Introduction
As of 1 July 2006, the Northern Great Plain Regional Development Council created the Brussels Representation Office of the Northern Great Plain Region. The background for the professional work of the Brussels Representation Office is provided by the Northern Great Plain Regional Development Agency. The most important objective of the Representation Office is to represent regional interests and to play the role of a bridge between the bodies of the Northern Great Plain Region on the one hand and the EU institutions and other stakeholders on the other.
The primary tasks of the Representation Office:
* Gathering information in connection with the EU’s structural policy, the 7th Research, Technological Development and Demonstration Framework Programme, the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme, cross-border co-operations and other relevant specialised policies having significance from the point of view of the region; participation at events, conferences related to the above; the analysis, systematisation and forwarding of the same with recommendations added.
* Building contacts with EU institutions: the European Parliament, the European Commission, the Council of Regions, the Brussels representations of regions of other countries, other Hungarian representation offices in Brussels, international networks with seats in Brussels.
* Region marketing: organising conferences, seminars; making and maintaining connections with the press.
* Assistance to and organising the programme of official delegations coming from the region.
* Management of international networks and international projects as far as possible from Brussels.
Specific areas:
* Regional Operative Programme, regional policy, Structural Funds.
* 7th Framework Programme of the EU on Technological Development and Demonstration, the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme.
* Cross-border cooperation, European Neighbourhood Policy, maintaining contacts with international partner regions.
* Assistance with projects prepared for Cohesion Fund.
History - The Brussels Representation of the Northern Great Plain Region (from 1 July 2006)
As a consequence of the new agreement of cooperation concluded in May 2006, new, independent regional representations commenced their operations in cooperation with the MRBK.
As a result of the agreement with the OTH, the Northern Great Plain region opened its representation in the MRBK building in July 2006, followed by the Southern Great Plan in August and Southern Transdanubia in September of the same year.
In addition, the representation of Western Transdanubia is also present in Brussels in a separate building. After unsuccessful negotiations with the OTH, their representation office opened on 6 July 2005 in the building of the Austrian region of Styria.
Currently, 4 regions have representations in Brussels. As a result of the continuous changes, currently the Northern Great Plain, the Northern Hungary, the Western Transdanubia and the Southern Transdanubia regions have representation offices in Brussels.
From July 2006 until the end of February 2008, the tasks related to the representation of the Northern Great Plain region were performed by Kincső Izsák. Since 1 July 2008, Zoltán Balog has filled this position.
On 26 July 2008, the Northern Great Plain Regional Development Council accepted the independent strategy of the Brussels Representation of the Northern Great Plain Region. In addition to the definition of the long-term objectives, this also serves as the basis of the reporting system of the representation office.