and Trade (MEDT). Monitoring visit to the Project IPBU.01.02.00-76-044/10, Assosiation Lviv Tourist Board, Lviv (Ukraine), on 18 December 2013 Photograph: Lviv Branch Office
Monitoring visit to the Project IPBU.01.03.00-06-161/10 on 22 May 2014, Volodymyr-Volynskyy (Ukraine)
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INFORMATION & PROMOTION
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More than publications in press
We make our input in promotional activities provided by the Programme. It includes working with media and assisting the JTS in the preparation of promotional products and events.
36 Publications in press
Participation in 2 Forums for Journalists
Update of project information (for print issues)
Assistance in website update
Regular monitoring of press
Helping to prepare Programme newsletters
Photograph: Lviv Branch Office
Photo-bank of projects (on Ukrainian side)
Example of visibility tool in the cross-border cooperation project
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Our door is always open
FOSTER COOPERATION
We are aware that we are just a small part in the network of cross-border development and integration. Everything we do is not an isolated activity, but joint efforts of other people – the JTS, national authorities, beneficiaries, contractors and our counterparts from Brest BO. It would not be an exaggeration to say that we are no longer just partners, but friends with most of these people! It helps a lot – knowing there is always someone we can ask for advice and assistance and that our input is important for them too. Besides, joint efforts help to generate the best ideas and solutions.
8 interim Reports
DAILY WORK Working with documents is our responsibility, too. Apart from regular reports, we have to analyze national laws, learn about Beneficiaries’ problems and summarize it in reports, prepare overviews of Ukrainian projects, update information on legal requirements, correspond with Ukrainian central authorities.
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About 1800 pages translated
47 monthly reports
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Survey on Programme implementation, covering 1000 respondents
1800
Sometimes, our job requires creative approach – we write articles, translate texts, select visual materials and photos, create scenarios, develop activities. Photograph: Lviv Branch Office
Regular 6 months’ reports to the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine
6 months
Analyzing Ukrainian legislation and providing consultations to JMA, JTS and beneficiaries (including consulting on Programme procurement procedures requirements)
Our every day work: sometimes our tasks are so challenging!
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FEEDBACK ABOUT OUR WORK For us feedback is a resource to draw on, tools as it were for improvement and development. Below, we are presenting some quotations from interviews with our Beneficiaries, which in our opinion, are presenting the work of our Branch Office in the best way.
Lviv f the JTS in o e c ffi O h “The Branc e office presentativ nion, re t rs fi e is th European U e th f o r e rnal bord to on the exte since 2010 g in k r o w been es which has I programm s P N E e th beneficiarie d n a promote ts n a c ppli ” potential a and advice and equip n o ti a m r -date info uty with up-to , First Dep He a d
yk Yosyp Sytn n ministratio st State Ad la b O iv Lv of
“Lviv Bran ch O help ffice ing t is he b proje e nefic doing gr ct m eat j iarie an Than ob s to k yo agemen c o pe w u for t and ith all yo Ukra ur h inian elp! regu “ latio ns. NGO
“We have b een workin g with the te a number o am for f years, sinc e 2 0 0 4 -2006 Neighbourh ood Progra m m e . They have helped us a lo t le ading throu all stages o gh f project im p le mentation from projec starting t design to final report We are look preparation ing forward . to o u r cooperati next PBU P on in the rogramme! “ Andriy Mats
elyukh, Lv iv Tourist
Board
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Ole men h Hladch t a l In uk, itiat ives ”
ard llent stand e c x e e th ment on “I must com team. ed by your id v ro p s e of servic g casion ith reportin w e c n On each oc ta is s as ve required d matters, te la re n that we ha o e anc advice/guid mpt or general ys been pro a lw a s a h nse your respo ional. ely profess m e tr x e d an rk!” e good wo Keep up th nt Institute Re Olena Bey,
