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INTERREG III

The Community Initiative INTERREG III 2000-2006

2000-2006: The INTERREG family is growing. INTERREG III is characterised by the enlargement of the European Union and the consequent increase in the number of cross-border INTERREG IIIA programmes, reaching a total of 62(1) CBC programmes from 2004 onwards (until 2004 programmes between Member States and accession countries were co-financed by INTERREG on the EU side and Phare-CBC on the other side).

2004 also marks the launch of the Neighbourhood Instrument, seeking to streamline approaches between the different external aid instruments MEDA, CARDS and TACIS, and preparing the ground for 2007-2013(2).

INTERREG III now integrates a new dimension, with the Interregional Strand INTERREG IIIC, which builds upon previous initiatives(3) as well as the programmes ESPON (European Spatial Planning Observatory Network)(4) and INTERACT (INTERREG Animation, Cooperation and Transfer)(5).

All in all, the Community funding of approx. EUR 5.1 billion (1999 prices) benefits more than 18,000 initiatives in 62 border regions, 13 transnational areas and 4 interregional areas throughout the European territory.
This period is characterized by almost daily intensification of cooperation in the EU family. More and more policy and administrative areas are decided commonly and EU is rapidly expanding, territory and population wise. With an aim to foster European competitiveness on the global scale but also to ensure that the overriding principles of equality and solidarity are observed in development processes, the Lisbon Agenda is adopted in 2000 with an aim to make Europe "the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world”. In 2001 it is complemented with Gothenburg Summit conclusions to include the third dimension of sustainable development – environment.

More information on INTERREG III programmes and maps is available on the INTERACT archive website.

(1) In practice 64 CBC programmes were implemented: The CBC programmes Estonia-Latvia-Russia and Latvia-Lithuania-Belarus were integrated as INTERREG IIIA Priorities in the INTERREG IIIB Baltic Sea Region Programme.
(2) For the programming period 2007-2013, two instruments ENPI-CBC and IPA-CBC, are dedicated to support of cooperation between European Member States border regions and their neighbours in accession countries (IPA-CBC) and in other partner countries of the EU (ENPI-CBC).
(3) Community support to interregional cooperation started on an experimental basis in the period 1989-1993 with network pilot projects under article 10 of the ERDF Regulation for innovative pilot actions. Cooperation networks between towns and regions were set up during this period, setting the ground for the future INTERREG interregional cooperation strand and the urban initiatives: Pacte, Recite, Ecos and Ouverture. Interregional cooperation works at pan-European level, covering the EU 27, Switzerland and Norway. The INTERREG IVC programme aims at providing a framework for the exchange of experiences between regional and local institutions from the different countries on common challenges in areas such as globalization, demographic change, energy supply and climate change. More here.
(4) ESPON was launched in 2002, and its main task is to study dynamics within the European territory. Focus is on territorial structures, trends, perspectives and EU policy impacts within the European Union. It provides comparable information about regions and cities of Europe in order to support policy development, growth and job creation. More here.
(5) INTERACT, launched in 2003-2004, provides assistance to stakeholders implementing programmes under the European Territorial Cooperation Objective, also acting as an exchange and network platform.

Photo: INTERREG IIIA 2004-2006