Interreg A - Cross-border cooperation

European Cross-Border cooperation, known as Interreg A, supports cooperation between NUTS III regions from at least two different Member States lying directly on the borders or adjacent to them. It aims to tackle common challenges identified jointly in the border regions and to exploit the untapped growth potential in border areas, while enhancing the cooperation process for the purposes of the overall harmonious development of the Union.

European Cross-border Cooperation

Why European Cross-border cooperation?

Keynote Speech by Director General Walter Deffaa (Interreg Annual Meeting 2014)

37.5% of the EU population lives in border areas, along some 38 internal borders made up of geographic, linguistic barriers often bearing the scars of European wars. First developed as a Community initiative in 1990, Interreg was reorganised as a formal "objective" of European Cohesion Policy in 2000.

European Cross-border cooperation aims to tackle common challenges identified jointly in the border regions and to exploit the untapped growth potential in border areas, while enhancing the cooperation process for the purpose of the overall harmonious development of the Union.

How does it work?

There are 60 cooperation programmes for the period 2007-2013 with an allocation of EUR 6 billion (60% of which have been spent already), are involved in a wide variety of activities linked to the maturity of border cooperation.

Cross-border cooperation programmes support NUTS III regions laying directly on the borders, or adjacent to them. They are managed by joint structures, situated in one of the countries, responsible for the whole programme.

What do CBC programmes finance?

In some border areas, cooperation still had to heal the scars of history and turn recent ‘enemies’ into ‘neighbours’ to foster sustainable trust along many borders, as a stepping stone towards more mature stages of cooperation ranging from tackling common handicaps – especially risk prevention and emergency response activities- to more integrated cooperation approaches aiming at exploiting together untapped potential to boost economic development in often peripheral regions.

In particular, the more integrated stages of Cross-border cooperation contribute to a harmonious territorial development by retaining brains in the border areas that would otherwise migrate to the economic and service-wise more attractive national centers. This is achieved by enhancing the quality of life in the often peripheral border regions, notably via investments in:

Title: Cross border Cooperation Investments - Description: Source: Regio B2 Infoview (AIR 2012)

innovation,
health care
education
employment
labour mobility

The new 2014-2020 period will require each of the 60 programmes to be more focused in terms of results and priorities, in line with the new reformed EU Cohesion Policy. This should ensure maximum impact and even more effective use of the investments.

2007-2013

2014-2020

EUR 6 billion
60 programmes
over 6.000 projects

EUR 6.6 billion
60 programmes

Cooperation programmes 2014-2020

Eurobarometer results

For the first time in 2015 a specific Eurobarometer survey on border regions has been run. The goal was to measure attitudes of population in the EU border regions about EU funding, neighbouring population and all many other information useful to design more targeted EU interventions in the future. More than 40 thousands people were interviewed and the complete results can be found here.

For an overview of the general results you can read this quick synthesis

The Eurobarometer survey on border regions will be repeated in 2020, providing a good tool to understand if perceptions will be improved by that time. The cross border cooperation unit in DG REGIO produced some tailored factsheet that programmes can use to design specific communication measures in the implementation phase. You can find them here…

Countries	Factsheet	General Overview per programme
2 Seas
OKS
POCTEFA
Austria - Czech Republic
Austria - Germany (Bavaria)
Austria - Hungary
Belgium - France
Belgium - Germany - The Netherlands
Belgium - The Netherlands
Botnia Atlantica
Central Baltic
Czech Republic - Poland
Estonia - Latvia
France - Italy (Alcotra)
France - Switzerland
Germany - Austria - Switzerland - Liechstenstein
Germany (Bavaria) - Czech Republic
Germany (Brandenburg) - Poland
Germany (Mecklenburg) - Poland
Germany (Saxony) - Czech Republic
Germany - Denmark
Germany - The Netherlands
Grande Région
Greece - Bulgaria
Greece - Cyprus
Greece - Italy
Hungary - Croatia
Hungary - Romania
Ireland - UK Peace
Italy - Austria
Italy - Croatia
Italy - France (Maritime)
Italy - Malta
Italy - Slovenia
Italy - Switzerland
Latvia - Lithuania
Lithuania - Poland
Manche Channel
Poland - Germany
Poland - Slovakia
Rhin Superiéur
Romania - Bulgaria
Slovakia - Austria
Slovakia - Czech Republic
Slovakia - Hungary
Slovenia - Austria
Slovenia - Croatia
Slovenia - Hungary
South Baltic
Spain - Portugal
Sweden - Finland - Norway
Sweden - Norway
UK (Northern Ireland / Scotland) -Ireland
UK (Wales) - Ireland

Cooperation programmes 2007-2013 (interactive map)

Cross-border Cooperation 2007-2013

Cross-Border Review

Cross-Border Review For the last 25 years, the European Union has been investing in cross-border cooperation through Interreg, a financing instrument for regional development across borders. Although much progress has been made, difficulties remain in many areas, such as:

finding jobs
accessing healthcare
pension rights & taxation
having qualifications recognised
overcoming cultural & language differences
accessing public facilities

Although Interreg has been an important part in alleviating border obstacles and enhancing a spirit of cooperation, Interreg funding is not the only answer. Many of these obstacles call for changes in laws and/or administrative procedures.

The European Commission's Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO) therefore wants to examine what obstacles remain and how they affect people, organisations, businesses and public authorities in border regions. This analysis could in the future be used to assess whether the Commission can take further action, either on its own initiative or together with national and regional authorities.

To know more about the Cross Border Review and its various steps, please consult the dedicated webpage

Projects

More than 6000 Cross-border projects were supported in Europe's regions between 2007-2013 - in EU Members and non-Member States alike. Most of these have been centred around the EU's 38 internal borders and the citizens who live there. Relatively small in budget, the projects have many concrete outcomes: removing barriers to better security, transport, education, energy, health care, training and job creation.

Events

Flash News

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