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OPERATION OF THE BRANCH OFFICE IN BREST (BELARUS) GENERAL INFORMATION
Photograph: Brest Branch Office
[ Start date of operation ] 29th of April, 2011 [ number of staff ] 3 persons [ Key experts ] Maxim Aldanov, Head of Branch Office Maryna Kivel, Senior Expert Alexander Zhabinski, Senior Expert [ Contact details ] Brest Transboundary Infocentre 46, Sovetskaya St., 224005 Brest, Belarus e-mail: brest@pl-by-ua.eu
OUR TEAM
The Brest Branch Office Team: Alexander Zhabinski (on the very left), Maxim Aldanov (in the middle) and Maryna Kivel)
Brest Transboundary Infocentre was created in 2002 as a CBC project “TRIC platform” within the Tacis Programme. The main goal was to intensify cross-border cooperation of the border regions. Brest Transboundary Infocentre was developing year by year and in 2010 it became a separate legal entity. The institution “Brest Transboundary Infocentre” has gathered a team of high professionals in the sphere of cross-border cooperation under one roof. Thanks to this, our organisation was awarded the right to host the Branch Office of the Cross-border Cooperation Programme Poland-Belarus-Ukraine 2007-2013. The Branch Office in Belarus started its operation on the 29th of April 2011; the Opening Ceremony took place on the 28th of July 2011. A lot has been done and even more will be done as our plans are big and challenging! Our Branch is fruitful which can be seen in the results of our activities.
We are always ready to help and to share our experience in management, international projects, consulting, education, and so on. We are a team where all the players supplement each other.
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OUR WORK
CONSULTATIONS Taking into consideration the fact that a vast majority of Belarusian partner organisations have very little experience in the Programme participation and project implementation the informational events should be provided on the regular basis. Besides during big informational events a participant receives theoretical knowledge, but as we know theory and practice can be quite different. When participants start to use received knowledge in practice they find a lot of peculiarities they want explained. Brest BO is always open for providing necessary explanations.
“What you will hear today are the rules you have to follow. If you feel that you are not familiar with this or information is unclear, please, contact us and explain the situation. Together we will try to find the solution.. It is always easier to prevent a problem than to solve it”
Since its start, Brest BO has provided over 600 such consultations.
Training for beneficiaries of the 2nd Call for Proposal, Brest (Belarus), January 29-30, 2013
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The beginning of every consultation event conducted by Brest BO
Photograph: Brest Branch Office
Fot. “BrestFortress3” by Szeder László - Licensed under Creative 17 Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
BREST BO EXPERTS CO-ORGANISED FOR APPLICANTS DURING THE 2ND AND 3RD CALLS FOR PROPOSALS:
22 trainings with about 1000 participants
EVENTS Photograph: Brest Branch Office
22 1 000
22 TRAININGS
PARTICIPANTS
15 info-days with 78 participants
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PARTICIPANTS
INFO DAYS
Open-day for potential beneficiaries, Brest (Belarus), August 9, 2011
BREST BO EXPERTS CO-ORGANISED:
2 open-days in Brest BO premises
2 workshops for institutions related to projects implementation in Belarus
2 OPEN DAYS
2 WORKSHOPS
5 open-days in Brest BO premises
5 OPEN DAYS
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Brest BO experts assisted the JTS in organising of 9 trainings on contracting, project implementation, procurement requirements and reporting issues for beneficiaries and partners with 250 participants
9 TRAININGS
250 PARTICIPANTS
SINCE THE BEGINNING OF BBO OPERATION, THE FOLLOWING PROGRAMME EVENTS HAVE TAKEN PLACE IN BELARUS: OPENING OF BREST BO EVENT
II CROSS-BORDER FORUM OF JOURNALISTS (BELOVEZHSKAIA PUSHCHA)
Photograph: unsplash.com
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ants
ip Partic
VIII JMC MEETING (BREST)
Photograph: Brest Branch Office
Photograph: Joint Technical Secretariat
VIII Joint Monitoring Committee meeting, Brest (Belarus), April 10, 2014
