Commission action to encourage territorial cooperation projects between cross-border regions

Subject: Commission action to encourage territorial cooperation projects between cross-border regions

Interreg is a territorial cooperation programme that was established not only to help border areas to achieve their economic potential but also to promote solidarity among citizens from different countries. For the 2014 to 2020 period, Interreg was allocated a total of EUR 10.1 billion. More than EUR 6 billion was used to finance some 24 000 projects covering 59% of the EU area and 48% of the EU population. The European Court of Auditors’ Special Report 14/2021 on Interreg cooperation shows that the economic growth potential of border areas has not yet been fully exploited. In particular, the Court stressed the need to better target cooperation programmes and to establish a system for ranking projects to finance on the basis of their merits.

In the light of the above:

1. With a view to supporting the economic growth of cross-border regions, ill the Commission adopt additional financial instruments to promote cross-border projects?

2. Will it take specific measures to provide more flexibility and further simplify the implementation of projects in border areas?

Answer given by Ms Ferreira on behalf of the European Commission

(18 October 2021)

Border regions are the living labs of European integration. Hence, the Commission promotes cooperation between countries, regions and stakeholders, notably in border regions. The aim is to improve daily lives of citizens through concrete projects and improved governance (1). Cross-border policy goes beyond funding.

The recent report from the European Court of Auditors on Interreg (2) recommends that the Commission and Member States ensure a better focus of the cooperation programmes, prioritise support to projects based on merit using scores and use indicators to capture the effect of cross border projects. The Commission has already undertaken a number of actions in order to address these issues.

1. The Commission will continue to co-finance Interreg programmes in border regions. For the period 2021-27, EUR 6.5 billion (3) have been allocated. Whilst there will be no additional EU financial instrument as such, the financial means made available by the EU for cooperation are still expected to increase. Indeed, the national, regional and sectoral programmes under the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) are also expected to dedicate parts of their budget to cooperation projects, especially in border areas.

2. The 2021-2027 Regulations (4) offer many important simplifications (5). However, many of the rules and procedures that project partners have to follow are established by the programme partners. The Commission encourages them to simplify and ensure flexibilities as much as possible.

The Commission encouraged Member States, in the context of the Recovery and Resilience Facility, to include measures in their national plans to facilitate and enhance Member States cross-border projects or multi-country projects (6).

⋅1∙ e.g. to reduce the legal and administrative obstacles

⋅2∙ No 14/2021 — https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/AUTO/?uri=uriserv:OJ.C_.2021.262.01.0013.01.ENG&toc=OJ:C:2021:262:TOC

⋅3∙ In current prices.

⋅4∙ Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 (Common provisions regulation); Regulation (EU) 2021/1058 of the

European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 (European Regional Development Fund and on the Cohesion Fund); Regulation (EU) 2021/1059 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 (European territorial cooperation). ⋅5∙ Institutional set-up, reporting, budget management, financial flows, use of simplified costs options, technical assistance, audit, etc. ⋅6∙ For instance aiming to foster planned Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEIs) in the fields of hydrogen, microelectronics or cloud technologies, or

to increase connectivity through the development of 5G corridors or sub-marine cables; a number of Member States already included those measures.