FROM INTERREG III
TO
EUROPEAN TERRITORIAL COOPERATION
State of Play January 2007
1
What do we mean by
“territorial cooperation” ?
• Cooperation between MS based on
geographical features: borders, sea basins,
periphery, etc
• Structural Funds support for activities which
decrease the negative impacts of borders or
enhances cooperation and integration among
partners who share a “common space”
2
History
• First INTERREG Community Initiative launched in
1990
• Second programming period 1994-1999 –
INTERREG II (merging REGEN & INTERREG)
• Third programming period 2000-2006 – INTERREG
III (still on-going – 3 strands)
• NOW – fourth period but with INTERREG as a full
Structural Fund Objective – European Territorial
Cooperation (same 3 strands kept)
3
Main new features
2007-13
• Objective in its own right (before Community Initiative
Programme) – more visibility
• Improved legal basis (Specific provisions for
co-operation, EGTC)
• Clear focus on Lisbon and Göteborg (more focused
programmes expected – cross cutting themes linked
to innovation and environment)
• 75% EU co-financing for all regions
(in some cases up to 85%)
• Total budget of €7.75 billion, 2007-13
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How is it organised ?
• 3 strands:
1. Cross-border cooperation for direct cooperation
between areas separated by a border
2. Transnational cooperation for activities improving
integration within a specific space
(e.g. North Sea, Northern Periphery)
3. Interregional cooperation to exchange experience
and good practice in regional development policies
5
Cross-border cooperation
• 2007-13 sees the arrival of “maritime
cross-border cooperation” – > new
programmes appear (e.g. Central Baltic,
South Baltic, Channel)
• Bulgaria and Romania included from the
start as Member States
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What do cross-border programmes
do 2007-13 ?
Essentially local in nature :
• Entrepreneurship and SMEs, cross-border trade, tourism and
culture
• Protection and joint management of the environment
• Better access to transport
• Information and communication networks
• Water, waste management and energy management systems
• Joint use of health, culture and education infrastructure
• Judicial and administrative co-operation
Particularly important to contribute to Lisbon and Göteborg while
working on erasing the negative effects of borders
8
Transnational cooperation
•
13 transnational programmes, but
slightly different geography to previous
period:
1.
2.
Inclusion of Bulgaria and Romania
Atlantic Area becomes Atlantic Coast with a
narrower scope and geography
2 Mediterranean programmes merged into one
CADSES split into 2 (Central Europe and SouthEast Europe)
3.
4.
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2007-13
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What do they do (2007-13) ?
Focus of trans-national programmes on :
– Innovation, RTD, enterprises
– Environment : water management,
environmental protection and risk
prevention (including maritime safety)
– improved accessibility, transport,
information and communication networks
– sustainable urban development
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What is new in transnational
cooperation?
• Higher profile programmes
• Concrete projects with some investments
• Networking, plans and studies acceptable
only if they prepare for concrete projects
• Some strategic projects, involving both
regional and national authorities - may be
inserted into the Programming document
• Not only open calls but also focused/thematic
calls for projects
12
Four interregional network
programmes covering the whole EU
• Interreg IV C – exchange of experience to
improve the effectiveness of regional policy
• Urbact II – support to networks of cities
• Interact II – support for implementation of
Interreg progammes
• ESPON – European Spatial Planning
Observatory Network
13
Interreg IV C 2007-13
– Single programme covering EU-27 + Norway +
Switzerland (no more zoning as in 2000-06)
– A vehicle for Regions for Economic Change
– Fast Track to optimise the transfer of experience
and knowledge between regions
– Networks between regional actors across Europe
and across different objectives of Structural Policy
to identify and transfer good practice
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External Borders of the EU
• New Policy context – Neighbourhood &
further enlargement
• Co-operation on borders with third countries
financed through ENPI (European
Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument)
• Co-operation on borders with (potential)
candidate countries financed through IPA
(Instrument for Pre-Accession)
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IPA borders
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European Grouping of Territorial
Co-operation (EGTC)
• Creation of a new legal instrument at EU level
with legal personality (binding Regulation, not
a Directive)
• Member States free to delegate management
of an ETC programme to an EGTC
• Regional/local partners free to run ETC
projects as an EGTC
• Other existing instruments remain possible
17
How to set up an EGTC?
• Who can be a member?  Art. 3
a) Member States (especially those without regions)
b) regional authorities
c) local authorities
d) bodies governed by public law 
Art. 1(9), 2nd sub§ of Dir 2004/18/EC
+ associations consisting of such bodies
• at least two Member States (third countries?)
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EGTC actions (1)
–
–
–
–
–
What can EGTC do?
Carry out TASKS given by its members  Art.7(1)
Act within confines of tasks given  Art. 7(2)
limited to co-operation in cohesion field  Art. 7(3)
ONE member may be empowered to execute the EGTC's tasks
 Art. 7(5)
• What can EGTC NOT do?
– Exercise of powers conferred by public law to safeguard general
interest of State  Art. 7(4):
Police, Regulatory powers, Justice, Foreign policy
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EGTC actions (2)
• What can EGTC do?
1. Primarily implement cooperation programmes
(EGTC signs grant letters as managing authority)
(EGTC could be intermediate body for interregional priority axis)
2. co-operation projects (ERDF, ESF, CF)
(EGTC is the lead or another beneficiary)
3. "Other" cooperation actions with EU funding
4. "Other" cooperation actions without EU funding
• Ad 4.: Actions outside EU funding can be restricted by Member
States to Art.6 ERDF-like actions  Art. 7(3)
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Useful websites
http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/index_en.htm
http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/interreg3/
abc/abc_en.htm
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