Sharing INTERREG experiences
Sharing INTERREG experiences
This FAQ is being developed by INTERACT Point Tool Box and will be updated regularly.
The ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) is intended to help reduce imbalances between regions of the Community. The Fund was set up in 1975 and grants financial assistance for development projects in the poorer regions. In terms of financial resources, the ERDF is by far the largest of the EU's Structural Funds.
The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) finances infrastructure, job creation, investment, local development projects and aid for small firms. In practice, all development areas are covered: transport, communication technologies, energy, the environment, research and innovation, social infrastructure, training, urban redevelopment and the conversion of industrial sites, rural development, the fishing industry, tourism and culture.
Source: Working for the Regions: European Commission Brochure
The Report on Economic and Social Cohesion is an annual report which purpose is to set out the European Commission's vision for the future of Europe's policy to reduce disparities and to promote greater economic, social and territorial cohesion.
Its preparation involves extensive consultations at European, national, regional and local level in an effort to ensure that the European Commission's new perspective responds to needs and to the legitimate expectations of Europe's citizens.
The report provides responses to such important questions as, for example: has cohesion policy succeeded in reducing the economic social and territorial inequalities in standards of living and levels of opportunity?
Source: Third report on Economic and Social Cohesion, foreword.
Community Initiatives are aid or action programmes set up to complement Structural Fund operations in specific problem areas. Community Initiatives are drawn up by the Commission and coordinated and implemented under national control. They absorb 5.35% of the budget of the Structural Funds. Each Initiative is financed by one Fund only.
There are four Community Initiatives:
Source: DG Regional Policy Inforegio:
INTERREG III is a Community initiative which aims to stimulate interregional cooperation in the EU between 2000-2006. It is financed under the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
The third phase of the INTERREG Initiative is designed to strengthen economic and social cohesion throughout the EU, by fostering the balanced development of the continent through cross-border, transnational and interregional cooperation. Special emphasis has been placed on integrating remote regions and those which share external borders with the candidate countries. INTERREG III is made up of three strands and has a total budget of 4,875 billion euro (1999 prices).
Source: DG Regional Policy Inforegio:
The Community Initiative has a seven year duration period (2000-2006), as does the European Unions's Regional Policy in general.
Source: DG Regional Policy Inforegio
For the period 2000-2006, INTERREG III has a budget of EUR 4 875 million (1999 prices). The INTERREG III Community Initiative receives co-financing from the Commission and the Member States. The ERDF contribution will not exceed 75% of the INTERREG programmes cost in Objective 1 regions and 50% elsewhere.
The Commission adopted indicative financial allocations for each Member State. Member States had to ensure that, on an indicative basis, at least 50% of their total allocation for INTERREG III was allocated to cross-border cooperation under Strand A. The Commission and the Member States also ensure that all borders are treated in an equitable manner. At least 14% of the indicative allocation for each Member State has been allocated to Strand B and 6% to Strand C.
The Commission has proposed a financial allocation per Member State. It is primarily based on population rates in the internal border areas of the EU, ultra-peripheral regions or border areas with Central and Eastern European countries. Between 50% and 80% of the national envelopes must be allocated to cross-border cooperation and 6% to interregional cooperation.
Source: DG Regional Policy Inforegio
To achieve the goals of the Community Initiative, the development of cooperation under INTERREG III will be governed by the following principles:
Source: Communication from the Commission to the Member States of 28 April 2000
The eligible areas depend upon the Strand. For Strand A and B the European Commission has published the exhaustive lists in its Communication on INTERREG of 28 April 2000 which are detailed below. Nevertheless, all the areas of Europe are eligible for Strand C.
BELGIUM: Antwerpen(Arr), Arlon, Ath, Bastogne, Brugge, Dinant, Eeklo, Gent(Arr), Ieper, Kortrijk, Liège(Arr), Maaseik, Mons, Mouscron, Neufchâteau, Philippeville, Sint-Niklaas, Thuin, Tongeren, Tournai, Turnhout, Verviers, Veurne, Virton.
