Ministero dello Sviluppo Economico
Interregional cooperation in regional policy: a
dynamic mechanism
Rossella RUSCA
Naples, 14-15 October 2009
A little bit of history
•
Negotiations for the 2007-2013 period
•
Territorial cooperation is acknowledged as an important
tool of European added value for territorial
development and cohesion
•
All the territories should have the possibility to develop
all forms of cooperation, when, where, and with whom
is needed
•
Interregional cooperation should become also part of
the regional operational programmes, in addition to
what is made under the European Territorial
Cooperation Programme
•
Art 37.6.b is entered in the Regulation (EC) 1083/2006
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What is about Art. 37.6.b
Whereas…
(4)… the value added of cross-border, transnational and
interregional cooperation in the Community should be
increased
…
(44) Member States and managing authorities may organise…within
the operational programmes co-financed by the ERDF the
arrangements for interregional cooperation
•Art.37.6.b establishes that
… At the initiative of the Member State, the operational programmes
financed by the ERDF may also contain for the Convergence and
Regional competitiveness and employment objectives…actions for
interregional cooperation with, at least, one regional or local authority
of another Member State.
Why Art. 37.6.b in addition to ETC programmes?
•
Regions have the need to cooperate also bilaterally with
regions with which they do not share a cross-border territorial
cooperation programme
•
Interregional cooperation is not just a question of networking
and exchange of good practices
•
Interregional cooperation has to be functional and supportive of
each region development strategy
•
Interregional cooperation is a win-win approach by which
territories can develop their own comparative advantages
meanwhile getting shared objectives and results
The Italian NSRF and Art. 37.6.b
•
…In Convergence and competitiveness OPs interregional
cooperation actions must be referred to the priorities of each
OP and be supportive to it, by providing the possibility of
realizing joint interventions with other EU regions, whose
collaboration can contribute to reach in a more effective way
the objectives of the OP because these joint actions can
•
Either provide to the Italian interested regions the
possibility to get competences, knowledge, innovations that
the region does not have or cannot have in a sufficient way
•
Or provide the possibiliity to put on an extra-domestic
market the territorial resources of the region, enhancing its
growth and competitiveness potentials
The State of the art
•
Territorial cooperation and regional programmes
continue to be separated worlds
•
Neither the EC, nor the Member States encouraged
the implementation of Art.37.6.b
•
Nobody knows, at EU level:
•
Wthat OP/regions in what Member State want to
use Art. 37.6 b or would be interested to use it
•
How to practically implement it
The Italian case
• The NSRF includes territorial cooperation as a full
component of the Italian strategy for regional development
• Interregional cooperation is promoted both within the
country (Interregional Operational Programmes-POIn) and
in the sense of Art. 37.6.b
• 10 regions foresee to implement Art.37.6.b, and appoint
significant resources to that scope
• How and with what regions could they implement that part
of their OP?
What we do expect as a follow-up of the Seminar
• INTERACT provides:
– An in-depth analysis of the situation at the EU and MS level
– A precise list of problems to be solved, of questions to be
anwered, and of possible solutions (procedures, etc..)
• The EC-DG REGIO provides:
– A clear and full answer to the questions
– Practical guidance to Member State and regions
• Member States and regions provide
– Monitoring and evaluation activities
Thank you for your attention
Rossella Rusca
Ministry of Economic Development
Department for Development and Economic Cohesion
[email protected]
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