Cross-Border Initiatives seeks to encourage public, private, and nonprofit policy elites to develop programs that promote regional cooperation and stability through funding initiatives aimed at:

* Arranging cross-border dialogues among governmental entities, civic organizations, and policy institutes

* Facilitating an exchange of best practices in key economic and governmental policy areas, as well as among citizens and nonprofit groups

* Exploring ways to lower the physical and legal barriers between countries in the Black Sea region

* Devising and promoting solutions to the region’s frozen conflicts

* Promoting regional-wide efforts to build political, cultural, and economic networks

Success Stories

Eco-TIRAS

In July 2008, the German Marshall Fund’s Black Sea Trust for Regional Cooperation (BST) awarded Eco-TIRAS, the International Association of River Keepers in the Dniester river basin, a $24,940 grant to address the issue of degradation of water bio diversity. The Dniester River is a 1360 kilometer river, which starts in the Ukrainian Carpathians, flows through Moldova and reaches Ukraine again near the Black Sea. More than five million people populate its basin and it is the main source of drinking water in Moldova and a large part of Ukraine. The Dniester is currently facing severe environmental problems due to pollution and impacts associated with the water flow regime.

Eco-TIRAS partnered with Biotica-South – a Ukrainian organization in order to strengthen the cross-border impact of the project. The partner organizations worked in close cooperation with the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), and United National Environment Programme (UNEP) project “Dniester 3” and the Dutch MATRA’s “Democratization of Dniester River Basin Governance” project in order to ensure the participation of Transdniestrian environmental NGOs. Over the course of the project, Eco-TIRAS organized three mixed working group meetings to analyze the status of Lower Dniester biodiversity and fisheries. They proposed priority measures on preservation and sustainable usage for the entire watershed. The stakeholders monitored and evaluated the enforcement of national and international environment legislation by Ukrainian and Moldovan authorities in relation to the conservation of aquatic biodiversity and fish resources. They conducted several activities to pressure poachers and industrial and amateur fisheries to cease their activities and raise awareness of the importance of preserving fish stocks.

The second phase of the project involved the organization of an international NGO conference – “Transboundary Dniester River Management and Implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive” which resulted in the publication of “Dniester 2008”. The conference included the participation of international, Moldovan, Ukrainian, and Transdniestrian environmental organizations.

Throughout the project, Eco-TIRAS organized public awareness and consultation meetings between local communities and NGOs to highlight the importance of preserving Dniester’s biodiversity. The project will soon present to governmental bodies from Ukraine and Moldova recommendations on how to further protect Lower Dniester’s biodiversity.

Eco-Tiras: http://www.eco-tiras.org/

Romanian Academic Society

In 2008, the German Marshall Fund’s Black Sea Trust for Regional Cooperation (BST) awarded a $25,000 grant to the Romanian Academic Society (RAS) to produce a documentary highlighting the consequences of EU enlargement on the border regions of the EU. The expansion of EU borders has created new tensions between neighboring countries who share historical, cultural, and cross-border ties. The free movement of people, small trade, and traditional commerce no longer take place. As a result, visa-related corruption and the pressures of illegal migrants on the new borders increase.

In order to put a human face to this serious problem, the Romanian Academic Society produced a 52 minute documentary titled "Where Europe Ends" analyzing a series of locations on the new European border. The film revolves around a series of interviews with local authorities, border police, local traders, visa seekers, consulates in the region as well as policy experts. RAS staff will launch the film in interested countries and the European Union to highlight the consequences of exclusion and how poor management of Europe’s new Eastern borders can have a profound impact on entire communities.

RAS is an independent think tank which works to advance the ideas of democracy and good governance in Romania and South-Eastern Europe. Through its policy research and advocacy, the organization promotes transparency and accountability in the public sector, monitors and advises the government on its institutional reforms, and provides independent sources of expertise in public affairs. RAS staff are involved in number of assistance missions and have built many partnerships throughout the region. As a watchdog organization, it has piloted a number of innovative anti-corruption initiatives, such as the Coalitions for Clean Parliament, Clean Justice, and Clean Universities.

Romanian Academic Society – http://www.sar.org.ro/
Where Europe Ends – http://www.whereeuropeends.eu/