DENMARK: Bornholms, Amtskommune, Frederiksborg, Amtskommune, Fyns, Amtskommune, Kobenhavn og, Frederiksberg Kommuner, Kobenhavns Amtskommune,Roskilde Amtskommune, Sonderjyllands Amtskommune, Storstroms Amtskommune.
GERMANY:Aachen Kreisfreie Stadt, Aachen Landkreis, Altötting, Annaberg, Aue-Schwarzenberg, Aurich, Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen, Baden-Baden Stadtkreis, Barnim, Bautzen, Berchtesgadener Land, Bitburg-Prüm, Bodenseekreis, Borken, Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald, Cham, Cottbus Kreisfreie Stadt, Daun, Düren, Emden Kreisfreie Stadt, Emmendingen, Emsland, Euskirchen, Flensburg Kreisfreie Stadt, Frankfurt (Oder), Kreisfreie Stadt, Freiberg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Stadtkreis, Freyung-Grafenau, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germersheim, Görlitz Kreisfreie Stadt, Grafschaft Bentheim, Greifswald Kreisfreie Stadt, Heinsberg Hof Kreisfreie Stadt, Hof Landkreis, Karlsruhe Landkreis, Karlsruhe Stadtkreis, Kaufbeuren Kreisfreie Stadt, Kempten (Allgäu), Kreisfreie Stadt, Kiel Kreisfreie Stadt, Kleve, Konstanz, Landau in der Pflaz, Leer, Lindau-Bodensee, Löbau-Zittau, Lörrach, Lübeck Kreisfreie Stadt, Märkisch-Oderland, Merzig-Wadern, Miesbach, Mittlerer Erzgebirgskreis, Mönchengladbach, Kreisfreie Stadt, Neustadt an der Waldnaab, Niederschlesischer, Oberlausitzkreis, Nordfriesland, Oberallgäu, Oder-Spree, Ortenaukreis, Ostallgäu, Ostholstein, Ostvorpommern, Passau Kreisfreie Stadt, Passau Landkreis, Pirmasens Kreisfreie Stadt, Plauen Kreisfreie Stadt, Plön, Rastatt, Regen, Rendsburg-Eckernförde, Rosenheim Kreisfreie Stadt, Rosenheim Landkreis Rottal-Inn, Saarbrücken, Stadtverband, Saarlouis, Saar-Pfalz-Kreis, Sächsische Schweiz, Schleswig-Flensburg, Schwandorf, Schwarzwald-Baar-Kreis, Spree-Neiße, Steinfurt, Südliche Weinstraße Südwestpfalz, Tirschenreuth, Traunstein, Trier Kreisfreie Stadt, Trier-Saarburg, Uckermark, Ücker-Randow, Viersen, Vogtlandkreis, Waldshut, Weiden in der Opf, Kreisfreie Stadt, Weißeritzkreis, Wesel, Wunsiedel im Fichtelgebirge, Zweibrücken, Kreisfreie Stadt.
GREECE: Achaia, Aitoloakarnania, Chania, Chios, Dodekanisos, Drama, Evros, Florina, Ioannina, Irakleio, Kastoria, Kavala, Kefallinia, Kerkyra, Kilkis, Lasithi, Lefkada, Lesvos, Pella, Preveza, Rethymni, Rodopi, Samos, Serres, Thesprotia, Thessaloniki, Xanthi, Zakinthos.
SPAIN: Badajoz, Cáceres, Cádiz, Ceuta, Girona, Guipúzcoa, Huelva, Huesca, Lleida, Málaga, Melilla, Navarra, Ourense, Pontevedra, Salamanca, Zamora.
FRANCE: Ain, Aisne, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, Alpes-Maritimes, Ardennes, Ariège, Bas-Rhin, Corse du Sud, Doubs, Haut-Rhin, Haute Corse, Haute-Garonne, Haute-Pyrénées, Haute-Savoie, Hautes-Alpes, Jura, Meurthe-et-Moselle, Meuse, Moselle, Nord Pas-de-Calais, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Pyrénées-Orientales, Savoie, Seine Maritime, Somme, Territoire de Belfort.
