FORTIS

TO11

Enhancing institutional capacity of public authorities and stakeholders and efficient public administration.

The project in numbers
Duration:
24 months
Start date: 01.03.20
End date: 28.02.22
N. Partner: 5
 
Progress
Budget:
759.290,00€
Budget FERS:
645.396,50€

The project in numbers

Duration: 
24 months
Start / End: 
01.03.20 to 28.02.22
Project progress: 
100%
Budget: 
759290.00€
Budget FERS: 
645396.50€

FORTIS

Strengthening institutional cooperation in the cross-border area through innovative solutions in public transport and civil motorization procedures
Priority Axis 4
Enhancing capacity building and cross-border governance
Specific Objective: 
OS 4.1.
Investment Priority: 
PI 11CTE
Typology: 
Standard
Overall Objective of the Project: 

 

The FORTIS project intended to promote institutional cooperation through joint innovative solutions for citizenship aimed, on the one hand, at improving and promoting cross-border public transport services in favor of sustainable and efficient mobility, on the other, promoting the exchange of experiences and harmonization of the civil motorisation procedures.

Project summary: 

One of the main reasons limiting the harmonization of services and legislation in the cross-border area is the lack of cooperation and institutional dialogue between the main regional stakeholders. As a consequence, citizens of border areas experiment daily difficulties in accessing public services and in managing their administrative practices. To this end, the FORTIS project intended to identify innovative solutions to facilitate lives of citizens of cross-border areas and to promote institutional dialogue, through: the improvement of local public transport systems with a view to cross-border integration and exchange of good administrative practices in relation to different civil motorization legislation. Following a gap analysis, specific pilot actions have been tested experimental solutions to improve services and dialogue, allowing the establishment of a stable institutional cooperation network.

Main results: 

The FORTIS project developed an (1) action plan to optimize public transport connections in the cross-border area and to promote institutional dialogue for mutual knowledge of vehicle registration procedures. Then, it has been (2) defined and implement pilot activities to assess the proposed innovative solutions. Institutions involved, together with the key operators, was able to support cross-border mobility through a (3) memorandum of understanding with the aim of extending and maintaining the tested initiatives. On the other hand, the competent authorities  acquired (4) mutual knowledge of the procedures relating to civil motorisation, which has been collected in a toolbox made available to citizens. The cooperation network established within the FORTIS project confirmed and maintained beyond the duration of the project thanks to the signature of (5) a further memorandum of understanding.

Partner

Lead Partner

Segretariato Esecutivo dell’Iniziativa Centro Europea

Trieste
ITA

Project partner 1

Regione Autonoma Friuli Venezia Giulia – Direzione Centrale infrastrutture e territorio

SLO

Project partner 2

Mestna občina Koper

Obalno-kraška
SLO

Project partner 3

Regionalna razvojna agencija Ljubljanske urbane regije

Osrednjeslovenska
SLO

RRA-LUR is a public body responsible for the preparation, coordination and implementation of the regional development programs of the 26 municipalities in the urban region of Ljubljana (LUR). As technical support to regional decision-makers and advisory bodies, RRALUR oversees the strategic planning of the region through the coordination and projects development in several different fields, such as economy, traffic, infrastructure, environment, rural and territorial development. RRA-LUR will share its experiences, studies, knowledge bases and action plans to support the MUSE partnership on drafting an integrated transport strategy, working on the integration of local energy concepts with sustainable mobility, the increase in skills of the main stakeholders of the region (municipalities, transport operators, policy planners), the implementation of a pilot project and the improvement of cooperation with Italian universities and partners. RRA-LUR will also develop a document that will define the methodology for pilot development and coordination, defining the criteria for monitoring the progress and evaluating the results in order to produce a final report.

