The harvesting Report – Feedback from Interreg VI-B Interreg Adriatic Ionian Programme on the Future Shape of Interreg” (approved on 18 December 2024) summarizes the results of a broad consultation conducted by the IPA ADRION Programme as part of a European initiative to shape the future of Interreg programmes beyond 2027. The consultation is part of the EU’s DG REGIO initiative to gather insights from stakeholders on improving Interreg for the post-2027 programming period. The process involved six Interreg transnational Programmes through a joint online survey, Programme’s thematic workshops, and feedback analysis.
The outcomes of the joint survey highlighted some major challenges that Interreg should look at, such as environmental threats, economic underdevelopment, weak innovation, and governance fragmentation. Moreover, the need for capacity building, youth engagement, and standardized data frameworks.
It has been underscored that transnational cooperation improved shared learning, networking, innovation, and alignment with EU practices. However, heavy bureaucracy, limited funding, complex project rules, and language/cultural barriers as well as lack of institutional support often hinder the benefits of this funding scheme. Respondents to the survey, suggested some changes:
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Flexible funding schemes, post-project support, and enhanced partner databases.
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Support for small-scale infrastructure and digital tools to ease collaboration.
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Cross-sector projects linking environment, innovation, and social development.
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More networking opportunities, decentralized support services, and pre-vetted partner registries.
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Youth participation through internships, training, and dedicated project roles.
Regarding the two IPA ADRION specific questions, the respondents underlined that, to put in practice Western Balkan Cooperation, a strong support for deeper integration, capacity building, and policy alignment with EU standards is needed. Regarding the second question on Youth, some recommendations were given regarding the opportunity to include educational exchanges, internships, youth councils, and entrepreneurial support. Regarding the strategic areas to focus on, respondents mostly replied:
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Climate change, digitalization, smart specialization, health, tourism, and transport.
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Cross-cutting themes: youth, innovation, and EU enlargement.
Moreover, the outcomes of the joint survey collected many requests for promotion of simplified cost options, pre-financing for all partners, and tolerance for pilot-project risks.
Read the full report here.
Consult the Interreg Harvest Report released by the European Commission over all Interreg Progtrammes here.
