Interreg Europe 2014-2020

Interregional cooperation has existed for over two decades. The present programme's predecessors were Interreg IIIC (2000-2006), Interreg IVC (2007-2013) and Interreg Europe (2014-2020). Let's have a look at an overview of the programme in 2014-2020.

Interreg Europe's aim was to help regional and local governments across Europe to develop and deliver better policy. This objective from 2014-2020 stayed the same also for the current programme.

The programme had a budget of MEUR 359 from the European Regional Development Fund. The budget was committed to 258 projects and to policy-learning services offered by the Policy Learning Platform.

Over 2,000 organisations involved in Interreg Europe projects and/ or benefiting from the policy-learning services represented 90% of regions in 30 countries - the 27 EU Member States, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

Funding for Interreg Europe projects in 2014-2020 was allocated through four open calls for project proposals and one call for additional activities restricted to previously approved projects.

Each call had an opening and a closing date. Outside of these dates it was not possible to apply for funding with a project proposal. Applications were submitted online through the Interreg Europe online system (iOLF).

Each call had specific terms of reference which defined each call, for example the maximum amount of funding available, the topics opened for funding or minimum geographical coverage.

In 2014-2020, the programme focused especially on the managing authorities and intermediate bodies in charge of Structural Funds programmes. Their involvement in the cooperation projects and other policy-learning activities was of a strategic importance.

25% of all project partners represented these strategic institutions. This played an important role in influencing many national or regional Structural Funds programmes with good practices shared by partners in their projects. Over MEUR 1,000 have already been mobilised to fund new activities inspired by these good practices.

Our Policy Learning Platform was launched in 2016. Since then the Platform expert team has served with their tailored support and capitalisation on the projects' knowledge many public institutions all over the programme area.