Interreg Baltic Sea Region 2021- 2027
New programme for new cooperation ideas
Interreg Baltic Sea Region 2021-2027 is about to offer new funding to public and private players around the Baltic Sea who want to shape the region with their smart ideas.
These smart ideas will turn into innovative, water-smart and climate-neutral solutions; solutions that will improve the life of people around the Baltic Sea.
The Programme creates an environment to work across borders to
- respond and adapt to demands
- support the transition towards greener and more resilient societies and economies
- support public authorities in their mission to serve citizens
- trigger knowledge exchange
Interreg Baltic Sea Region 2021 – 2027
Programme cooperation area
The area of the Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme covers nine countries: eight EU Member States and one non-EU country. The Programme covers an area of around 2.9 million km² with a population of 80 million inhabitants. It stretches from central parts of Europe up to its northernmost periphery, comprising European metropolitan areas, while major parts of the programme area are counted as rural.
EU Member States
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- Germany (the States (Länder) of Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Schleswig-Holstein and Niedersachsen (only NUTS II area Lüneburg region))
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Poland
- Sweden
Non-EU State
- Norway: the Regions of Trøndelag, Møre og Romsdal, Vestland, Rogaland, Agder, Vestfold og Telemark, Viken, Innlandet, Oslo
Interreg Baltic Sea Region
2021 – 2027 development
The Joint Programming Committee (JPC) supervising the programming decided on the final version of the Programme Document at its meeting end of September 2021. After the participating countries have approved the Document on the national level, the MA/JS submitted the Programme to the European Commission end of January 2022. On 2 June 2022, the European Commission approved the Programme document.
Interreg Baltic Sea Region 2021 - 2027
Funding cooperation under four priorities
Interreg Baltic Sea Region 2021-2027 creates an environment for public and private partners to work together across borders on their smart ideas. This is how the Programme helps put into practice innovative, water-smart and climate-neutral solutions for the benefit of the citizens across the Baltic Sea region.
The Programme is structured along four priorities, which in the years 2021-2027 guide partners in achieving the most when cooperating across borders. Each Interreg Baltic Sea Region project has its own share in building:
Priority 1
Innovative societies
1.1 Resilient economies and communities
1.2 Responsive public services
Priority 3
Climate-neutral societies
3.1 Circular economy
3.2 Energy transition
3.3 Smart green mobility
Priority 2
Water-smart societies
2.1 Sustainable waters
2.2 Blue economy
Priority 4
Cooperation governance
4.1 Project platforms
4.2 Macro-regional goverance
Cohesion Policy 2021 – 2027
Legal framework for the new Programme
All the European Commission’s instruments related to Cohesion Policy for the period 2021-2027, with Common Provisions Regulation for shared management funds as well as Interreg regulation were adopted on 24 June 2021.
Interreg, endowed with a budget of €8 billion for the years 2021-2027, is one of the two goals of cohesion policy. It provides a framework for working across borders for a harmonious economic, social and territorial development of the Union as a whole. Interreg is built around four strands of cooperation: cross-border, transnational, interregional and integration of Outermost Regions in their neighbouring environment.
Cohesion Policy 2021 – 2027
Legal framework for the new Programme
All the European Commission’s instruments related to Cohesion Policy for the period 2021-2027, with Common Provisions Regulation for shared management funds as well as Interreg regulation were adopted on 24 June 2021.
Interreg, endowed with a budget of €8 billion for the years 2021-2027, is one of the two goals of cohesion policy. It provides a framework for working across borders for a harmonious economic, social and territorial development of the Union as a whole. Interreg is built around four strands of cooperation: cross-border, transnational, interregional and integration of Outermost Regions in their neighbouring environment.
Programme structure
The Programme management structure comprises the following bodies.
Monitoring Committee (MC)
(to be established as soon as the Programme is approved)
A joint Monitoring Committee (MC), includes the representatives of all the participating countries. The MC oversees the progress in Programme implementation and achieving the milestones and targets of the Programme. Furthermore, it oversees Programme communication and evaluation. The MC also selects projects for funding. (to be established as soon as the Programme is approved).
Audit Authority
The Audit Authority verifies the effective functioning of the management and control system of the Programme and ensures sample audits on projects. It is hosted by the Ministry of Justice, European Affairs, Consumer Protection and Equality of the German Federal State of Schleswig-Holstein in Kiel, Germany. The Audit Authority is assisted by the Group of Auditors comprising representatives of the participating countries carrying out the second level audits.
Managing Authority/Joint Secretatriat
The Investitionsbank Schleswig-Holstein (IB.SH) acts as the Managing Authority/Joint Secretariat (MA/JS). It is located in Kiel and Rostock, Germany. Â The MA/JS concludes subsidy contracts with project lead partners. It is the focal point for information and practical day-to-day implementation of the Programme. The MA/JS also manages the Programme funds and pays the subsidies to the project lead partners.
Participating countries
Besides these bodies national sub-committees play an important role regarding the dissemination of Programme related information in the participating countries.
Project lead partners, project partners and their controllers complement the overall Programme management structure.
Interreg Baltic Sea Region 2021 – 2027
Strategic environmental assessment screening
As the Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme 2021-2027 will work on environmental topics such as water management, transport or land use, the environmental impact of the Programme might have needed to be assessed as part of an EU-wide strategic assessment.
The screening report[1]Â has concluded that a full scale Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is not required for the Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme 2021-2027.
[1] The screening has been made in accordance with the European Union Directive 2001/42/EC on the assessment of the effects of certain plans and programmes on the environment (SEA Directive).