IRELAND: Border, Dublin, Mid-East, South-East.
ITALY: Bari, Belluno, Biella, Bolzano-Bozen, Brindisi, Como, Cuneo, Gorizia, Imperia, Lecce, Lecco, Livorno, Novara, Sassari, Sondrio, Torino, Trieste, Udine, Valle d’Aosta, Varese, Venezia, Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, Vercelli.
LUXEMBOURG (G.D.) Luxembourg (Grand-Duché)
NETHERLANDS: Achterhoek, Arnhem-Nijmegen, Delfzijl en omgeving, Midden-Limburg, Midden-Noord-Brabant, Noord-Limburg, Noord-Overijssel, Oost-Groningen, Overig, Groningen, Overig Zeeland, Twente, West-Noord-Brabant, Zeeuwsch-Vlaanderen, Zuid-Limburg, Zuidoost-Drenthe, Zuidoost-Noord-Brabant.
AUSTRIA: Außerfern, Bludenz-Bregenzer Wald, Innsbruck, Innviertel, Klagenfurt-Villach, Mittelburgenland, Mühlviertel, Nordburgenland, Oberkärnten, Oststeiermark, Osttirol, Pinzgau-Pongau, Rheintal-Bodenseegebiet, Salzburg und Umgebung, Südburgenland, Tiroler Oberland, Tiroler Unterland, Unterkärnten, Waldviertel, Weinviertel, West- und Südsteiermark, Wien, Wiener Umland/Nordteil, Wiener Umland/Südteil.
PORTUGAL: Alentejo Central, Algarve, Alto Alentejo, Alto Tras-Os-Montes, Baixo Alentejo, Beira, Interior Norte, Beira Interior Sul, Cavado, Douro, Minho-Lima.
FINLAND: Ahvenanmaa/Åland, Etelä-Karjala, Etelä-Savo, Itä Uusimaa, Kainuu, Keski-Pohjanmaa, Kymenlaakso, Lappi, Pohjanmaa, Pohjois-Karjala, Pohjois-Pohjanmaa, Uusimaa, Varsinais-Suomi.
SWEDEN: Dalarnas Laen, Jaemtlands Laen, Norrbottens Laen, Skaane Laen, Stockholms Laen, Vaermlands Laen, Vaesterbottens Laen, Vaestra Goetalands Laen.
UNITED KINGDOM: Brighton & Hove, Conwy & Denbighshire, - (only that part eligible under INTERREG IIA), East of Northern Ireland, East Sussex CC, Gibraltar, Gwynedd, Isle of Anglesey, Kent CC, Medway Towns, North of Northern Ireland, South West Wales, West and South of Northern Ireland.
ITALY: Piemonte, Lombardia, Liguria, Toscana, Umbria, Lazio, Campania, Sardegna, Basilicata, Calabria, Sicilia, Valle d’Aosta, Emilia-Romagna.