Project partner 4

Unioncamere del Veneto

Venezia
ITA

Documents

Communication strategyCommunication strategy
Communication strategy.pdf
( 1 byte, published on 23 June, 2023 - 12:33 )
Final publicaionFinal publicaion
pubblicazione finale_FORTIS.pdf
( 3 bytes, published on 23 June, 2023 - 12:33 )
First newsletterFirst newsletter
newsletter - en.pdf
( 1 byte, published on 23 June, 2023 - 12:33 )
Second newsletterSecond newsletter
newsletter n. 2 - en.pdf
( 832 bytes, published on 23 June, 2023 - 12:33 )
Third newsletterThird newsletter
newsletter 3 - en.pdf
( 1 byte, published on 23 June, 2023 - 12:33 )
Action plan to Promote the Institutional Dialogue.Action plan to Promote the Institutional Dialogue.
FORTIS 3.1.2.6 deliverable_FVG_en.pdf
( 486 bytes, published on 23 June, 2023 - 12:33 )
ACTION PLAN FOR STREAMLINING PUBLIC TRANSPORT CONNECTIONS IN CROSS BORDER AREASACTION PLAN FOR STREAMLINING PUBLIC TRANSPORT CONNECTIONS IN CROSS BORDER AREAS
D.3.1.2.3_CB_Action_Plan_FINALISED_EN.pdf
( 2 bytes, published on 23 June, 2023 - 12:33 )

Objectives and Activities

Main objectives:

Promote institutional dialogue and activities coordination for:

  • Improvement of cross-border public transport services
  • Harmonization of procedures for vehicle registration

Main activities and achievement

  • State of the art analysis > Strong need for dialogue with key stakeholders
  • Identification of public transport services in the cross-border area > Missing connections for road, rail and sea;
  • Testing on the field (pilot activities and case studies) > Meeting users’ needs
  • Definition of improvements and setting the agreements > Four Memoranda of Understanding
  • Stakeholder involvement and promotion > Promotion of joint solutions and capitalization

Testing activities:

  • Case study on cross-border maritime connections between Italy and Slovenia
  • Promotion of the integrated bus/train ticket between Italy and Slovenia
  • Case study on different legislation and administrative bottlenecks in vehicle registration
  • Cross-border public transport service between Koper and Trieste
  • Road map for promoting public transport in the cross-border area between Italy and Slovenia

Conclusions

The cross-border area encompassing the extreme north-eastern fringes of Italy and the south-western territory of Slovenia is characterized as a historically and geographically homogenous region in which cultural and economic ties have been further and steadily strengthened over the past two decades.

In the face of the gradual concretisation of a transnational socio-economic continuum, however, the integration and connection of local public transport systems operating on both sides of the border remains a long way off. Indeed, even today, it is still difficult for both border-crossers and tourists to travel easily between Trieste and Ljubljana by public transport. The connection also remains complex between the two main coastal centres, Koper and Trieste,  not to mention the possibility of travelling between the smaller centres scattered on both sides of the border on the Karst plateau. This evidently leads to an increasing need, especially for the resident population, but also for travelers, to resort to the use of private cars, thus causing a significant environmental impact as well as considerable economic and social costs.

The project was conceived as a practical and effective device, capable of promoting immediately applicable solutions to facilitate the mobility of people, such as the extension of the bus service between Koper and Trieste or integrated ticketing between rail and local transport on the Ljubljana - Trieste route, as well as encouraging sustainable forms of transport through the development of a study on the potential of a permanent maritime line connecting Koper with Muggia and Trieste. 

On the other hand, the project has focused a great deal of effort and qualified resources on strengthening institutional relations between the authorities and bodies that are responsible for spatial planning and the conception and management of mobility policies in Friuli Venezia Giulia and Slovenia. In fact, once the extreme pandemic emergency had passed, FORTIS promptly supported the efforts of decision-makers in both the Friuli Venezia Giulia region and Slovenia in order to re-launch a fruitful dialogue aimed at aligning policies and oriented towards finding practical and shared solutions to the problems of sustainable mobility within a cross-border context. Particularly effective examples of this are the joint activities in the fields of civil motorization and heavy traffic control, which have seen a series of field experiments and the exchange of good practices, as well as the activities in support of integrated ticketing, which have made it possible to convey to the joint working tables set up between the Friuli Venezia Giulia region and the Republic of Slovenia the vision and proposals of local stakeholders regarding the design and implementation of an integrated ticket connecting Trieste and Ljubljana offering additional services to travellers.

Aware of the challenges that still have to be met in the short and medium term, the partnership of the FORTIS project is committed to supporting the main actors and stakeholders in the definition of policies and practical solutions that can foster territorial development through more efficient, effective and sustainable mobility for the benefit of the population of the cross-border area and the travellers who wish to visit.

