The European Commission yesterday approved the first Interreg programs for the 2021-2027 programming period. These are three European territorial cooperation programs, which involve an investment of more than 481 million euros. The approved programs are “Interreg Central Europe”, “Interreg Austria – Germany (Bavaria)” and “Interreg Germany (Bavaria) – Czech Republic”. The budget will be allocated in line with EU priorities for a smart, green and inclusive Europe.
Cohesion and Reform Commissioner Eliza Ferreira said: “I am pleased to note that the first Interreg programs for 2021-2027 have now been approved. Cooperation is at the heart of the European project and Interreg is translating this spirit into concrete on-the-spot action. “Interreg programs highlight the essence and power of EU integration: by funding close co-operation in border regions and across Member States, they help citizens tackle common challenges together, rather than individually.”
The “Interreg Central Europe” program has a total funding of 280.7 million euros. Half of this budget will be allocated to green investments, such as increasing energy efficiency, climate change adaptation or the ecological orientation of urban mobility, while almost a third will support competitiveness and innovation capabilities in Central Europe. The program will also focus on improving transport links between rural and regional regions and improving governance for integrated territorial development.
The Interreg Austria – Germany (Bavaria) project will have a total funding of € 76.9 million and will focus on five priorities: an economy resilient to future developments; a resilient environment; sustainable tourism; integrated regional development; and cross-border governance. Nearly one-third of its budget will be used to develop research and innovation capacity, while more than one-fifth will be invested in climate-related measures.
The program “Interreg Germany (Bavaria) – Czech Republic” receives funding of 123.8 million euros. Almost a third of the budget will support culture and sustainable tourism in economic development, social inclusion and social innovation. Other investment priorities include the protection and conservation of nature, the promotion of biodiversity and green infrastructure, and the improvement of equal access to quality, inclusive education services.
All interested parties are invited to follow closely the forthcoming calls for proposals, which will be published on the program websites.
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Historically, central Europe has been plagued by economic inequalities; the Interreg is in a particularly favorable position to build bridges between regions and individuals. Interreg will contribute to the development of the regions concerned, while implementing the EU’s green and digital transition.
For the 2021-2027 programming period, the 6th generation of Interreg has a total budget of almost 10 billion euros. Interreg is structured around four strands: cross-border (Interreg A), transnational (Interreg B), interregional (Interreg C) and the integration of the outermost regions into their neighborhood (Interreg D).
Nikos Andritsos
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