Interreg Europe: funding line to make Europe greener and more collaborative
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Are you looking for new funding opportunities? Interreg Europe aims at boosting capacity building for better policy, for the community and the environment.
Interreg is one of the key instruments of the European Union. It includes several programmes, with the ultimate goal to facilitate cross-border, transnational, and interregional cooperation. The projects funded by Interreg are a great source of support for Protected Areas and nature conservation across the EU.
Interreg Europe
Among the various Interreg programmes, Interreg Europe aims to support regional and local governments across Europe to build better policy, through creating a line for sharing solutions and policy learning.
Interreg Europe is the only EU programme that covers the 27 EU countries, plus Norway and Switzerland. It aims to improve regional development policies, including investments for growth and job programmes, by identifying and transferring good practices among more and less-developed regions. It is intended primarily for public authorities, with a focus on capacity building and exchange of experiences.
Check out the short video to learn more:
What’s new about Interreg Europe?
The Interreg Europe plan for the new programming period is still under approval process, where the Member States play a crucial role, but the European Commission is already sharing some important news for future projects:
– There will be 6 new main topics, with a concentration principle: 80% will be devoted to smart, green or social topics. The other 3 are: connected, citizens and governance.
– As the aim of the programme is policy improvement, the partner organisations should be public entities directly responsible for the policy. When not possible as partners, they have to be included in the project anyway, as a sort of “golden stakeholders”, even if not financially committed to the project.
– European geographical coverage will be required, the partnership will have to involve 3, or better 4, of the 4 European geographical regions.
- North: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden.
- East: Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia.
- South: Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Spain.
- West: Belgium, France, Ireland, Luxemburg, Netherlands, Switzerland.
– Projects will have two phases: a core phase of 3 years, and a follow-up of one year. The second phase will be devoted to evaluating the impacts. Only if it was not possible to reach your results after 3 years, a new action plan will be required for the remaining year.
– Focus on structural funds: at least one policy instrument must be an Investment for Jobs and Growth programme.
– Innovative approaches will be welcome and pilot actions will be possible from the start of the project and at midterm.
– Co-financing rates will be similar to the previous edition.
– The programme will foresee simplified cost options: preparation costs will be a lump sum; office, administration and travel will have a flat rate; and staff will have a fixed percentage.
To know more, take part in the online event:
‘Europe, let’s cooperate! Interregional cooperation forum’ focusing on the launch of the 2021-2027 Interreg Europe programme.
You can see the programme for the event here.