Cross -border cooperation: Lower Austria and the Czech Republic strengthen health!

Cross -border cooperation: Lower Austria and the Czech Republic strengthen health!

Gmünd, Österreich - On April 4, 2025, the governor of Lower Austria, Johanna Mikl-Leitner, with district capitals from southern Moravia and Vysočina and the former district captain of South Bohemia met to discuss the current status of cross-border dialogue between Lower Austria and the Czech Republic. This cooperation between the regions has a long history that extends until the 1980s. Mikl-Leitner emphasized how important this cooperation is in times of global uncertainties. A new work program is currently being prepared by 2029, which includes 13 working groups that deal with topics such as culture, youth, health, transport and disaster protection. ots in particular that the health area was lifted out. The Healthcross Med Health Center in Gmünd, which supplies around 65,000 patients annually, could take a key position here.

Investments of up to 120 million euros for a new health clinic in Gmünd are planned for the future. This would be another step towards a first -class health care in the border Region. In the cultural area, the upcoming state exhibition in Gmünd under the title "Wasserwelt Waldviertel" is viewed as the engine of regional development and will address the central role of water for the region. In addition, the palm house in Gmünd is to be renovated and opened for cultural use. These initiatives strengthen Gmünd as an important hub between Vienna and Prague and create a supplementary offer to the European Capital of Culture 2028 in Budweis.

historical milestones and successes

The cooperation between the regions can look back on several historical milestones, among other things at the case of the Iron Curtain in 1989, the EU accession in Austria in 1995 and the joining of the Czech Republic to the European Union in 2004. Jan Grolich, district captain from South Moravia, recalled the Tornado in South Moravia, in which the Lower Austrian flight rescue was able to save two lives.

Martin Kukla, the district captain of Vysočina, pointed to successful projects, such as the Youth University Waldviertel and the first cross-border state exhibition in 2009. The former district captain of South Bohemia, Jan Zahradnik, finally emphasized the importance of good relationships between the peoples and emphasized the need to promote German as a second foreign language in schools.

larger health initiatives

Lower Austria had already started implementing Interreg programs in 2007 to improve health and quality of life in border regions. The Health Center Healthcross Med Gmünd, which has dealt with both Czech and Austrian patients since 2021, is considered a pioneer in cross -border health care in Europe. medgmünd emphasizes that the initiative "Healthcross" bundles all international health activities in Lower Austria Cross -border cooperation in healthcare promotes.

An international delegation of the Danube Region Strategy - EusDR recently visited the health center to find out about the project. This shows the importance of the Danube area for Lower Austria in relation to international cooperation and the importance of the health project. The control group of the priority area 10 found out during a study trip about the progress of the health project, which is an important element of the regional health strategy.

Interreg A and cross -border cooperation

The Interreg A programs promote cross-border cooperation in Europe and aim to improve economic development and quality of life in border regions. These programs are intended to reduce development differences and open up potential. According to Interreg there is a total of 73 cooperation programs in the funding period 2021-2027, which are on NUTS-III regions of adjacent member states relate. The funding priorities are set regionally and the programs offer a framework in which local and regional partners can benefit from the funding.

The ongoing initiatives and projects in cross -border cooperation between Lower Austria and the Czech Republic underline the dynamics and the continuing progress that these partnerships promote. The exchange of knowledge, resources and cultural perspectives will continue to help to ensure sustainable development in the region.