Paweł Słowikowski, Head of the JTS, and Andrey Klets, Head of the Committee of Economy of Brest Regional Executive Committee are cutting the ribbon opening Brest BO, Brest (Belarus), July 28, 2011
BREST BO EXPERTS PARTICIPATED AND ASSISTED THE JTS, LVIV BO AND PROJECTS IN ORGANIZATION OF: 5 trilateral Programme events – 157 participants from Belarus
5 EVENTS
157 PARTICIPANTS
3 JMC meetings
3 JMC MEETINGS
2 events within European Cooperation Days
2 EVENTS
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Photograph: Brest Branch Office
Photograph: Brest Branch Office
Participants of two projects combined event within European Cooperation Day 2013 during interactive theatre, Brest (Belarus), October 1, 2013
Participants of two projects combined event within European Cooperation Day 2013 are planting a tree at Friendship Alley at Informational Centre of Brest Department of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, Brest (Belarus), October 1, 2013;
BREST B0 EXPERTS PARTICIPATED IN FOLLOWING EVENTS: 8 professional development workshops for Brest BO staff
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WORKSHOPS
1 inter-Programme conference “Time for Championship”
1 CONFERENCE
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2 meetings INTERACT ENPI Communication Managers Network
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3 annual JTSes meetings of ENPI CBC Programme
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MEETINGS INTERACT ENPI
ANNUAL JTSes MEETINGS
4 working meetings of BOs and JTS
16 events at international, national, regional, local projects levels where information about the Programme was provided to more than 700 people
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16
WORKING MEETINGS
EVENTS
Photograph: Brest Branch Office
MONITORING VISITS Brest BO conducted 18 monitoring visits to Belarusian partners of the projects (as per end of June 2014) the aim of which was verification of the accuracy of the project implementation process and providing consultations and recommendations on project implementation requirements both according to Programme requirements and Belarusian national legislation requirements.
Monitoring visit to partner Hrodna oblast clinical centre “Ftiziatria” of project “Development of Co-operation of Medical Institutions of the Polish-Belarusian Borderland in the Scope of Immunotherapy for Pulmonary Tuberculosis”, Hrodna (Belarus), June 23, 2014
Photograph: Brest Branch Office
INFORMATION AND PROMOTION Brest BO experts try to use every opportunity to promote the Programme during the events organised and participated, for example 15 announcements were published within the 2nd Call for proposals. We also monitor the publications about the Programme, which appear in Belarusian mass media. Brest BO works in close cooperation with regional authorities in order to attract mass media attention to the Programme. We also encourage Belarusian partners to promote their projects in mass media and assist them in providing information on the Programme’s website.
Moving forward our Programme
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FOSTER COOPERATION Brest BO actively cooperates with Belarusian authorities, involved in Programme implementation: NCU TACIS, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Taxes, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Finance, State Customs Committee, State border Committee; Brest, Hrodna, Minsk, Homiel Oblast Executive Committees, district executive committees where the Projects are being implemented. This cooperation is mutual: we receive assistance during the events organised within the Programme in Belarus and assists them in issues, connected with Programme implementation:
provide information on Programme requirements, projects progress;
reveal challenges projects face, try to find out possible solutions, report on problems (4 reports submitted);
proof-read translations of application forms to be submitted for the procedure of national approval; monitored the process of national approval of the projects.
Photograph: Brest Branch Office
Discussing visa issues with representative of Council Department of Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Belarus at the conference within Euroregion “Bug�, Tomashovka, Brest region (Belarus), June 25, 2012
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105 events + 18 monitoring visits within 36 months of Brest BO functioning means on average 3.42 events per month.
