Interreg – Supporting cooperation across borders (2021–2027)

SUMMARY OF:

Regulation (EU) 2021/1059 on specific provisions for the European territorial cooperation goal (Interreg) supported by the European Regional Development Fund and external financing instruments

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE REGULATION?

It sets out the rules relating to Interreg, an instrument which promotes European territorial cooperation by means of joint programmes, projects and networks between national, regional and local actors from different European Union (EU) Member States and between EU actors and adjacent non-EU countries, partner countries, overseas countries and territories (OCTs), other territories and regional integration and cooperation organisations. Interreg encourages the harmonious economic, social and territorial development of the EU as a whole and its neighbourhood – a core objective of the EU’s cohesion policy.
It lays down the necessary rules to ensure effective programming including on technical assistance, monitoring, evaluation, communication, eligibility, management and control. It also sets out the rules for the financial management of Interreg programmes, which are supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) set up by Regulation (EU) 2021/1058 (see summary), along with the specific objectives and the integration of the external financing instruments of the EU:
- the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA III);
- the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI);
- the funding for all OCTs for the period 2021–2027.

KEY POINTS

Structure

Territorial cooperation under Interreg is built around four strands.

Interreg A – cross-border cooperation between adjacent regions (which should in principle be located along land or sea borders separated by up to 150 km of sea) to tackle common challenges identified jointly in the border regions and to exploit the untapped growth potential in these areas.
Interreg B – transnational cooperation over larger transnational territories or around sea basins with a view to achieving a higher degree of territorial integration.
Interreg C – interregional cooperation through four specific programmes to boost the effectiveness of cohesion policy by promoting:
- the exchange of experiences, innovative approaches and capacity building with a view to identifying and disseminating good practices and implementing them in regional development policies, including the ‘investment for jobs and growth goal’ programmes (the Interreg Europe programme);
- the exchange of experiences, innovative approaches and capacity building with a view to identifying, transferring and capitalising on good practices on integrated and sustainable urban development (the Urbact programme);
- the exchange of experiences, innovative approaches and capacity building with a view to improving and simplifying the implementation of Interreg programmes and cooperation actions, along with the setting up and operation of European groupings of territorial cooperation* (the Interact programme);
- the analysis of development trends in relation to territorial cohesion goals (the European Spatial Planning Observation Network (ESPON) programme).
Interreg D – cooperation between outermost regions to facilitate the development and integration of outermost regions and OCTs (for example, Caribbean regions) in their neighbouring environment.

Resources and co-financing rates

Interreg is supported by the ERDF and, where one or more Member States and their regions along with one or more Member States and non-EU countries and their regions cooperate across borders, by the EU’s external financing instruments (i.e. IPA III and NDICI).
Over the period covered by the current multiannual financial framework (2021–2027), Interreg will receive an allocation of €8.05 billion (2018 prices) from ERDF resources.
The ERDF resources for Interreg programmes will be allocated as follows:
- 72.2% (a total of €5,812,790,000 for land and maritime cross-border cooperation (Interreg A));
- 18.2% (a total of €1,466,000,000 for transnational cooperation (Interreg B));
- 6.1% (a total of €490,000,000 for interregional cooperation (Interreg C)); and
- 3.5% (a total of €281,210,000 for cooperation between outermost regions (Interreg D)).
The co-financing rate at the level of each Interreg programme must not exceed 80%.

Interreg-specific objectives and thematic concentration

Under Interreg programmes, the ERDF and, where appropriate, the EU’s external financing instruments may also support the specific Interreg objectives of better cooperation governance and a safer and more secure Europe.

At least 60% of resources allocated to Interreg A, B and D programmes should go to a maximum of three of the policy objectives set out in Article 5 of the common provisions regulation (CPR), Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 (see summary), one of which must be a greener, low-carbon Europe. Interreg A programmes along internal land borders must allocate at least 60% of resources for policy objectives 2 and 4, and a maximum of two other policy objectives set out in the CPR.

Implementing and delegated acts

The European Commission is able to adopt implementing acts setting out:
- the list of Interreg programme areas to receive support (Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/74);
- a list indicating per programme the global amount of support (Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/75) from the ERDF and the external financing instruments of the EU;
- the multi-annual strategy documents with regard to external cross-border and transnational cooperation programmes supported by the ERDF and NDICI, by the ERDF and IPA III, or by the ERDF, NDICI and IPA III.
The Commission is also able to adopt delegated acts in order to amend the annex to the regulation which contains a template for Interreg programmes.

Programme authorities and management

Interreg is implemented through programmes under shared management*, except for Interreg D programmes, which may be iwholly or partially implemented under indirect management* in agreement with the Member State(s) concerned after consulting stakeholders.
The regulation requires Member States and, where applicable, non-EU countries, partner countries* and OCTs participating in an Interreg programme to identify, for the purposes of the CPR, a single managing authority and a single audit authority. It sets out detailed rules regarding these authorities, their functions and responsibilities.
Each managing authority must send cumulative data for the respective Interreg programme to the Commission every quarter, in accordance with the template set out in Annex VII to the CPR.

Monitoring committee

The Member States and, where applicable, the non-EU countries, partner countries and OCTs participating in that programme must set up, in agreement with the managing authority, a monitoring committee to oversee the implementation of the respective Interreg programme within 3 months of the date of notification to the Member States of an Interreg programme’s approval. The committee must meet at least once a year and review all issues that affect the programme’s progress towards achieving its objectives.

Evaluations

The Member State or the managing authority must carry out evaluations of the programmes related to one or more of the following criteria: effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, coherence and EU added value, with the aim of improving the quality of the programme design and implementation. Evaluations may also cover other relevant criteria, such as inclusiveness, non-discrimination and visibility.

An additional evaluation must be undertaken for each programme to assess its impact before 30 June 2029.

FROM WHEN DOES THE REGULATION APPLY?

It has applied since 1 July 2021.

BACKGROUND

Regulation (EU) 2021/1059 is part of the EU’s legislative package on cohesion policy for the period 2021–2027. The main focus of this policy is to promote economic, social and territorial cohesion through sustainable competitiveness, research and innovation, the digital transition, the European Green Deal and the European Pillar of Social Rights.

For more information, see:

Questions and answers on the EU Cohesion policy legislative package 2021–2027 (European Commission)
Council adopts €330 billion cohesion package for 2021–2027 (Council of the European Union).

KEY TERMS

European groupings of territorial cooperation (EGTCs). These aim to facilitate and promote cross-border, transnational and interregional cooperation in the EU. Their tasks include the implementation of programmes that are being co-financed by the EU or any other European cross-border cooperation project. As legal entities, EGTCs bring together authorities from various Member States. Their members may include Member States themselves, regional or local authorities, associations or any other public body. EGTCs must include members from at least two Member States.

Shared management. Where funding is jointly managed by the European Commission and national authorities.

Indirect management. Where funding is managed by partner organisations or other authorities inside or outside the EU.

Partner countries. An IPA III beneficiary or a country or territory covered, for Interreg A and B programmes, by the neighbourhood area listed in Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2021/947 or the Russian Federation, or for Interreg C and D programmes, a country or territory covered by any geographic area under NDICI, and which receives support from the EU’s external financing instruments.

MAIN DOCUMENT

Regulation (EU) 2021/1059 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 on specific provisions for the European territorial cooperation goal (Interreg) supported by the European Regional Development Fund and external financing instruments (OJ L 231, 30.6.2021, pp. 94–158).