SPAIN: Andalucia, Murcia, C. Valenciana, Cataluña, Baleares, Aragon, Ceuta, Melilla
FRANCE: Languedoc-Roussillon, PACA, Rhône-Alpes, Corse
PORTUGAL: Algarve
UNITED KINGDOM: Gibraltar
GREECE:Whole Country
AUSTRIA: Whole Country
GERMANY: Oberbayern and Schwaben (in Bayern), Tübingen and Freiburg im Breisgau (in Baden-Württemberg)
FRANCE: Rhône-Alpes, PACA, Franche-Comté, Alsace
ITALY: Lombardia, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Veneto, Trentino-Alto Adige, Valle d’Aosta, Piemonte, Liguria
IRELAND: Whole country
UNITED KINGDOM: Cumbria, Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Merseyside, Worcestershire and Warwickshire, Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire, Dorset and Somerset, Cornwall and Devon, Staffordshire, Herefordshire, Shropshire, West Midlands, Clwyd, Dyfed, Gwynedd and Powys, Gwent, Mid-Glamorgan, South Glamorgan and West Glamorgan, Northern Ireland, Highlands and Islands, South Western Scotland
FRANCE: Aquitaine, Poitou-Charentes, Pays-de-la Loire, Bretagne, Basse-Normandie, Haute-Normandie, Limousin, Centre, Midi-Pyrénées
SPAIN: Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria, Navarra, Pais Vasco, La Rioja, Castilla-Léon, Huelva
PORTUGAL: Whole country
PORTUGAL: Whole country
SPAIN: Whole country
FRANCE: Midi-Pyrénées, Limousin, Auvergne, Aquitaine, Languedoc-Roussillon, Poitou-Charentes
UNITED KINGDOM: Gibraltar
FRANCE: Nord-Pas de Calais, Picardie, Haute-Normandie, Île de France, Basse-Normandie, Centre, Champagne-Ardennes, Lorraine, Bourgogne, Alsace, Franche-Comté, Bretagne, Pays de la Loire
BELGIUM: Whole country
THE NETHERLANDS: Overijssel, Gelderland, Flevoland, Utrecht, Noord-Holland, Zuid-Holland, Zeeland, Noord-Brabant, Limburg
LUXEMBOURG: Whole country
GERMANY: Nordrhein-Westfalen, Hessen, Rheinland-Pfalz, Saarland, Baden-Württemberg, Schwaben, Unter-, Mittel- and Oberfranken (in Bavaria)
UNITED KINGDOM: Whole country
IRELAND: Whole country
UNITED KINGDOM: North-Eastern Scotland, Eastern Scotland, Highlands & Islands (except Comhairle Nan Eilean and Lochaber, Skye & Lochalsh and Argyll), Tees Valley & Durham, Northumberland and Tyne & Wear, Humberside, North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Derbyshire & Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, & Northamptonshire, East Anglia, Essex
THE NETHERLANDS: Friesland, Groningen, Drenthe, Overijssel, Flevoland, Noord-Holland, Zuid-Holland, Zeeland
BELGIUM: Antwerpen, Oost-Vlaanderen, West-Vlaanderen
GERMANY: Niedersachsen, Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg, Bremen
DENMARK: Whole area
SWEDEN: Vastra Götalands, Hallands, Värmlands
DENMARK: Whole country
SWEDEN: Whole country
FINLAND: Whole country
GERMANY: Schleswig-Holstein, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Regierungsbezirk, Lüneburg (in Niedersachsen)
AUSTRIA: Whole country
GERMANY: Baden-Württemberg, Bayern, Sachsen, Sachsen-Anhalt, Berlin, Brandenburg, Thüringen, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
ITALY: Puglia, Molise, Abruzzo, Marche, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, Lombardia, Trentino-Alto, Adige, Umbria
GREECE: Whole country
FINLAND: All Obj. 1 regions and adjacent areas in Pohjois-Pohjanmaa and Keski-Pohjanmaa
SWEDEN: All Obj. 1 regions and adjacent coastal areas
UNITED KINGDOM: Scotland, with particular emphasis on the Highlands and Islands
GREECE: Whole country
ITALY: Sicilia, Calabria, Basilicata, Puglia, Campania
FRANCE: Guyane, Guadeloupe, Martinique
PORTUGAL: Açores, Madeira
SPAIN: Canarias
FRANCE: Reunion
All European areas are eligible. It is possible to establish geographically non-contiguous cooperation between different partners throughout Europe. Cooperation is possible with third countries.
Communication from the Commission to the Member States of 8 April 2000
The territoriality character is highly relevant for the whole Community Initiative and depends upon the Strand concerned.
For Strand A, 54 programmes and its projects have to be focused on developing cross-border economic and social cooperation through joint strategies and development programmes. The cross-border aspect is essential.
For Strand B, the 13 programmes and its projects tend to promote a higher degree of integration across large groupings of European regions, with a view to achieving sustainable, harmonious and balanced development in the EU and higher territorial integration, including with candidate and other neighbouring countries. The transnational aspect is essential.