DAILY WORK Apart from described activities everyone (and we are not exclusion) faces tasks which can be combined under one title „daily work”: • work with documents; • legislative base study; • assistance to the JTS and JMA in translation, proofreading and materials editing; • assistance in gathering and updating information for the Programme website; • preparation of own reports (monthly, interim, for Ministry of Economy of Belarus, after the fulfilled missions); • procurement procedures pre-verification (on partners’ request). Photograph: Brest Branch Office
Open-day for mass-media representatives, Brest (Belarus), July 9, 2014
2 142
230
Number of days worked
Number of days in missions
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34
Number of events co-organized
Number of events participated
33
18
Number of trainings and workshops conducted
Number of monitoring visits implemented
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FEEDBACK ABOUT OUR WORK Each one of us wonders if we can really do a good enough job and we require the confirmation and motivation, therefore, people’s feedback is often perfect way to find out how we are doing as an organisation. By taking into consideration your opinion, we are going to improve our work!
proved BO experts t s re B s ie ve the eir activit nals and ha io “JTS “… During th s s fe ro p y. fied tl and B li n a u ie q ic ff ly e h pear r p t a t to be hig h a th e s proje est BO ac lem b e o w r p t c e je lv o o r ct com our p and ability to s panie ntation of effic at all sta e m le p d the im g e i . h e e t e s n n in o s infor cy be sp – re With w ly d t n h ie m fr e cam ation ir pro ork with d and e fi li a u q e e num in fessi the k receiv erou provided onal ey o uctd n o c s i b e s f th y m s curre s u cc Bres ention ess. nt an eminars t BO e uld like to m th o h w it e T w w d w e d h ly alism xp time as ea e please Separate ly. Th sy-to erts dur of Br were very e a W is . s n r a e a g i r in e n o -und o coop g , high ing of sem erati st BO exp penness ersta tmosphere a , s c r ti e o a k r a a e c e n n o n p rts c d, d pro and e of the s warm, dem ontri fessi ffect l standard a n l a io b r s s o o u fe m i ve in n pro e our terac ted to fru tional and to admit th e k li t ild c i i u t ti o o r ful n…” ow the pa and we als btedly, all u o d n u , h n whic d.” satisfactio Nata experience ts Educ n e v lia Ya e e ation nchu pants of th !” e al De n o d k k r B o w r p e e a th s r r t tmen fo Obla t s h Thank you t ic Ex Lulkev Irina ief Doctor Deputy Ch l Hospital last Clinica s Hrodna Ob us Disease of Infectio to a ordin r Project Co
“…As a to pr suggest io opos e mo n for fur proje the re f ct are d s, as som requent r work w ifficu mon e etim itorin would lt to es w expl e g have visits like ain b q to th u y ph e one… estions , wh ” ich
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Un i t ed M Mar Rep ina airin unicipa l Pro Kirillo g–B jecti uildi ng – “Gro ng Ente rpris dno obl e Proj ect C dorstro j” oord inat or
Proje
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“…All exper ts of Brest BO are high available an ly experien d open for ced, communic vide inform a ti o n . They proation abou t national le Republic of g is la tion of the Belarus and PRAG requ constantly ir ements. Th use in their ey work mode tions and g rn communica lobal inform ational reso We are very u rc e s … grateful to Brest BO sta ff…” Lidia Maltse va dna oblast scientific library nam ed after Ka rski National Pro ject Coordin ator
Head of Hro
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Joint Technical Secretariat 39a Domaniewska St., 02-672 Warsaw, Poland tel: +48 22 378 31 00 e-mail: pbu@cpe.gov.pl
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Branch Office of the Joint Technical Secretariat in Lviv 5 Tyktora St., 79007 Lviv, Ukraine tel./fax: +380 322 61 02 59 e-mail: lviv@pl-by-ua.eu
Branch Office of the Joint Technical Secretariat in Brest 46 Sovetskaya St., 224005 Brest, Belarus tel: +375 162 53 15 83 e-mail: brest@pl-by-ua.eu
The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the Joint Technical Secretariat of the Cross-border Cooperation Programme Poland - Belarus - Ukraine 2007-2013 and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union.