Environmental protection & social inclusion: the priorities of CBC in the South

Our route across the new Interreg NEXT programmes is headed to the South for the two finals stops! Surf the Mediterranean with us and discover what the new programmes Interreg NEXT MED and Interreg VI-A NEXT Italy-Tunisia have in store!

Interreg VI-B NEXT Mediterranean Sea Basin (Interreg NEXT MED)

Transition to a circular and resource efficient economy; competitiveness of SMEs and job creation; sustainable water management, better health care: these are only few of the challenges the Interreg NEXT MED programme aims to tackle for a smarter, more sustainable and developed Mediterranean Basin.

Around 40% of the total budget will be allocated to contribute to Policy Objective (PO) 2 “A greener low-carbon Europe and its neighbourhood”. 118.5 mln € will be used to protect the environment of the Mediterranean – to mitigate the effects of climate change and to improve the management of water resources.

Contrasting the economic impact of COVID-19, ensuring a sustainable and resilient recovery, enhancing innovation and digital transformation, reducing social inequalities and granting equal access to infrastructures, services and opportunities are also top priorities of the programme. This is in line with the Policy Objectives (PO) 1 “A more competitive and smarter Europe (and its Neighbourhood)” and PO 4 “A more social and inclusive Europe (and its Neighbourhood)” in which the Interreg NEXT MED programme invests respectively 81.4 and 59.7 mln €.

With Algeria and Türkiye joining the programme, adding up to the 13 countries (Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Jordan, Malta, Palestine, Portugal, Spain, Tunisia) already participating to its past editions, cooperation possibilities in the area increase. 21.7 mln € are thus allocated to coordinate synergies and exchange experiences, information and knowledge pursuing the Interreg Specific Objective (ISO) 1 “A better Cooperation Governance”

Consult the Programme website for more information.

Interreg VI-A Italy-Tunisia

The Interreg VI-A NEXT Italy-Tunisia Programme aims at enhancing the growth potential of the two territories in order to facilitate a better economic, environmental and social balance. The programme will finance cross-border cooperation projects according to specific priorities identified in correlation with three Policy and one Interreg Specific Objective.

Projects supporting SMEs and promoting innovation and research will be funded through almost 9 mln € and will contribute to the PO 1 “A more competitive and smarter Europe (and its Neighbourhood)”.

The protection of the environment in urgent and emerging issues, the transition towards renewable energy and a more accessible and sustainable use of water are of primary importance for the programme, in accordance with the PO 2 “A greener low-carbon Europe and its neighbourhood”. The budget allocated to support environmental initiatives is 16.1 mln €.

In line with the Policy Objective 4 “A more social and inclusive Europe (and its Neighbourhood)”, 7.1 mln € are meanwhile foreseen to strengthen social inclusion, fight against marginalisation, equal access to health and for a more inclusive and sustainable dimension of tourism and culture.

Last, but not the least, 3.5 mln € will be used to reinforce the cooperation between the cross-border territories, along the lines of the ISO 1 “A better Cooperation Governance”.

Consult the Programme website for more information