About Vidzeme Planning Region

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Vidzeme planning region is one of the five planning regions in Latvia.

It occupies almost a third (19770 km2 or 30.6%) of the entire territory of Latvia.

Since 1 July 2021, the territory of Vidzeme planning region includes 11 municipalities, which are:

• Aluksne (Alūksne) Municipality
• Cesis (Cēsis) Municipality
• Gulbene Municipality
• Limbazi (Limbaži) Municipality
• Madona Municipality
• Ogre Municipality
• Saulkrasti Municipality
• Smiltene Municipality
• Valmiera Municipality
• Valka Municipality
• Varaklani (Varakļāni) Municipality

Before the Administrative Territorial Reform, from 2006 until 2021 Vidzeme planning region consisted of 26 municipalities. 

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COMPETENCE OF VIDZEME PLANNING REGION:

• determination of the main basic principles, goals, and priorities of the long-term development of the planning region;
• development and implementation of development documents for the planning region in cooperation with residents, local governments, and state institutions;
• evaluation of national-level development planning documents, commenting, encouraging amendments;
• collaboration with local governments and national level institutions in the implementation of regional development;
• providing opinions regarding the compliance of the local level long-term development strategy and development program with the regional level territorial development planning documents;
• promotion of economic activity in the territory of the planning region;
• development and implementation of projects within the framework of regional development support measures; and others.

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Vidzeme planning region has also gained extensive experience in the implementation of INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION PROJECTS.

VPR implements projects in different areas:

• strategic and spatial planning;
• entrepreneurship and innovation environment;
• vocational education;
• social security and health;
• culture and tourism;
• landscape protection and management;
• environment and energy;
• information technology;
• development of public transport, incl. mobility in rural areas.

Target areas of cooperation:

• the countries of the Baltic Sea macro-region
• the countries of the European Union in Eastern Europe, Central and Southern Europe.

Cooperation programs:

• Interreg Europe Programme
• Estonia-Latvia Programme
• Central Baltic Programme
• Baltic Sea Region Programme
• Horizon 2020
• Swedish Institute (SI)
• European Economic Area (EEA)
• Erasmus +
• COSME

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VIDZEME PLANNING REGION SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

(Currently, following the changes in the boundaries of the administrative territory, both documents are being updated. It is planned to complete the work until the end of 2021.)

Meanwhile,

The summary of Vidzeme Region Sustainable Development Strategy 2030 can be found here.

The main mid-term goals and priorities can be seen in the picture below: