Framework

Cooperation Programme Interreg V-A “Greece-Italy 2014-2020”

Greece and Italy, two neighbouring countries with a rich and common past, have more than 25 years of cooperation experience, starting from 1990 until now.

Interreg V-A Greece-Italy Programme is a European Territorial Cooperation Programme that aims to help public institutions and local stakeholders to develop cross-border projects and pilot actions and to create new policy, products and services, with the final goal to improve the citizens’ quality of life.

Strategically, the programme will enhance innovation in a number of fields such as blue growth, tourism and culture, agro food and cultural and creative industries.

Interreg V-A Greece-Italy Programme aims to get maximum return from EUR 123 million financed per 85% by European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and per 15% by the 2 member states Greece and Italy through a national co-financing.

The three Priority Axes of the Programme are:

1. Innovation & competitiveness
2. Integrated Environmental Management
3. Multimodal Sustainable Transport System

PA1: Innovation & Competitiveness

Priority Axis 1. Innovation and competitiveness

Innovation & Competitiveness aim to increase the capacity of Small and Medium Enterprises to engage in Research & Development activities that will lead to innovative products, processes and services with the final goal to contribute to the building of a strong export based economy and to strengthen specific growth sectors such as the blue growth, all activities having links with the sea and creative, cultural and agro-food industries.

Innovation and competitiveness is highlighted in the European Strategy 2020 as a major challenge for regions facing international competition, boosting the creation of new jobs in the Programme Area, which is suffering particularly high unemployment rate, on average almost 24% of the active population, more than double of the EU-28 average (10.8%).

Specific Objectives

• 1. Delivering innovation support services and developing clusters across borders to foster competitiveness
• 2. Supporting the incubation of innovative specialized micro and small enterprises in thematic sectors of interest to the Programme Area

PA2: Integrated Environmental Management

Priority Axis 2. Integrated Environmental Management

The second Priority Axis aims to facilitate the development and implementation of common approaches to the management of the environment, supporting the valorisation of cultural and natural heritage and fostering shared potentials and responsibilities in the field of environmental protection and risk prevention.

The protection of natural environment and biodiversity, the promotion of cultural heritage in coherence with the development of sustainable tourism activities and the introduction of environmental friendly technologies to fight increasing pollution in the cross-border area, represent a joint challenge for the Greece-Italy Programme area.

Specific Objectives

• 1. Valorisation of cultural heritage and natural resources as a territorial asset of the Programme Area
• 2. Improvement of joint management and governance plans for biodiversity of coastal and rural ecosystems, paying attention on natural resources and protected areas and development of environmental protection measures
• 3. Developing and testing of innovative technologies/ tools to reduce marine and air pollution

PA3: Multimodal Sustainable Transport System

Priority Axis 3. Multimodal Sustainable Transport System

The third Priority Axis aims to develop a sustainable transport system for regional and cross-border connections in the Programme Area, including inland waterways and maritime transport, ports, multimodal links and airport infrastructure.

The promotion of an efficient and environmental friendly mobility, including low noise and low-carbon transport, the accessibility to transport infrastructures, the coordination of cross-border transport systems and procedures and the integration with regional, national and cross border Transport Plans are the main objectives of this axis.

Specific Objectives

• 3.1. Boosting maritime transport, shortsea shipping capacity and cross-border ferry connectivity
• 3.2. Improving cross-border coordination among transport stakeholders on introducing multimodal environmentally friendly solutions

Programme Budget

The Programme has a total budget of 123,176,896 € and is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) at a rate of 85% with an amount of 104,700,362 € and by the 2 member states through a national co-financing at the rate of 15%, for the 2014-2020 period.

Regions involved

ITALY

• Puglia Region: Province of Foggia, Bari, Brindisi, Lecce, Barletta-Andria-Trani (BAT), Taranto.

GREECE

• Region of Western Greece: Aitoloakarnania, Achaia, Ileia
• Region of Ionian Islands: Zakynthos, Kerkyra, Kefalonia, Lefkada
• Region of Epirus:Arta, Thesprotia, Ioannina, Preveza