Territorial Cooperation

Objectives

• Transboundary problems can most effectively be solved with the cooperation of all regions concerned to avoid disproportionate costs for some, and free-riding by others (e.g. cross-border environmental pollution).
• Cooperation can provide an effective mechanism for sharing good practice and learning to spread know-how (e.g. enhancing competitiveness).
• Cooperation can ensure that a solution to a specific problem becomes more effective due to economies of scale and the achievement of a critical mass establishment of clusters to foster research and innovation).
• Governance can improve as a result of coordination of the sector policies, actions and investments on a cross-border and transnational scale.
• Relations with EU neighbours through cooperation programmes on the EU’s external borders can contribute to safety and stability, and mutually beneficial relationships.
• In some contexts such as sea basins and coastal regions, cooperation and transnational action are indispensable to support growth, employment and ecosystem-based management

2014-2020

Implementation

The implementation modalities have been streamlined for cooperation programmes. The number of authorities involved in programme implementation has been reduced and roles and responsibilities further clarified. Content requirements for cooperation programmes and implementation reports have been made more precise in order to reduce administrative burden for programme authorities. Common indicators have been defined.

Supported activities

Cross-border cooperation between adjacent regions to promote integrated regional development between neighbouring land and maritime border regions from two or more Member States or between neighbouring border regions from at least one Member State and one third country on external borders of the Union other than those covered by programmes under the external financial instruments of the Union;

Transnational cooperation over larger transnational territories, involving national, regional and local authorities and also covering maritime cross-border cooperation in cases not covered by cross-border cooperation, with a view to achieving a higher degree of territorial integration of those territories, thus contributing to territorial cohesion across the Union;

Interregional cooperation to reinforce the effectiveness of cohesion policy by promoting:

• exchange of experience on thematic objectives among partners throughout the Union on the identification and dissemination of good practice with a view to its transfer to operational programmes under the Investment for growth and jobs goal;
• exchange of experience concerning the identification, transfer and dissemination of good practice on sustainable urban and rural development;
• exchange of experience concerning the identification, transfer and dissemination of good practice and innovative approaches in relation to actions concerning territorial cooperation and to the use of EGTCs;
• analysis of development trends in relation to the aims of territorial cohesion and harmonious development of the European territory through studies, data collection and other measures.

 

Legal basis: Regulation (EU) No 1299/2013 on specific provisions for the support from the European Regional Development Fund to the European territorial cooperation goal and Regulation (EU) No 1302/2013 on a European grouping of territorial cooperation (EGTC) as regards the clarification, simplification and improvement of the establishment and functioning of such groupings

 

€ 10 228  million in current prices

Comments:
 

Cross-border cooperation EUR 6 627 million;
Transnational cooperation EUR 1 822  million;
Interregional cooperation EUR 500 million.

€ 10 228  million in current prices

 

For cross-border cooperation, the regions to be supported shall be the NUTS level 3 regions of the Union along all internal and external land borders other than those covered by programmes under the external financial instruments of the Union, and all NUTS level 3 regions of the Union along maritime borders separated by a maximum of 150 km. Cross-border cooperation programmes may cover regions from Norway, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Andorra, Monaco and San Marino and third countries or territories neighbouring outermost regions.
For transnational cooperation, the Commission shall adopt the list of transnational areas to receive support, broken down by cooperation programme and covering NUTS level 2 regions. Transnational cooperation programmes may also cover regions from third countries covered by the external financial instruments of the Union (ENI, IPA) and the Faroe Islands and Greenland.
For interregional cooperation, support from the ERDF shall cover the entire territory of the Union.

Operations under cooperation programmes shall be located in the part of the programme area comprising Union territory (the 'Union part of the programme area').

The managing authority may accept that all or part of an operation is implemented outside the Union part of the programme area, provided that all the following conditions are satisfied:

• the operation is for the benefit of the programme area;
• the total amount allocated under the cooperation programme to operations located outside the Union part programme area does not exceed 20 % of the support from the ERDF at programme level, or 30 % in the case of cooperation programmes for which the Union part of the programme consists of outermost regions;
• the obligations of the managing and audit authorities in relation to management, control and audit concerning the operation are fulfilled by the cooperation programme authorities or they enter into agreements with authorities in the Member State or third country or territory in which the operation is implemented provided that the obligations in relation to management, control and audit concerning the operation are fulfilled.

For operations concerning promotional activities and capacity-building, expenditure may be incurred outside the Union part of the programme area provided that the conditions are fulfilled.

Support from the ERDF to each cross-border and sea-basin programme under ENI and IPA shall be granted provided that at least equivalent amounts are provided by ENI and IPA.

For cooperation programmes, the intermediate body to carry out the management and implementation of an Integrated territorial investment referred to in Article 99(3) of Regulation (EU) No./2012 [CPR] shall be an EGTC (European grouping of territorial cooperation) or other legal body established under the laws of one of the participating countries provided that it is set up by public authorities from at least two participating countries.

EU citizens.

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