A new cycle of programmes was introduced at the beginning of 2020 for ENI CBC MED programme.
This year ENI CBC MED was officially welcomed into the Interreg family. All cross-border cooperation programmes that are currently being implemented under the European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI) will be integrated into the European Territorial Cooperation (Interreg) for the period 2021-2027.
The proposal for Cohesion Policy Beyond 2020 was first presented by the European Commission on May 29th 2018. The proposal included substantial changes focusing on the future of the Cross-Border Cooperation (CBC) programmes implemented under the European Neighbourhood Instrument, for the years 2021-2027.
In particular and according to the proposal, in an effort to simplify and maximize synergy, programmes that belong to the EU’s future external financing instruments will now be implemented under the Interreg Regulation. Those instruments include the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) as well as the European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI).
This is a massive change in regulation, seeing as in the 2014-2020 period, ENI cross-border cooperation programmes were governed by specific implementing regulations, rather different from the Interreg rules.
Additionally, the Regulations proposed by the European Union under the future external financing instruments scheme will “establish clear rules to transfer part of their resources to the Interreg Programme”.
New Programmes
The Transnational cooperation and maritime cooperation components are the results of the concentration of cross-border cooperation components on land borders and the integration of cross-border cooperation on maritime borders. That is the aim of the Interreg Regulation to better streamline.
Division of the current ENI CBC programmes into different types of programmes:
- external “Interreg Neighbourhood CBC programmes”, limited to EU Member States and partner countries sharing land borders;
- maritime cooperation programmes (such as the current ENI CBC Med Programme for instance) covering territories around sea-basins.
The Call for Capitalization Projects
The call for Capitalization Projects under the ENI CBC MED 2014-2020 programme is now open.
Description: The objective of the call for capitalisation projects is to foster the transfer, exploitation and mainstreaming of knowledge and results developed under different Euro-Mediterranean initiatives, including the ENPI/ENI CBC Med Programmes, the Union for the Mediterranean and the Interreg MED Programme. For this last call under the 2014-2020 period, the Joint Monitoring Committee (decision-making body of the Programme) has decided to focus on capitalisation, an innovative process which aims to enable the uptake of the results of a series of different projects/programmes/initiatives by identifying successful and efficient practices, ensuring their promotion, dissemination, replication and mainstreaming in public policies.
Considering the current context marked by COVID-19 pandemic and given the global economic downturn, Applicants are encouraged to develop actions that can foster the socio-economic regeneration across the Mediterranean area, in terms of:
- Job and business creation;
- Transition to carbon-neutral economies;
- Efficient delivery of social care services;
- Support to the most vulnerable people.
To maximise the impact of the projects to be funded, all 4 thematic objectives and 11 priorities of the Programme are addressed by the call, i.e.:
Business and SMEs development
- A.1.1: Support innovative start-up and recently established enterprises
- A.1.2: Strengthen and support euro Mediterranean networks, clusters, consortia and value-chains in traditional sectors and nontraditional sectors
- A.1.3: Encourage sustainable tourism initiatives and actions
Technology transfer and innovation
- A.2.1: Support technological transfer and commercialisation of research results
- A.2.2: Support SMEs in accessing research and innovation, also through clustering
Social inclusion and fight against poverty
- A.3.1: Provide young people, especially those belonging to the NEETS, and women, with marketable skills
- A.3.2: Support social and solidarity economic actors
Environment and climate change
- B.4.1: Water management – Support sustainable initiatives targeting innovative and technological solutions to increase water efficiency
- B.4.2: Waste treatment and recycling – Reduce municipal waste generation, promote the source-separated collection and its optimal exploitation
- Submission
- B.4.4: Integrated Coastal Zone Management – Incorporate the Ecosystem-Based management approach to ICZM into local development planning
As outlined in the Joint Operational Programme, capitalisation projects “will promote the exploitation and/or widest dissemination of the successful practices and results of previously financed projects”.
Budget: € 1,000,000
IED’s Actions under ENI CBC MED
One of IED’s most significant projects, implementing under the ENI CBC MED umbrella is the “Helios: Enhancing the Social Inclusion of Neets” project. The project responded to the Thematic objective: A.3 Promotion of social inclusion and the fight against poverty and Priority A.3.1 Professionalization of young people (NEETS) and women.
The project aims to tackle the issue of the high rates of NEETs and prominent skills mismatch which currently prevails in the Mediterranean.
The project will provide curricula for innovative targeted and tailored skills training courses oriented towards specific needs of the BaCE labour market and the needs of NEETs, based on direct interaction with local enterprises. This will be achieved through soft skills coaching and mentoring actions, as well as the creation of e-learning tools and methodologies supported by new technologies to facilitate skills learning for NEETs and women.
For more information on the HELIOS project, you can visit IED’s website or the project’s official page.
Two more projects under the ENI CBC MED programme have been approved and IED is proud to be a part of the consortia.
INVESTMED: InNoVativE Sustainable sTart-ups for the MEDiterranean is focusing on:
- building synergies with the main EU, national and regional policies in the area
- contributing to the development of new public policies and policy-relevant innovations
- long-lasting and far-reaching effects for the region, fostering significant change through the achievement of sustainable, tangible and replicable results and transferability of good practices – with a clear view to the sustainability beyond the programme period
- involving key public and private actors at all levels (national, regional and local) with extensive experience and competencies to foster impact, change and policy innovation
Project U-SOLVE is focusing on the social-economic challenge of developing supportive business environments for business development and innovation; – the environmental challenge of responding to environmental pressures in the urban areas; – the promotion of youth and female economic participation and the creation of innovative start-ups through a more sustainable and inclusive model of economic growth.
IED is always looking for new and exciting collaborations. If you are looking for an experienced partner to work with for The Call for Capitalization Projects under the ENI CBC MED programme Contact us today!
