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Preparations for the 2021-2027 transnational cooperation programmes are in full swing. The aim of the project was to identify the specific spatial challenges within the cooperation areas that include Germany and to comment on the draft programmes from a German viewpoint. At the same time, the project team has also worked out recommendations for the development of indicator systems to improve the measurement of the effects of transnational cooperation.
According to the Interreg regulation, transnational cooperation is an important instrument of an integrated spatial development that is compliant with the priorities of the EU's cohesion policy. In Germany, the chairpersons of the German committees of the six Interreg B programme areas with German participation (federal state level), chaired by the German Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community (BMI) (“AG Interreg”), have spoken out in favour of refocusing Interreg B in the funding period 2021-2027, once again putting a stronger emphasis on integrated territorial development in line with the spatial challenges and the objectives of the Territorial Agenda 2020.
In May 2018, the European Commission had presented its proposals for the 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework and a package of proposed regulations for the EU's cohesion policy starting in 2021. The proposal for the new European Territorial Cooperation regulation is part of this package and provided the basis for the Interreg programmes from 2021 onwards. Accordingly, Interreg was attributed a high added value in a European context and was meant to be further financed through specific programmes. Additionally, it was intended that the Interreg programme should focus more strongly on its actual strength, which is the promotion of cooperation and communication in functional areas. Thus, in addition to the five general ERDF objectives, two Interreg-specific objectives were aimed for, which in particular refer to a better “Interreg governance”. Another new feature was the introduction of Interreg-specific indicators, which were considered as an important tool to better reflect the contribution of the Interreg B programmes to the territorial cohesion of the European Union, and thus to equal living conditions in Europe.
The project supported the BMI, BBSR and German committees in the programming of the Interreg B programmes 2021-2027. In doing so, the project team identified specific spatial challenges in the various cooperation areas, which, from a German viewpoint, required transnational cooperation. Additionally, the team developed recommendations for suitable indicator systems that measure spatial and cross-thematic effects. The results of this project, which were particularly achieved by means of preparatory work and contributions to the development of the new transnational programmes, should be directly incorporated into the design of the funding period 2021-2027.
The project team worked on the following research questions:
The project was executed by “blue! advancing european projects GbR” and “IMP-HSG Institut für Systemisches Management und Public Governance | Regional Science” at “Universität St. Gallen (HSG)”.
Brigitte Ahlke
Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development
Division RS 3 "European Spatial and Urban Development"
Phone: +49 228 99401-2330
Email:
brigitte.ahlke@bbr.bund.de