Today, March 20th 2001 the members of the two organizations - the Association of Rhodope Municipalities (BG) and Association "Border Region Delta - Rhodope" (GR)

• Considering the importance of cross-border cooperation at all levels and that CBC contributes to establishing peace and stability, both in European scale and in particular - for the Balkan (South-East European) region, and to the free movement of goods, investments, technologies and people, and also promotes to elevate understanding of respect to human rights;
• Convinced that CBC between regional/local authorities in the Republic of Bulgaria and in the Republic of Greece will contribute to harmonization of interests of EU-member states and those of the states from Central and Eastern Europe;
• Acknowledging that the potential of the cooperation between the two organizations for overcoming legislative differences, for alleviation of administrative and organizational obstacles to true CBC activities and overcoming of historical and ethnic biases, contaminated in previous periods,
• Aware of the fact that the members of the two associations, named further below as "parties" in the present Agreement, suffer specific development problems (industrial decline, isolation and underdeveloped infrastructure in rural areas) incurred by the peripheral location of their members within the national frames,
• Seeking the support of local, regional, national and international authorities, institutions and organizations and gaining from their experience in the process of joint planning for CBC,
• and lead by the will to contribute, in compliance with their competencies and responsibilities and with the national legislation of the two states, to further development of cultural, social, commercial and economic links between the Republic of Greece and the Republic of Bulgaria through subsequent implementation of Joint CBC programs,
  

AGREED UPON:

(1) Establishment of a new cross-border Euroregion RHODOPE.

 The Euroregion will comprise the existing networks of local authorities in the two areas of the common border, represented by the Association of Rhodope Municipalities (BG) and Association "Border Region DELTA-RHODOPI". The Euroregion RHODOPE will present a union of the two associations of local authorities in the two border areas. Each of the existing associations will be managed and operated in compliance with its By-laws. In compliance with the present Agreement, Euroregion RHODOPE will be managed by a Joint Steering Committee, and its operating management will be done by the Presidents of the two associations, who will be Co-Chairs of the Joint Steering Committee (JSC) of Euroregion RHODOPE. The Presidents of the two associations will be entitled to present Euroregion RHODOPE before third parties.

(2) OBJECTIVE OF AGREEMENT

 (2.1) The cross-border Euroregion RHODOPE shall, via the activities of its members - Bulgarian and Greek local authorities within the territorial range of the present Agreement, represented by-support and develop premises for further cooperation namely by exchange of information, coordination and mutual consulting, accordingly to their competencies and responsibility and to relevant procedures, laid down in the Charts of each founding organization - the Association of Rhodope Municipalities (ARM) and Association "Border Region Delta-Rhodopi" (ABRDR), in compliance with the national legislation in each state, and international agreements ratified by Bulgaria and Greece.
  (2.2.) To encourage cross-border cooperation in infrastructure, environment, social and economic development, as well as in other areas of priority, defined jointly by the both parties in the present Agreement, that will contribute to the sustainable development of the border areas and will increase and intensify exchange between border areas citizens.

(3) MEMBERSHIP

 (3.1.) Members in the cross-border Euroregion RHODOPE by right shall be:

• For the Bulgarian side: Association of Rhodope Municipalities
• For the Greek side: Association "Border Region Delta Rhodopi"

 (3.2.) The two bodies are represented on equal base, indifferent on the number of members comprising their units on each respective side.
 (3.3.) Each side has the right to cancel its membership with a written Notice, submitted in six months advance and verified in the Joint Technical Secretariat of Euroregion RHODOPE.

(4) REPRESENTATION
 (4.1.) Each of the organizations, named "parties" in the present Agreement, shall be represented by their Presidents, namely:

• the Chair of the Board of Managers of ARM, for ARM, Bulgaria- eng. Dantcho Kiryakov
• the President of Association "Border Region Delta-Rhodopi", Greece - Konstantinos Tatsis,
  

The Presidents of ARM and ABRDR shall be entitled signatories of the present Agreement.
 (4.2.) Each of the parties in the present Agreement shall elect representatives for the managing bodies and the operating structures of the Cross-border Euroregion RHODOPE, who will be authorized to present the interests of membership of the respective organization.
 (4.3.) The headquarters of the two organizations will act as coordination centers for the CBE 'RHODOPE' for the two organizations and will provide technical assistance to the preparation of decisions and documents, agreed upon by the Joint Steering Committee of the Euroregion.
 (4.4) The head quarters of the Association "Border Region Delta Rhodopi" on the Greek side, shall act as representative office of the Euroregion concerning communications with third parties outside the respective countries. The office shall have the responsibility to communicate immediately to the other side's headquarters about all correspondence and documentation received in the name of the Euroregion.
 (4.5) Decision concerning the headquarters of the Euroregion shall be taken unanimously by the JSC
 (4.6) Each side is obliged to follow a separate path dealing with the EU when it comes to programming, planning and implementing programmes. The Greek side operates under the Interreg and Structural Fund regulations, while the Bulgarian side has to follow Phare regulations and pre-accession instruments. This division makes it, at least for the present time, not felicitous to have common account and common programming time frame. The CBE 'RHODOPE' shall apply for the activities concerned before the national and international institutions and programmes while the accounting will be done in compliance with their requirements. Support from international organizations shall be looked for the Euroregion priority fields

(5) STRUCTURE OF THE EUROREGION

The Croos-border Euroregion RHODOPE (CBE RHODOPE) shall elect management and operating bodies of its own. These bodies shall be, as follows:
  5.1 Joint Steering Committee.