 

 

 

EN

Main objectives:

Promote institutional dialogue and activities coordination for:

  • Improvement of cross-border public transport services
  • Harmonization of procedures for vehicle registration

Main activities and achievement

  • State of the art analysis > Strong need for dialogue with key stakeholders
  • Identification of public transport services in the cross-border area > Missing connections for road, rail and sea;
  • Testing on the field (pilot activities and case studies) > Meeting users’ needs
  • Definition of improvements and setting the agreements > Four Memoranda of Understanding
  • Stakeholder involvement and promotion > Promotion of joint solutions and capitalization

Testing activities:

  • Case study on cross-border maritime connections between Italy and Slovenia
  • Promotion of the integrated bus/train ticket between Italy and Slovenia
  • Case study on different legislation and administrative bottlenecks in vehicle registration
  • Cross-border public transport service between Koper and Trieste
  • Road map for promoting public transport in the cross-border area between Italy and Slovenia

Conclusions

The cross-border area encompassing the extreme north-eastern fringes of Italy and the south-western territory of Slovenia is characterized as a historically and geographically homogenous region in which cultural and economic ties have been further and steadily strengthened over the past two decades.

In the face of the gradual concretisation of a transnational socio-economic continuum, however, the integration and connection of local public transport systems operating on both sides of the border remains a long way off. Indeed, even today, it is still difficult for both border-crossers and tourists to travel easily between Trieste and Ljubljana by public transport. The connection also remains complex between the two main coastal centres, Koper and Trieste,  not to mention the possibility of travelling between the smaller centres scattered on both sides of the border on the Karst plateau. This evidently leads to an increasing need, especially for the resident population, but also for travelers, to resort to the use of private cars, thus causing a significant environmental impact as well as considerable economic and social costs.

The project was conceived as a practical and effective device, capable of promoting immediately applicable solutions to facilitate the mobility of people, such as the extension of the bus service between Koper and Trieste or integrated ticketing between rail and local transport on the Ljubljana - Trieste route, as well as encouraging sustainable forms of transport through the development of a study on the potential of a permanent maritime line connecting Koper with Muggia and Trieste. 

On the other hand, the project has focused a great deal of effort and qualified resources on strengthening institutional relations between the authorities and bodies that are responsible for spatial planning and the conception and management of mobility policies in Friuli Venezia Giulia and Slovenia. In fact, once the extreme pandemic emergency had passed, FORTIS promptly supported the efforts of decision-makers in both the Friuli Venezia Giulia region and Slovenia in order to re-launch a fruitful dialogue aimed at aligning policies and oriented towards finding practical and shared solutions to the problems of sustainable mobility within a cross-border context. Particularly effective examples of this are the joint activities in the fields of civil motorization and heavy traffic control, which have seen a series of field experiments and the exchange of good practices, as well as the activities in support of integrated ticketing, which have made it possible to convey to the joint working tables set up between the Friuli Venezia Giulia region and the Republic of Slovenia the vision and proposals of local stakeholders regarding the design and implementation of an integrated ticket connecting Trieste and Ljubljana offering additional services to travellers.

Aware of the challenges that still have to be met in the short and medium term, the partnership of the FORTIS project is committed to supporting the main actors and stakeholders in the definition of policies and practical solutions that can foster territorial development through more efficient, effective and sustainable mobility for the benefit of the population of the cross-border area and the travellers who wish to visit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contacts

Segretariato Esecutivo dell’Iniziativa Centro Europea

0039 040 7786769
Via Genova 9 34121 Trieste (TS) Italia
euprojects@cei.int
Peter Canciani
canciani@cei.int

Regione Autonoma Friuli Venezia Giulia – Direzione Centrale infrastrutture e territorio

Via Carducci 6 34100 Trieste(TS) Italia
territorio@regione.fvg.it
Angelotti Massimiliano

Mestna občina Koper

00386 5 6646 254
Verdijeva ulica 10 6000 Koper Slovenija
obcina@koper.si
Štrkalj Ivana
ivana.strkalj@koper.si

Regionalna razvojna agencija Ljubljanske urbane regije

00386 (0) 13061902
Tehnološki park 19, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenija
lur@ljubljana.si
Matej Gojčič
matej.gojcic@ljubljana.si

Unioncamere del Veneto

0039 041 0999411
"Via delle Industrie 19d – Edificio Lybra 30174 Venezia (VE) Italia
unione@ven.camcom.it
Lazzari Roberta
roberta.lazzari@eurosportelloveneto.it