[Cipp] FW: INTERREG IIIC - Building regional partnerships for Europe

[Geszti Judit]

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Geszti Judit 


 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Agnes.KORENY at cec.eu.int [mailto:Agnes.KORENY at cec.eu.int]
Sent: Monday, October 27, 2003 2:20 PM
Subject: INTERREG IIIC - Building regional partnerships for Europe 


INTERREG IIIC - Building regional partnerships for Europe 

Interreg IIIC is smoothing the path to EU enlargement by involving regions from acceding and other neighbouring countries directly in interregional co-operation projects. It also offers wide scope for projects dealing with innovation as part of economic development strategies. 

Ten new countries, nine new internal borders, 15 new external borders. 

Interreg IIIC aims to improve the effectiveness of regional development policies and instruments through large-scale exchanges of information and experience between regions from different countries which are not direct neighbours. This Community Initiative is financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), with a total budget of just under €300 million for 2002-06. Administration is decentralised, with four programme management zones (North, East, South and West)(1).

Speaking at a partner-search forum in Vienna in May, Elizabeth Helander, Director in the European Commission's Directorate-General for Regional Policy, announced that the new Member States will have access to ERDF finance for interregional co-operation from 1 January 2004. This will provide welcome help for regional and other local authorities in the acceding countries, assisting in their preparations for full-scale involvement in the mainstream Structural Funds.

Opportunities 

Regional framework operations (RFOs) are the most extensive of the three types of operation supported, bringing together several regional authorities in a 'mini-programme' to work on a range of topics. According to Barbara Di Piazza, head of the Interreg IIIC East Joint Technical Secretariat, RFOs are particularly interesting. "They give regions the opportunity to pursue a comprehensive territorial development strategy. With up to 5 million euros ERDF co-financing, they can organise their own tender processes and develop a critical mass of activities." Support can also be given through individual projects, where a few regions work on a specific area, and through networks - although the latter cannot be used for innovative actions.

Innovative actions are just one of five co-operation topics under the initiative, but few bids were submitted under this category in the first application round in 2002. Claus Schultze, the Interreg IIIC East communications manager, is not unduly concerned. "Implicitly, all projects deal with innovation in one form or another, as it is a key criterion for selection," he says. Such innovation may be process-oriented (new methods and concepts), goal-oriented (benchmarking), or context-oriented (improved institutional structures).

A special priority 

One example of an innovative project is Ecoland which is led by the SIPRO development agency in Ferrara, Italy, with Irish, Spanish and Hungarian partners. It is piloting the development of eco-industrial estates, where firms join forces to improve economic performance and reduce their impact on the environment. 

Many other regions are currently preparing to submit bids under future calls for proposals. One region in Germany, for example, is devising a proposal on the development of SME participation in regional clusters and competence centres.

Interreg IIIC also includes a special priority, with an additional budget of €15 million, on operations linking European Union border regions with the acceding countries. Projects should demonstrate a clear link to development issues and be designed to support the transition process. Applicants are being strongly encouraged to submit bids in this area under the second call for applications which closes in September 2003. A third call is scheduled to open in spring 2004.

(1) A Joint Technical Secretariat (JTS) has been established for each zone: the North JTS is in Rostock (Germany), the East JTS is in Vienna (Austria), the West JTS is in Lille (France), and the South JTS s in Valencia (Spain). See the Interreg IIIC website for further details and contract addresses:  <http://www.interreg3c.net/> http://www.interreg3c.net/

Contacts 
B. Di Piazza, Interreg IIIC East Joint Technical 
Secretariat 
Tl. +43 1 4000 76141 
Fx. +43 1 4000 9976141 
barbara.dipiazza at interreg3c.net 
C. Schultze, Interreg IIIC East, Joint Technical 
Secretariat 
Tl. +43 1 4000 76142 
Fx. +43 1 4000 9976141 
claus.schultze at interreg3c.net 

xxx

 

********************************************************* 
KOVÁCSNÉ KORENY Ágnes 
Information Manager, Documentalist 
Delegation of the European Commission to Hungary 
H-1016 Budapest, BĂŠrc u. 23. 
Tel.: (36-1) 209-9749; Fax: (36-1) 466-4221 
agnes.koreny at cec.eu.int 

 

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