• It is the executive body of the organization.
• The JSC discusses and agrees upon the strategic priorities, objectives and methods of implementation of cross border cooperation activities.
• Decisions of the JSC shall be taken unanimously.
• It shall determine areas of priorities for cooperation within the Euroregion and shall decide upon new programs of interest to the members
• The two presidents share the "Presidency" of the Euroregion and together represent the Euroregion on international level
• The two co-Presidents chair the JSC
• The Joint Steering Committee shall comprise equal number of representatives of the Greek and the Bulgarian CBE RHODOPE membership.
• It shall meet at least twice a year..
• The JSC shall be authorized to approve election of personnel for the Joint Technical Secretariat (JTS). Each Association, party in the Agreement, shall elect members of the JSC for the quotas of the Bulgarian and the Greek sides respectively.

The JSC shall comprise the two presidents, the two vice-presidents and the two executive secretaries. Nevertheless, depending on the structure of each individual side, the title and/or role the representatives could be different, but have equal value as long as it remains the same for each respective side.

 5.2 Joint Technical Secretariat.

• JTS is the operating body of CBE RHODOPE
• Deals with day-to-day work.
• The JTS Implements decisions and actions; provides information and advice; generates general publicity and awareness raising; accounting; helps in the developing project ideas and project formation; finding and mediating between potential partners; offers professional, secretarial and coordination support to the working groups and to the other administrative bodies.
• The executive secretaries of both sides closely cooperate while at the same time supervise, support and coordinate the work to the Joint Experts Groups
• The JTS shall prepare, assist and consequently support implementation of decisions adopted by the JSC. It shall provide technical assistance and coordination for the work of permanent and expert commissions with the territorial entities and between members of the Euroregion in planning and preparation of programs and projects.
• Comprises of the two executive secretaries and its team of experts and supportive staff.
• The JTS shall be located in the headquarters of ARM and ABRDR, in Smolyan and Hrisoupolis respectively for Bulgaria and for Greece. The coordination centre in Hrisoupolis acting as JTS shall have the responsibility of all third party correspondence and documentary exchange with the obligation to communicate it immediately to the JTS in Smolyan.
  

5.3 Joint Expert Groups.

 On either side of the border there are six Experts Groups in different thematic fields which examine practical issues / problems and support the work of the organization. The Expert Groups ask for and hire support from technocrats and/or external consultants according to the needs arising.
 The national Expert Groups of both sides of the border meet together and constitute the Joint Expert Groups. These Joint Expert Groups provide technical support to cross border programmes and projects, examine the issues and make suggestions to the Joint Steering Committee.
 The six fields of activities that have been developed and function in the Euroregion are:

Activity Field A:	Communication, Exchange of Information and Networking;
Activity Field B:	Economic Cooperation Transport and Infrastructure;
Activity Field C:	Tourism - Entertainment;
Activity Field D:	Culture and Society
Activity Field E:	Environment and Agriculture;
Activity Field F:	Transfer of Technology

Joint Expert Groups (JEG) shall be constituted for coordination of providing solutions to specific problems, common for both areas along the common border, in accordance to number of areas and the type of cooperation of mutual interest. The JEG shall comprise equal number of Bulgarian and Greek representatives. The JEG shall develop and provide projects and solutions to be submitted for approval with the Joint Technical Secretariat.

(6) GOALS OF THE AGREEMENT

All activities of Euroregion RHODOPE shall be undertaken in coordination and with the prior consent of the two organizations, parties in the present Agreement, and shall aim at the accomplishment of the goals, set below:

(6.1.) Exchange of information and experience for development and better coordination of joint development policy while considering the interests of each party in the current Agreement and the interests of its membership by benefiting from existing opportunities and offering relevant solutions to the jointly identified problems.
(6.2.) Preparation, development and implementation of CBC plans and programs, and assistance in provision of financial resources for their implementation.
(6.3.) To initiate and organize events targeted at development of the two organizations and their membership, in the context of CBC and European integration.
(6.4.) To contribute to the process of alleviating obstacles to implementation of CBC activities and initiate special events to that purpose.
(6.5). Implementation of CBC activities, accounting for the tendencies in EU context and gaining from the experience in CBC of EU member-states as well as the experience of other countries.
(6.6.) Representation of and lobbying for the interests of the two organizations, parties in the present Agreement, before the relevant national and international institutions and organizations.

(7.) TERRITORIAL RANGE OF THE AGREEMENT

This Frame Agreement shall be of juridical validity for the two organizations, parties in the Agreement, as well as for their membership, as entitled in Article 3 - paragraphs (3.1.) and (3.2).

(8.) DURATION OF AGREEMENT

The present Agreement will come into legal force with its signing by the persons, authorized to represent the organizations, determined as parties into it in Article 4 of this Agreement.

The persons, authorized for signatories of the present Agreement on behalf of the two organizations (4.1.), called "parties" in it, shall be authorized to invalidate its legal force on adoption of joint agreement to that purpose.

This Agreement is prepared and signed in six identical copies, in Bulgarian, Greek and English language one per each Association, and each signatory of the Agreement keeps one copy each of the three languages (Bulgarian, Greek and English).