1. Paula MacLachlan North West Europe Contact Point
INTERREG V
Paula MacLachlan
North West Europe Contact Point

2. What is INTERREG? Third Structural Funds Objective (2.5% of budget)
European Territorial Co-operation
ERDF funding
69 co-operation zones
About to start 5th period of Interreg programmes (Interreg V)
Average project 9 partners; €3.5m ERDF

3. Policy framework of INTERREG IV - V
Common policy background of all INTERREG programmes:
EU Smart, green, inclusive growth.
Operational Programmes build on former :
Lisbon Agenda (economic competitiveness)
Gothenburg Agenda (environmental sustainability)
EU Cohesion Policy (reducing regional disparities)

4. The Interreg 'family'

5. Interreg IVA programme areas

6. Strand A - Cross Border
Aimed at improving economic and social situation in border areas
Topics such as Labour market and labour mobility, Crime and security/police, entrepreneurship, joint transport infrastructure and electricity networks
NUTS III Regions
Maritime borders less than 150km apart

7. Western Scotland, Ireland and Northern Ireland
Border areas in Ireland, but opportunities for Belfast too
Research and innovation infrastructure esp in health and life sciences, and renewable energy
R&I investment: more SME in cross border R&I
Biodiversity, soil, ecosystem services and green infrastructure: habitat recovery, water quality
Sustainable transport
Access to cross-border health services

8. Interreg VB programme areas; the 13 'zones'
Large groupings common geog characteristics, usually sea areas.
4 cover UK, NEW, AA NSR and NP/Arctic

9. NW Europe Cooperation area Characteristics 21% of the EU territory
180 million inhabitants
39,5% of the EU population
307 inhabitants/km2 (that's high!)
75% of the population lives in densely populated, urban areas
High levels of industrialisation & economic activity
Connectivity problems & issues
6 challenges in CP
Boosting knowledge flows
SMEs innovative capabilities
Resource and materials efficiency
Energy security and supply
Vulnerability to climate change events
Inclusion

10. Themes for Cross border AND Trans-National
Natural resources
Risk management: pollution, climate, flood coastal
Research, innovation, ICT: business-research connections
Research infrastructure
Waste and water treatment
Health Infrastructure
Accessibility

11. North West Europe draft Co-operation Programme Priority Axes
Enhance innovation capacity through international co-operation in North West Europe
Reduce GHG emissions in NWE through international cooperation
Implement new technologies, services, products and processes to improve resource efficiency,
NWE will invest in enhancing the capacity of the North-West Europe territory to generate innovation on the basis of its existing potential.
For NWE, innovation means ‘something original, new and important - in whatever field - that breaks into (or obtains a foothold in) a market or society’ and predominately focuses on ‘test’ or ‘develop’ phases.
SO1
Building innovation capacity of regions
and territories
Improving the competitiveness of enterprises
Delivering societal benefits through innovation
SO2
the implementation of low carbon, energy or climate protection strategies
the uptake of low carbon technologies, products, processes and services
3 transnational low carbon solutions in transport systems
Promoting carbon reduction in cities and regions through the implementation of existing low carbon, energy or climate protection strategies
Implementing combined mitigation and adaptation solutions
Implementing low-carbon technologies and other solutions
Implementing transnational solutions for low carbon transport systems
Implementing solutions for optimised traffic management
SO3
Implementing new technologies, services, products and processes to improve resource efficiency
new production measures to deliver the concept of “circular economy”;
Solutions to mitigate the impact of resource intensive industrial sectors (e.g. water and land-intensive sectors);
New products/processes/technologies that minimise resource-use / replace non-renewable materials;
New approaches to increase usefulness of waste, e.g. energy from waste, waste as material etc.

12. Atlantic Area Cooperation Territory
Atlantic Area eligible regions in Programming period
Spain: Galicia, Principado de Asturias, Cantabria, País Vasco, Comunidad Foral de Navarra, part of Andalucía (Cádiz, Huelva, Seville) 2014: Canaries
France: Haute-Normandie, Basse-Normandie, Pays de la Loire, Bretagne, Poitou-Charentes e Aquitaine
Irland
Portugal: and 2014: Azores
United Kingdom: NW England, SW England, All of Wales, SW Scotland, Highlands and Islands & Northern Ireland.
Strong maritime tradition
Below average Education and R&D investment performance but wide North/South disparities
High unemployment
Poor accessibility
Many rural and semi-rural areas yet over expanding big agglomerations
Macro regional strategy
High quality natural environment
Wind and wave power opportunities

13. Draft Programme Priorities 2014-20
1.1 innovation capacity
1.2 innovation into new products, services, processes
2.1 renewables and energy efficiency
2.2 green growth, eco-innovation
3.1 risk management
4.1 biodiversity and eco-system services
4.2 natural and cultural assets for economic development
More marine emph

14. Strand C: IVC => INTERREG Europe
Structural Fund policy rather than territorial development
Policy not infrastructure
Networks and exchange of experience
All EU territory eligible, and beyond
THEMES:
Investment for growth and jobs
Research clusters

15. New programme starts next year – ‘2014-20’
More or less same geography and budget
More emphasis on impact and measurable results
More focus – more specific actions and types of projects
Different Priorities: Draft OPs (CP) on websites
Up to 85% intervention rate
Mostly 2-stage application process
On line application
Similar forms to other INTERREG programmes’
Tentative timetable: 1st call summer 2015
First step: “strategic fit” with the programme objectives and wider context (= why, what, and for whom?)
Second step: operational details, complete action plan, budget and partnership (= how and who?)
Application form and GN still under devel. Speak to Ian or Paula if PI ahead of available drafts

16. What to do next Look at draft Co-operation Programme documents
Get a PIF or PNQ form Paula (on line system soon)
Register your project idea and get on mailing lists
Talk to Contact Points about eligibility and suitability of your ideas
Start finding partners and having meetings/developing the ideas into action plans
Check Programme websites for updates: workshops, final CP, application forms, guidance notes, launches, first call dates, surgeries

17. Contact Points
North West Europe: Paula MacLachlan; or Ian Hill; Atlantic Area: Mike Ford; Western Scotland-Ireland-Northern Ireland: Caroline Coleman;

18. Atlantic Area: North West Europe: INTERREG Europe (IVC): Scotland-Ireland Northern Ireland: ESPON: URBACT: