Alapító szerzõdés - FOUNDING DOCUMENT

Registered in the Slovak Republic Region NEOGRADIENSIS Residing at Lučenec, Novohradská 1

Registered in the Republic of Hungary NEOGRADIENSIS Regia Egyesulet Residing at 3100 Salgatarján, Rákoczi ut 36

(to be referred to as Contracting Parties) recognizing the conditions that bind closely the inhabitants of the region, as well as the advantages in the fields of the cross border cooperation in particular concerning the areas of existing and developing relations, strengthening of good neighborly relations, advancement of creation and realization of programs of regional development, in accord with the mutual interest of both countries in European integration, namely the Laws XXIV of 1997 of the Republic of Hungary, and 517 of 1999 of the Slovak Republic on European Framework, and the in accord viith the ideas anchored in the Good Neighborly Relations and Friendly Co-operation Agreement between the republic of Hungary and the Slovak Republic, hereby establish this EUROREGION from their own free will and with the highest regards towards the Constitutions and Legal codes of the respective republics.

In order to reach the goals set forth by the most honorable intents anchored in the Founding Document. the Contracting Parties agreed on the following:

1. The Name of the Established Entity:

2. The Legal Status and Center of the Euroregion:

Euroregion intents cross-border co-operation brought about by the Contracting Parties in their free will and in the interest of this co-operation, they shall harmonize their economic and social developments, as well as the activities leading toward regional development

2.1. The Center of Euroregion

Reduta (Vigadó)
Vajanského ul. č.2
Lučenec
Slovak Republic

3. The Goals and Areas of Co-operation

3.1. The main objective of Euroregion is to define a clear and strategically founded common way, and to influence with an innovative approach regional development in close co- operation with its inhabitants

3.1.1 Development of mutual programs and projects
3 1.2 Harmonization in the development of their economies and tOurist industries
3.1.3 Achieving a greater attractiveness of the region

3.2. Effective utilization of the area's geographic, demographic and natural potcnrials of the area:

3.2.1 Create conditions for an effective exchange and flow of information
3.2.2 Participate in EU sponsored programs with success
3.2.3 Mutual recognition of finances in the field of general cash flow
3.2.4 Co-operation in the fields of natural-, environmental- and water- protection activities in order to preserve the region's natural heritage

3.3. Utilization of the identity derived for the region's cultural and historic heritage

3.3.1 Protection of mutual cultural heritage in history, architecture, folklore and antiquity
3.3.2 Development of relations between educational and scientific institutions
3.3 3 Humanitarian and societal co-operation
3.3.4 Protection of human and minority rights

3.4. Common regional development and organization

3.4.1 Harmonization of regional development
3.4.2 Harmonization of regional organization
3 4.3 Harmonization in the development of regional infrastructure

4. The Founders of the Euroregion:

Region NEOGRADIEINSIS, Novohradská 1 (Vajanského 2), 98401 Lučenec

NEOGRADIENSIS Regió, Rákóczi út 36, 3100 Salgótarján

5. Rights and Obligations of the Contracting Parties:

The Contracting Parties, in the course of their co-operation, shall have common rights and obligations They hereby declare that they co-operation shall be governed by mutual trust, friendship and good neighborly relations. FurthemlOre, the Contracting Parties agree upon the financing of the Euroregion's activities

6. Parties Joining the Euroregion:

Those who decide to join the entity, according to the agreement, shall be represented in the main decision making and representative organ, shall pay the agreed dues and fees The members of other euroregions and micro-regions are also allowed to join

7. The Organs of Euroregion

7.1 General Assembly
7.2 Chairmanship
7.3 Board of Supervisors
7.4 Committees

7.1 The General Assembly of Euroregion:

Is the Euroregion's main decision making body This body shall be based on parity in respect to representation of the involved par1ies At the begining, the Contracting parties shall be represented by 15 members respectively

7.2. The Chairmanship of Euroregion:

The Chairmanship is based on parity, and at the time of foundation, the Contracting Parties are represented in this body by 7 members respectively The members of this body are designated by the respective panies and the opposite pany shall accept the designated members with no objection The Chairmanship convenes at least twice every year in the respective residences of the Contracting Parties.
The Chairmanship sessions are called by the Chairman.
The Chairman and Co-Chairman posts are occupied by the Chairpersons of the Contracting Par1ies, revolving their positions by-annually

Folloving the signing of the Founding Document.. until March 31,2002 the distribution of these posts shall be the following:
     Chairmanship:            the Chairman of the Slovak Contracting Party
     Co-Chairmanship:     the Chairman of the Hungarian Contracting Party

7.3. The Board of Supervisors:

It ensures the orderly functioning of the Euroregion by supervision of the timely execution of the agreed tasks, and the proper utilization of financial resources designated for their execution It prepares an annual repon about its findings, and presents it to the General Assembly.
The Board of Supervisors (BS) is founded on parity, and it incorporates three members from each one of the Contracting Parties The members ofBS are designated by the Contracting Panies and then are elected by the General Assembly The member of the Chairmanship cannot be the member of the BS.
The members of the BS elect their Chairman, and set the agenda under the condition that the Chairman of the Eurorcgion and the Chairman of the BS cannot be citizens of the same country

7.4. The Secretariat of the Euroregion:

The proper functioning of the Euroregion is aided by the Secretariac composed from the Contracting Party's secretarial institutions The duties and tasks of the Secretariat are framed in the agenda

7.5. The Committees of the Euroregion:

To aid its activities, the General Assemblv shall create Committees The Committees shall have no more than ten members Each Committee shall be composed ofSO-50% designated from the members of the respective Contracting Parties The duties of respective Committees and their Chairmen are decided and elected by the General Assembly The election of the Committee Chair and Vice Chairmen shall take place on the parity basis

8. Basic Ideas of By-lingual Conduct:

In the course of its activities, the Euroregion is going to use the SlolYtk and the Magyar language in spoken as well as in written form The official documents of the Euroregion shall be by-lingual, and the languages shall be used under the same conditions in the respective countries The correspondence with the ELT Institutions shall be conducted in English.

9. The Financing of Euroregion:

The operational expenses of the specific bodies shall be secured by the Contracting Party providing the place for the particular activity The realization of mutually undertaken tasks shall be fInanced by both Contracting Parties, where each party shall finance, and provide the necessary labor for the tasks realized on its territory In case that such arrangements would not be possible, the form of financing shall be decided on individual basis.

10. Joining and Exiting:

The Euroregion can be joined by all such legal entities who accept the goals and prescriptions of the Founding Document The final decision regarding joining the Euroregion is made by the General Assembly. The acts of joining and exiting shall not atTect the parity principle in the individual bodies of the Euroregion Therefore, when the joining is accepted, or when the exiting is taken into account by the General Assembly, this body is responsible for the restoration of the paritv by delegation of new members, or by recall of the old members of the affected bodies

11. Temporary and Closing Statements:

The Founding Document shall be valid the day after the day when the document is signed by the Contracting Parties
The Contracting Parties shall inform the General Secretary of the Council of Europe about the acceptance of this founding Document within 30 days from its signing.
The Contracting Parties agree to accept the Euroregion' s organizational and functioning rules within 90 days from the signing of this document For the acceptance of these rules, it is necessarv that at least two thirds ofal! members of the General Assemblv vote for it.

In Lučenec, March 25, 2000

       Becsó Zsolt                       MUDr. Murgaš Jozef
NEOGRADIENSIS Régió Egyesület           Región NEOGRADIENSIS
          Chairman                             Chairman