For Strand C, the four zone programmes and the corresponding projects are designated to improving regional development and cohesion.
A "cross-border" project would include in principle partners on both sides of the border or, otherwise, would be required to demonstrate the interest and impact for the overall cross-border region.
A project would usually be of "transnational" nature if the three following conditions are met:
Finally, operations funded under INTERREG IIIC should multiply the effects of other regional development policies, such as programmes supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), through large-scale exchange of information and know-how, and sharing of experience.
Source: DG Regional Policy - Inforegio: FAQs
There were 70 INTERREG III programmes operating in 2003:
INTERREG IIIA The III A cross-border integration programmes are a diverse group in many ways. In terms of which programmes exist, a combination of geography and institutional configurations broadly dictates the Strand A programmes. Four straightforward sub-groupings can be identified, however, based on the geopolitical context of Internal EU 15 border programmes.
Links to the INTERREG IIIA websites
INTERREG IIIB There are 13 INTERREG IIIB Programmes. Eligible areas can be collated into 13 regional groupings to form separate INTERREG IIIB programmes. The average number of countries participating is seven. The smallest programmes in terms of their EU participants are Reunion and the Caribbean (although they involve vast areas of overseas regions and the potential participation of unspecified numbers of third countries). Azores-Madeira-Canarian Islands, which involves two EU countries, and South West Europe, involving four EU countries, are also relatively narrowly defined. The most extensive programmes are the Baltic Sea (11), ARCHIMED (12) and CADSES (18). In practice, the evaluations showed that not all countries which theoretically could be involved in selected programmes were actively involved.
Links to the INTERREG IIIB websites
INTERREG IIIC The IIIC programmes have been an innovation of the current programming period. While there are four programmes (for North, East, South and West Europe), in reality they constitute a single pan-European initiative whose aim is "to improve the effectiveness of policies and instruments for regional development and cohesion" through structured and large-scale information exchange and sharing of experience (networks).
Link to the INTERREG IIIC website
The Commission adopted on 14 July 2004 a proposal of five new regulations for renewed Structural Funds and instruments. Over the period 2007-2013, these instruments present about one third of the EU budget or a total of EUR 336.1 billion. The majority of this amount will be spent in less-developed Member States and regions. Structural Funds and instruments aim to promote growth-enhancing conditions for the Union's economy and will focus on three new future objectives: convergence, competitiveness and cooperation. The regulations' package comprises of a general regulation laying down a common set of rules for all instruments, and specific regulations for the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the European Social Fund (ESF) and the Cohesion Fund. In addition, a new regulation to establish a European grouping of cross-border cooperation (EGCC) is suggested.
Source: Regional Policy - Inforegio
Its objective is to share the benefits of the EU's 2004 enlargement with neighbouring countries in strengthening stability, security and well-being for all concerned. It is designed to prevent the emergence of new dividing lines between the enlarged EU and its neighbours and to offer them the chance to participate in various EU activities, through greater political, security, economic and cultural cooperation. European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) also will help address one of the strategic objectives the European Union set in the European Security Strategy in December 2003, that of building security in our Neighbourhood.
The ENP is distinct from the issue of potential membership. It offers a privileged relationship with neighbours, which will build on mutual commitment to common values principally within the fields of the rule of law, good governance, the respect for human rights, including minority rights, the promotion of good neighbourly relations, and the principles of market economy and sustainable development. The level of ambition of the EU's relationships with its neighbours will take into account the extent to which these values are effectively shared.
The method proposed is, together with partner countries, to define a set of priorities, whose fulfilment will bring them closer to the European Union. These priorities will be incorporated in jointly agreed Action plans, covering a number of key areas for specific action: political dialogue and reform; trade and measures preparing partners for gradually obtaining a stake in the EU's Internal Market; justice and home affairs; energy, transport, information society, environment and research and innovation; and social policy and people-to-people contacts.
