About SFM

• Brochure of the Swiss-Slovak Cooperation Programme
• Brochure on Block grant realized within the Swiss-Slovak Cooperation Programme

Swiss-Slovak Cooperation Programme

The global aim of the Swiss Financial Mechanism, financed from resources of the Swiss Confederation, is to contribute to the decrease of economic and social disparities in the enlarged European Union. In Slovakia, 21 projects, supported from the Swiss-Slovak Cooperation Programme and co-financed from the state budget of the Slovak Republic, significantly contributed to this goal. The projects were strategically focused on safety, stability and reform support, environment protection, and infrastructure, as well as human and social development.

The total budget of the projects supported from this programme was more than 60 million EUR. The total sum of the grants was approximately 59 million EUR, whereby part of this sum, usually 85 % of the project budget, was financed from the resources of the Swiss Confederation. 42 % of the contribution was provided to projects in Eastern Slovakia. The implementation period was set at 10 years, from June 2007 to June 2017.   

3 projects contributed to economic growth and enhanced employment. After reconstruction, tourist information centres were opened in Trebišov, Čerhov, Zemplínske Hámre and Slovenský raj. In Slovenský raj, tourist trails were restored, entrance gates built, and trail marking renewed to a total length of more than 300 km . Thanks to the support, Zemplínske Hámre opened a museum with four external and four internal exhibitions and local landmarks and monuments were  connected by an educational trail.

With importance for the whole country, 2 projects were beneficial to the area of strengthening security and one for increasing transparency and effectiveness of legal proceedings.

The programme focused also on supporting young people to succeed on the labour market by interlinking market demand with education at 10 secondary vocational schools. International academic and scientific cooperation was fostered through the Scholarship Fund with 40 supported projects of young Slovak researchers. 
4 projects significantly contributed to the personal development of children and young people with disabilities and their integration into normal life as well as to social inclusion of children and young people from marginalised Roma communities (MRC). More than 400 clients in the region of Stará Ľubovňa gained access to more comprehensive social services of improved quality in the day-care and rehabilitation centre, to transport services and supported employment and housing. Reconstruction, modernisation and extension of 2 social services facilities in Košice  and 1 social services facility in Stará Ľubovňa was completed. Almost 7,700 children and young people from MRC in Eastern Slovakia have access to services provided in 10 fully equipped 10 community centres. Children and young people find support there through pre-school and school preparation, mentoring, tutoring and leisure-time activities.

8 projects were aimed at protection of the environment, 6 of which contributed to the protection of groundwater and surface water by means of a sewerage system and wastewater treatment plant which were built and extended in the municipalities of Častá, Dlhé nad Cirochou, Modra nad Cirochou, Dvorníky, Gemerská Poloma, Tušice, Tušická Nová Ves, Horovce and Veľké Ripňany, totalling 13,700 inhabitants. In order to conserve and sustainably manage forests influenced by ongoing climate changes, more than 7,300 km² of forests in the territory of Slovakia were scanned. 2 newly built and one reconstructed information centres, a new educational trail and realisation of more than 40 restoration plans for degraded wetland and grassland sites included in the Natura 2000 network are helping to improve the conservation and management of protected areas and selected habitats.     

Significant resources were provided to finance further 40 projects supported through the Block Grant. These projects were beneficial especially in the area of increasing the quality and improvement of access to social services, protection of the environment and sustainable regional development. 22 so-called Small Projects were realised by NGOs with the goal of address needs in the social area (13 projects for more than 1,600 clients from various target groups) as well as the environmental area (9 projects). 18 Joint Projects supported growth of Swiss-Slovak partnerships in various fields of cooperation. The Block Grant projects were implemented from September 2012 to February 2015. 21981