Brussels, 30/07/2002 (Agence Europe) - On Monday the European Union adopted the EUR 30 million programme for supporting co-operation in 2002 between the EU and candidate country border regions. Under the impetus of the European Parliament, the 2002 budget plans to grant this additional aid, which is centred upon the Community's budget flexibility instrument (EUROPE 23 November 2001). These funds will be distributed between already existing cross-border programmes in the framework of the Interreg co-operation programme between the regions: 1)Finland/Estonia; Germany/Poland; 2) Mecklenburg and west Pommerania/Brandenburg, Zachodniopomrs, Lubuskia; 3) Lower Saxony/Vojvodina Lower Silesia; 4) Germany/Czech Republic; 5) Lower Saxony/Czech Republic; 6) Bavaria/Czech Republic; 7) -10) Four Austrian programmes with the Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Hungary and Slovenia, Italy and Slovenia; 11) and 12) Two Greek programmes with Bulgaria and Cyprus; 13) The co-operation programme in the Baltic region. Additional funding will be managed by the existing Interreg programmes concerned. Measures taken could cover projects in the following areas: strengthening of the transport systems, help to SMEs particularly affected by enlargement, aid for training and intercultural co-operation, including integration of the different linguistic and cultural groups. Commissioner for Regional policy, Michel Barnier, stressed that this aid would allow the cross-border regions from "both sides of the border to face the problems linked to enlargement but also to take advantage of the opportunities that it offers by helping, for example, the SMEs to find partners and new markets in neighbouring regions".