Conurbations
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Conurbations |
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Valga
- Valka
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Territorial
authorities concerned:
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Latvia
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Estonia
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Valka municipality |
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Valga municipality |
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Number of inhabitants: |
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Approximately 22,000 inhabitants, 15,000 of whom on the Estonian side. |
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Historical and geographical background |
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In
1920, the
establishment of the States of Latvia and Estonia resulted in the
division of a town situated on the new border: Valka, Latvian side, and
Valga, Estonian side. In 1995, both municipalities signed a cooperation agreement. Latvia's and Estonia's entry into the European Union in 2004, then in the Schengen area in 2007, led to the discontinuation of border control between these two States and allowed Valga and Valka to come closer once again. |
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Background to the move to cross-border cooperation |
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In the years following 1991, cooperation did not
develop
much between the two municipal administrations. It was only in 1995
that the mayors of both municipalities signed a cooperation agreement
concerning a number of areas. Nowadays, cross-border cooperation
between Valka and Valga covers a number of areas (health, rescue
services, municipal administration, the economy, education, culture,
sports, tourism and urban planning, etc.) including significant efforts
carried out in the area of sanitary cooperation. In order to coordinate these different actions of cooperation, a joint secretariat was established in 2005 within the scope of the Interreg IIIA project: "Valka-Valga: 1 town, 2 States".
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Functioning of cross-border administration |
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Cross-border cooperation between Valka and Valga
truly
started in the late 1990's. Since then, a number of projects have been
carried out, including the project which formed the joint secretariat.
Even though no cross-border governance body has been set up, the
municipalities cooperate regularly on both a political and technical
level. |
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Symbolic projects |
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The
ESTLA project
(ECOS-Overture programme): This project which links the
municipalities of Tornio (Finland) and Haparanda (Sweden) to the
communes of Valka and Valga allows for the regular exchange of good
practices concerning cross-border cooperation. Cooperation between fire-fighting services: An agreement was signed in 1996 between the Valka rescue services and the Valga fire station. Cooperation
in the areas of
culture and sports: Valka and Valga signed an agreement
aimed
at managing cultural and sports facilities to be used by the
inhabitants of both towns. Sanitary cooperation: This project, which began in 2002, helped study the possibilities the inhabitants of the entire Valka-Valga cross-border region have in terms of access to care. Sustainable
management of
the Pedeli river basin in cross-border cooperation: This
project, undertaken between 2003 and 2005, allowed for the formation of
an artificial lake on the Estonian side, water sanitation, the
construction of hiking paths, and the creation of the cross-border
River Pedeli recreational area. Cross-border development of infrastructures: Carried out in 2005-2006, this project first allowed for the drafting of a joint planning document and was then followed by the establishment of a cross-border bus line. "Valka-Valga: 1 town, 2 states": This project, undertaken in 2005 within the scope of the Interreg III A programme, consisted in setting up five working groups responsible for different aspects of cross-border cooperation.
Virtual
community of the
Valka-Valga region: Between 2005 and 2006, Valka and
Valga
worked on setting up a virtual community within the cross-border region
formed from the District of Valka and the County of Valga. |
