The ENI CBC community comprises hundreds of thousands of people working across the EU’s external borders, Europeans and non-Europeans alike, working together to boost activities, stimulate economic growth and to transfer knowledge. From DG NEAR to DG REGIO, the plan is to further strengthen the cooperation on the EU’s external borders, developed under Neighbourhood Policy and Cohesion Policy. On the ground, it is still about building trust and connections among people living on the
- 29 January 2020
The ENI CBC community comprises hundreds of thousands of people working across the EU’s external borders, Europeans and non-Europeans alike, working together to boost activities, stimulate economic growth and to transfer knowledge.
From DG NEAR to DG REGIO, the plan is to further strengthen the cooperation on the EU’s external borders, developed under Neighbourhood Policy and Cohesion Policy. On the ground, it is still about building trust and connections among people living on the external borders of the European Union, and improving the day-to-day lives of the people living on both sides of the borders through cooperation. It is also about building roads to connect markets and improve tourism, recycling waste into fertilisers , and preserving threatened species to reverse biodiversity decline.
As of 1 January 2020, the European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI) cross-border cooperation programmes are joining DG REGIO as part of the Interreg family, to increase coordination and unlock synergies with other territorial cooperation instruments. The programmes cover 31 different countries, with a wide variety of languages, culture and lifestyles. Nevertheless, they are all working for the benefit of local communities on both sides of the EU border, addressing common obstacles to find joint solutions. In challenging times, these programmes are a living proof of what cooperation truly means: keep connecting, sharing and exchanging across borders.
Crossing frontiers
Never before have challenges been so global: pollution, climate change and social tensions, among others. If a border area is affected in a neighbouring country, Europe is touched as well, and vice versa. Responses to crises cannot mature in isolation: global problems demand no visas to cross frontiers.
Cross Border Cooperation (CBC) programmes across the EU’s external borders give thousands of organisations an opportunity to act together, to exchange knowledge and expertise in their day-to-day activities, and to bring tangible results to their regions. The 15 ENI CBC programmes stretch from Finland and Russia in the north, to countries such as Hungary and Ukraine in the east, and Italy, Northern Africa and the Middle East in the south. They cover thousands of kilometres of land and sea borders, with one sea crossing and three sea basins, for an overall investment of EUR 1 billion during the 2014-2020 programming period. To date, more than 4 200 applications have been submitted and almost 600 projects have been awarded funding. In the field, there are over 2 000 beneficiaries, NGOs, universities, municipalities and private companies: a small world on the move, both public and private, building trust among communities.
Adopting common rules
‘Many years ago, when we started, there were more mirror projects: people in one territory tended to do the same thing as people on the other side,’ says Mathieu Bousquet, Head of Unit C1 – Georgia, Moldova, Neighbourhood Cross-Border in DG NEAR. ‘But now beneficiaries are working together more and more, for one single, common objective.’
Cooperation along the EU’s external borders started to take shape back in 2006. Many challenges were faced during the first programming period (2007-2013) when the instrument was extended to cover the full neighbourhood and, for the first time, a set of common rules was applied.
‘Everybody had to move away from what they knew, the specific funding procedures they were familiar with: Member States from Cohesion Policy regulations, and partner countries from the development aid and technical assistance modality,’ explains Carlos Bolaños, team leader at TESIM, the technical support for the implementation and management of ENI CBC programmes. ‘Today, we can say that we have a real, genuine partnership in place, with joint management of programmes. And this ‘ownership feeling’ is somehow unique in the cooperation field, a real asset of the ENI CBC initiative.’
Steering through European financial crises and regional turmoil, the ENI CBC programmes are holding fast. The first programming cycle was implemented in a period of deep economic crisis for Europe and its neighbours, while conflicts were taking their toll in Syria, and relations were strained in Crimea. However, stakeholder commitment was strong and the cooperation managed not only to survive but also to be extended for a second period, from 2014 to 2020. Today, a third phase is imminent, and work has already started for the 2020-2027 programming period. Although new rules will be in place, the community is ready to step up once again.
‘When we began, we couldn’t imagine that the partnership would be so equal and that a beneficiary from a partner country could lead a project,’ continues Bolaños. ‘This was not because they didn’t have the capacity, but simply because European regulations for managing public funds are quite complex and you need to familiarise yourself with them. Today, we have made significant progress in this domain.’
In fact, not only is the Russian Federation the country with the highest number of beneficiaries (390 so far), but 30 % of projects are currently led by partner countries’ organisations or institutions.
New ways to cooperate
So, how big are these projects? Their financial dimension ranges from EUR 50 000 to EUR 3 million. They are often pilot initiatives, opening the way to a new cooperation model in multiple sectors, from environmental protection to technology transfer in favour of SMEs, from cultural heritage regeneration, to infrastructure development to open markets and to foster sustainable tourism.
"We warmly welcome the arrival of the ENI CBC programmes within DG REGIO from the beginning of next year. We look forward to working with the Neighbourhood countries to maintain strong ownership, while preparing the new generation of programmes. We want to capitalise on the proposed simplifications for post-2020 and develop stronger links between the programmes of the Interreg family”, says Jean-Pierre Halkin, Head of the Unit for Macro-Regions, Transnational/Interregional Cooperation, IPA, and Enlargement in DG REGIO. “At the same time, in 2020 we will also have the opportunity to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Interreg, as a reunited family. 2020 will definitely be the Year of Cooperation.”Knowledge and tools have already been developed by the previous generation of European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument(ENPI) programmes. The current ENI CBC programmes are continuing the previous efforts, making a solid contribution to further consolidating the wealth of human relations, breaking down stereotypes and overturning historical prejudices – because neighbours matter! Because cooperation matters!
Panorama 71: Portugal’s agenda prioritises growth and sustainability