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Interregional Cooperation and the
Lisbon and Gothenburg Agendas
“GROW”Brussels, 18 October 2007
Territorial Co-operation [email protected]
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RationaleCommunity Strategic Guidelines on Cohesion• The strategic importance of Cohesion
Policy to strengthening synergies with and helping to deliver the objectives of the renewed Lisbon Agenda
• The European Territorial Cooperation Objective has an important role to play in ensuring the balanced and sustainable development of EU territory
• The success of ETC objective depends on shared development strategies and on networking especially to ensure the transfer of ideas to mainstream national and regional cohesion programmes
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Financing
• INTERREG II – 3.5 billion • INTERREG III – 5.8 billion• European Territorial Cooperation
8.7 billion
Steady increase in funding available (although also increase in area covered post 2004…)
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Financing
• Cross-border co-operation 74% *• Transnational co-operation 21%*• Interregional co-operation 5%• Co-financing rate: up to 75% (even
85% for certain programmes)
*) Flexibility at Member State level: +/- 15%
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Financing
2000-2006 programmes
2007-2013 programmes(Current prices)
Cross-border co-operation 4.0 bn € 6.5 bn €(inc 0,9 bn € ENPI/IPA)
Transnational co-operation 1.4 bn € 1.8 bn €
Interregional co-operation (INTERREG IIIC/IVC, URBACT, ESPON, INTERACT)
0.4 bn € 0.4 bn €
Total 5.8 bn € 8.7 bn €
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Content and Topics
• Objective in its own right (before Objective in its own right (before Community Initiative Programme) – Community Initiative Programme) – More visibility More visibility
• Improved legal basis (Specific Improved legal basis (Specific provisions for co-operation, EGTC)provisions for co-operation, EGTC)
• Clear focus on Lisbon and Göteborg Clear focus on Lisbon and Göteborg (more focused programmes (more focused programmes expected – cross cutting themes expected – cross cutting themes linked to innovation and linked to innovation and environment)environment)
• Up to 75% of EU co-financing for all Up to 75% of EU co-financing for all regions regions (in some cases up to 85%)(in some cases up to 85%)
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Content and Topics
• Strand A Cross-border co-operation- for solving local problems- include strategic projects, especially
along maritime borders
• Strand B Transnational co-operation- no longer studies and plans but
concrete, strategic projects important for the whole area
• Strand C Interregional co-operation
- exchange of experiences and best practices to improve regional policy design
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Interregional Cooperation
o Thematic interregional co-operation programme focusing on Lisbon and Gothenburg priorities (based on INTERREG IIIC)
o Framework programme for the exchange of experiences on urban renewal (developed on the basis of URBACT)
o Studies, data collection, observation and analysis of development trends in the Community (developed on the basis of ESPON)
o Identification, transfer and dissemination of best practice in management of co-operation programmes (developed on the basis of INTERACT)
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Interregional Cooperation
• Interregional co-operation under Objective 3 (Territorial Co-operation)
• Interregional co-operation encouraged also within Objective 1 (Convergence) and Objective 2 (Competitiveness) programmes.
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Interregional Co-operation in the INTERREG IV C programme
• 321 MEUR ERDF, one single programme
• One Managing Authority: Conseil Régional Nord – Pas de Calais – Lille (F)
• Four Information Points in Rostock, Katowice (with support from Vienna), Valencia and Lille
• Focus on Lisbon and Gothenburg agenda
• Whole EU territory is eligible
• Rate of assistance up to 75 %/85%
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The aim of INTERREG IVC
• to contribute to the Union’s strategy for growth and jobs and economic modernisation
• to improve the effectiveness of regional development policies
• to facilitate cooperation between regional and local authorities across the EU27, Norway and Switzerland
• To „capitalise“ the results already gained via transfer to the mainstream programmes.
• Implemented via 2 types of operations
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Types of operations I – “Regional Initiative projects”
• Partners from at least three countries, from which at least two partners must be from EU Member States
• Co-operation can vary in intensity, but focus on concrete results
• Priority 1: Innovation and the knowledge economy– Research, technology and development – Information society – Entrepreneurship, SMEs and economic sectoral
development – Employment, human resources and education
• Priority 2: Environment and risk prevention– Energy and sustainable public transport – Biodiversity and preservation of natural heritage– Natural and technological risks– Water & waste management– Cultural heritage
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Types of operations II – ”Capitalisation, including the Fast
Track option networks”• New type of activities
• Expected results: Transfer of good practice identified in regional networks to the Convergence and Competitiveness and Co-operation programmes for implementation
• List of 30 themes applicable here
• Enhanced Communication effort
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Regions For Economic Change Initiative (RfEC)
• Based on Commission communication COM (2006) 675 from November 2006
• Main aim: make a stronger link between the exchange of good practices, developed in the interregional co-operation programmes, and the main body of funding in the mainstream programmes (all 3 objectives)
• In another words: to use the knowledge gained in the most efficient and productive way
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• 30 Themes – being inserted into 2 interregional co-operation programmes: Interreg IVC and Urbact II
• Two way bridge between thematic networks and mainstream programmes
• Enhanced Communication: annual conference, RegioStars Awards
• Fast Track option networks
Regions For Economic Change
4 innovations
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Types of operations - The Fast Track option
• Fast Track networks funded under the INTERREG IV C or the URBACT II programme, depending on the theme
• Networks to be set up for each theme bringing together regions with specific experience and those having special interest
• Involvement of Commission: assists with expertise and participates in implementation
• Expected outcome: Action plans for concrete implementation in Convergence, Competitiveness and Co-operation programmes and wide dissemination of results
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NEXT STEPS
Inter-regional Programmes already adopted
• INTERREG IV-C (adopted 11.09.2007)
• URBACT (adopted 02.10.2007)
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NEXT STEPS
• Setting up the management, monitoring and control structures
• 1st meeting of PMC (selection criteria, organisation of evaluation, information and communication plan…)
• Launching the 1st call for proposals• Assessment of proposals• Signature of contracts with Lead-Partners
(1st N+2 target to be met on 31 December 2009)
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Thank you for your attention
For more information:
Inforegio website:http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/cooperation/
interregional/ecochange/index_en.cfm
INTERREG IV-C website www. interreg4c.net