Balkan-Mediterranean Programme
On 17th December 2013 the EU Cohesion policy package 2014-2020 was finally adopted following two years of negotiation between the European Commission, the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament. Thus six new EU regulations came into live, defining the conditions for investing EUR 325,15 billion to support a smart, sustainable and inclusive growth in Europe. Among these was Regulation (EU) No 1301/2013 relating to the European Regional Development Fund and the European Territorial Cooperation Regulation (EU) No 1299/2013. These are the regulations setting the rules for the three new programmes succeeding South East Europe programme in the next seven years: ADRION, Balkan-Mediterranean, and Danube. The setting up of the new Balkan-Mediterranean Transnational Programme (2014-2020) was initiated by DG Regional and Urban Policy with letter Ares no.(2013) 3771328/19-12-2013.
The Balkan-Mediterranean Programme (2014-2020) is built around two thematic priority axes:
- Entrepreneurship and innovation
- Specific objective: Promote entrepreneurship and business creation on the basis on new ideas, innovation and new types of business models;
- Specific objective: Facilitate innovation in business models and allow a maximum number of SMEs to innovate and adjust their business models to the changing socioeconomic and policy/regulatory circumstances;
- Specific objective: Support entrepreneurial learning and knowledge transfer for more competitive SMEs.
- Environment
- Specific objective: Maintain biodiversity and natural ecosystems by strengthening networking and management of protected areas, including Natura 2000;
- Specific objective: Promote cooperation and networking aiming to introduce innovative technologies for efficient management of the waste sector, the soil and the water sector;
- Specific objective: Develop skills for better environmental management and increase governance capacities.
The programme will invest EUR 28,3 million from the ERDF and EUR 5,1 million from IPA II for transnational projects in Balkan-Mediterranean area. Eligible partners will, therefore, come from 3 EU countries: Bulgaria, Greece, Cyprus, and 2 non-EU countries: Albania and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
Guidance on the eligible transnational activities and expected outputs can be found in the final draft of the operational programme text here.
Anticipating the formal approval by the European Commission by end of 2015, the Progamme's Managing Authority has launched a provisional website with all documents related to the 1st call for proposals.
The Balkan-Mediterranean Programme was presented in the SEE Annual Event 2014.
PROGRAMME TASK FORCE
The main decision-making body for the establishment and development of the Balkan-Mediterranean Programme is the Programme task force. Ministerial representatives from all participating countries constitute this body and oversee the design of the programme.
The Balkan-Mediterranean TF convened on 11 February 2014 in Thessaloniki (Greece); 23 May 2014 in Sofia (Bulgaria); 19 August 2014 in Nicosia (Cyprus); 5 March 2015 in Tirana (Albania).The Hellenic Managing Authority of European Territorial Cooperation Programmes was unanimously elected as the Managing Authority of the new "Balkan-Mediterranean" Transnational Programme already at the first task force meeting. GEOGRAPHICAL SCOPE