The policy, which was first outlined by the Commission in its Communication on Wider Europe of March 2003, demonstrates the high priority that the Union accords to shaping our future relations with our neighbours. It seeks to make the full use of existing tools and introduces a new instrument, the European Neighbourhood Instrument to foster cross-border and transnational cooperation.
The Commission presented a Strategy Paper and Country Reports on 12 May 2004. The Strategy Paper is an important step in concretely setting out how the Union can work more closely with its neighbours and extend some of the benefits of enlargement. It offers a means for an enhanced and more focused policy approach of the EU towards its Neighbourhood, bringing together the principal instruments at the disposal of the Union and its Member States. Thus it will contribute to further advancing and supporting the EU's foreign policy objectives. Proposals for Action Plans based on the Strategy Paper and Country Reports will follow.
As per the definition given in Art. 9 of Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 of 21 June 1999 Community Initiative Programme or Operational Programme means the document approved by the Commission to implement a Community support framework and comprising a consistent set of priorities comprising multi annual measures and which may be implemented through recourse to one or more Funds, to one or more of the other existing financial instruments and to the European Investment Bank. An integrated operational programme means an operational programme financed by more than one Fund.
Source: Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 of 21 June 1999 laying down general provisions on the Structural Funds
Article 9 (m) of the Council Regulation No 1260/1999 of 21 June 1999 refers to the Programme Complement as the document implementing the assistance strategy and priorities and containing detailed elements at measure level, drawn up by the Member State or Managing Authority and revised as necessary in accordance with Article 34 (3) of the above mentioned regulation. The Programme Complement must be sent to the Commission for information.
Source: Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 of 21 June 1999 laying down general provisions on the Structural Funds
Member States will be responsible for the efficiency and correctness of management and implementation. In partnership with regional and local authorities, they will designate a "Managing Authority", which will be responsible for certain functions such as: gathering financial and statistical information on implementation and ensuring the correctness of operations financed, by implementing internal controls in keeping with the principles of sound financial management [Article 34 of Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 of 21 June 1999]. A Managing Authority could be any public or private authority or body at national, regional or local level designated by the Member States. Programme monitoring shall be carried out by the Monitoring Committee.
Source: DG Regional Policy - Inforegio
The Monitoring Committee is set up by the Member State, in agreement with the Managing Authority after consultation with the partners. The Monitoring Committee acts under the authority and within the legal jurisdiction of the Member State.
Its role is to ensure the effectiveness and quality of the implementation of the Programme:
Source: Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 of 21 June 1999 laying down general provisions on the Structural Funds
According to Article 34 of Council Regulation 1260/1999 of 21 June 1999 the Managing Authority is responsible for the efficiency and correctness of management and implementation, and in particular for:
Source: Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 of 21 June 1999 laying down general provisions on the Structural Funds, Article 34
Article 9 of the Council Regulation 1260/1999 of 21 June 1999 gives us the definition of the Paying Authority: "[it] means one or more national, regional or local authorities or bodies designated by the Member States for the purposes of drawing up and submitting payment applications and receiving payments form the Commission. The Member State shall determine all the modalities of its relationship with the Paying Authority and of the relationship with the Commission".
The Paying Authority ensures that final beneficiaries receive payment of their contributions from the Funds in full and as quickly as possible.
Source: Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 of 21 June 1999 laying down general provisions on the Structural Funds, Article 9
This rule is frequently referred to as the 'automatic decommitment rule'. It is one of the most significant rules for programme managers and project owners. The rule states that money committed by the European Commission must be used within two years of the year of commitment to avoid decommitment. The touchstone is that expenditure for the year in question (N) needs to be certified as having been spent and a claim for payment must have been made by the programme managers to the European Commission within two years (+2).
The rule applies to all Structural Funds Programmes, not just to INTERREG. It is intended to speed up the absorption of funds within programmes. The implication for individual projects is that activities need to begin as quickly as possible after approval and claims for payment must be made based on certified expenditure. The rule applies at programme level. Therefore, programme managers can choose to reallocate expenditure away from inefficient projects that are not absorbing the committed funds to projects that are.
For additional information, please visit the INTERACT General Information page.
Source: European Commission