Interreg Euro-MED Programme 2021-27
Euro-MED in the making
Launched in October 2019, the Task Force of the Interreg MED Programme has been responsible for the drafting of the 2021-2027 Programme, that will be called Interreg Euro-MED.
The Task Force discusses the terms of the future Programme, including its architecture and geography over the course of a set of meetings and written procedures. Even though the final content and total budget are still under discussion, you will find below the up-to-date information concerning the upcoming programming period.
The kick-off that launched the Interreg Euro-MED Programme took place on 2nd December 2021 in Lisbon. About 100 participants were at the venue and 300 more were online. You can click here for more information about the event.
For now, the submission for approval by the European commission is expected in January 2022. The first call for proposals should be launched in February or March 2022.
Our goal
The main goal of the Interreg Euro-MED 2021-2027 Programme is to contribute to the transition towards a climate-neutral and resilient society. It aims at fighting the impact of the global changes on the Mediterranean resources while ensuring a sustainable growth and the well-being of its citizens. It is fully aligned with the UN sustainable goals, the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development and the European Green Deal.
To accomplish this goal, the Programme will co-finance projects with a transnational dimension and will operate to fulfil 4 missions.
The latest draft of the Programme has been approved by the Task Force members in September 2021. It lays out the Programme approach, the priorities, the projects’ typologies.
Our priorities and missions
The projects will have at their core to make the Mediterranean smarter and greener. They will operate to fulfil 4 complementary missions to fight the impact of global changes.
- Mission 1 : Strengthen an innovative sustainable economy. This can be done more specifically by consolidating a competitive innovation ecosystem with the stakeholders of the 4 helix or by supporting the transition to a circular economy
- Mission 2 : Protect, restore and valorise the natural environment and heritage
- Mission 3 : Promote green living areas
- Mission 4 : Enhancing sustainable tourism. This mission will concern all projects that fit into the 3 above mentioned missions.
The Programme also has the complementary priority of providing the Mediterranean with better territorial governance.
Our cooperation area
On 3rd March 2021, the Task Force members of the Interreg MED Programme reached a consensus on the geography of the Interreg Euro-MED Programme.
The Programme will welcome 2 new countries, Bulgaria and Republic of North Macedonia (IPA country) and 3 new Spanish regions: Castilla-la-Mancha, Comunidad de Madrid and Extremadura bringing the total of participating Spanish autonomous regions to 9.
The number of partner countries in the next programming period will amount to 14 (10 UE and 4 IPA) for a total of 69 regions.
RESULT AMPLIFICATION STRATEGY
Since 2014, the Interreg MED Programme has set up an intervention logic that closely links a strategy to capitalise on project results and an approach to improve governance in order to increase its potential impact on the Programme area.
For the 2021-2027 period, the Interreg Euro-MED Programme proposes to formalise this interweaving in an overall strategy called “result amplification strategy” that integrates support mechanisms for capitalisation and governance as inseparable processes to promote the transfer and integration of project results into practices and policymaking at European, national, regional and local levels.
OUR BUDGET
The final budget of the Interreg Euro-MED Programme has not been approved yet. The Programme should be endowed with 281M € in total. The financing of the Programme stemming from the EU via Interreg funds (ERDF and IPA) should be around 225M €. This amount is to be complemented by national contributions from member states participating in the Programme, up to about 56M €.
Framework - 2021-27 Regional Policy
The New Cohesion Policy proposed by the Commission is a revised framework to modernise the EU’s main investment policy. Among the changes, there is a more concentrated number of policy objectives for a smarter, greener, more connected and closer to its citizens Europe. On regional development investments, resources will be mainly allocated to meet the first two objectives: a “Smarter Europe, through innovation, digitisation, economic transformation and support to small and medium-sized businesses” and a “Greener, carbon free Europe, implementing the Paris Agreement and investing in energy transition, renewables and the fight against climate change”.
A single rulebook is implemented for shorter, fewer and clearer rules and to facilitate efficient emergency responses, and the application of “enabling” conditions for businesses is meant to ensure a strengthened link with the Union’s economic governance.
KEY NEW PROGRAMME PREPARATION DOCUMENTS
Interreg Euro-MED draft Programme
Interreg MED JS, approved by the Task Force members in September 2021
Draft proposal for the new Interreg Euro-MED Programme 2021-2027, by the Managing Authority. It takes into account the “Orientation paper”, the evaluation process and the Task Force discussions.
It lays out the Programme approach, the priorities, the projects’ typologies.
Environmental Report
July 2021, by t33 (external evaluators)
Strategic Environmental Assessment of the Interreg Euro-MED Programme
Public consultation
Spring 2020
Citizens and stakeholders replied to an online survey which was asking for their valuable insights regarding priorities, types of projects and objectives to be achieved by 2027. 399 responses were collected.
MED Diagnosis Report 21-27
Interreg MED JS, March 2020
Building on EU strategic orientations, the diagnosis report identifies opportunities for future EU Mediterranean transnational cooperation including governance perspectives based on the EC orientation paper.
Short presentation of Euro-MED Programme
French National Authority, october 2021 (updated on February 22nd 2022)
Presentation of the Programme's challenges, operational missions, priorities, budget and calendar.
Result Amplification Strategy
Interreg MED JS, approved by the Task Force members in October 2021
Guiding document for a better project implementation and expected results valorisation of the Interreg Euro-MED Programme 2021-2027.
The Mediterranean Orientation Paper
European Commission, October 2019
Issued by the European Commission, it served as the basis to kickstart the discussion within the Task Force for the new Programme. It contained ideas and orientations on the thematic focus of the Euro-MED Programme 2021-2027 area. The paper contains policy objectives as well as considerations for the new extended geography to hinterland areas.