EGTC Geopark Muskau Arch – Muskauer Faltenbogen

The limited liability EGTC “German-Polish Geopark Muskau Arch” began operating in November 2021, bringing together 14 municipalities. Its highest body is the General Assembly. The members of the EGTC pay an annual membership fee, which provides the basic financial resources, and the EGTC also receives annual support from the federal states of Saxony and Brandenburg. 

The geopark is famous for its multicultural heritage, which is reflected in the architecture, history and culture of the region. In order to showcase the park’s natural values, guided tours are organized for visitors. Craft workshops are organized to revive industrial traditions. The park’s history, which dates back to the Ice Age, can be explored in an exhibition at the Klein Kölzig visitor center on the German side.

Joint tourist services:

• online map showing viewpoints, places of interest, information points and the park’s highlights;
• organized tours with a guide;
• GeoKids club: monthly activities for children aged 6-12, mainly outdoor and nature-related;
• list and brief description of the park’s highlights and activities (forest railway, former mine in Babina, etc.);

Geopark Partners: the network brings together tourism and cultural organizations (museums, institutional partners of the geopark, local producers, tourism service providers) with the aim of strengthening the regional circular economy and providing a platform for unique local and regional products. The location of the partners within the geopark is shown on a separate online map.

Organizational structure:

The EGTC is organized by the general assembly and the director. The main body of cooperation is the general assembly, which determines the operating principles of the EGTC and makes decisions on the most important issues. Each member delegates at least one representative to the general assembly, but each member has only one vote. The members are divided into three delegations according to the countries they represent (the two German federal states and Poland). Each delegation decides independently on its position and each delegation has one vote. For a decision to be valid, all three delegations must approve it and all members of the delegations must be represented. If this is not the case, the General Assembly shall be reconvened after 21 days, at which the members present and the delegations shall constitute a quorum. In exceptional cases specified in the Statutes, voting by individual members shall also be possible.

The chair of the General Assembly shall convene the General Assembly at least twice a year, alternating between Germany and Poland. At the first meeting, the honorary chair of the General Assembly and the first and second vice-chairs shall be elected. The chair and first deputy chair may not represent the same country. The director shall be elected by the second meeting.

The general meeting has extensive powers: it decides on amendments to the statutes, the admission of new members, the amount of the annual membership fee, the economic activities of the EGTC, the appointment of auditors, the business plan, the approval of the annual report, the selection of the director, the admission of new staff, the election of the president and vice-president, the management of facilities, and the assumption of liabilities exceeding EUR 10,000.

The director is the executive body of the EGTC and is responsible for the management and representation of the EGTC. The main tasks of the director are to implement the decisions of the general assembly, prepare and participate in the general assembly (without voting rights), prepare the EGTC’s business plan and financial statements, secure funding for projects, and cooperate with the authorities. The director is required to report to the general assembly on the progress of projects and is authorized to incur commitments up to EUR 10,000.

The two main bodies are assisted by an advisory board, whose size and members are determined by the general assembly. The advisory board is headed by a chairperson and a deputy chairperson, whose task is to provide professional assistance in operational matters.

Administrative matters are handled by the EGTC office, which has separate branches on the German and Polish sides. The general assembly decides on the recruitment of new staff, but the director is responsible for recruitment and the conclusion of employment contracts. The working languages used in the administration are German and Polish.

The EGTC’s income comes from annual membership fees, state funding, other support (e.g. donations) and economic activities.