Brussels, 24/04/2008 (Agence Europe) - The Interreg IVA programme which applies to the north of France, England, the Netherlands and Flanders between 2007 and 2013 was launched in Dunkirk (France) on Thursday 24 April, with Daniel Percheron, President of the Nord-Pas de Calais Regional Council, Michel Delebarre, Mayor of Dunkirk, and Ann-Kirstin Myleus of the European Commission (DG Regio) attending. The first call for tenders was also launched on Thursday.
Following on from the previous Franco-British Interreg, the “two seas” cross-border programme covers a new area of cooperation which, a press release from the Nord-Pas de Calais Region says, is unusual in that there is a maritime border. With a budget of €167 million from the ERDF, it brings together former and new partners within an extended geographical area on either side of this border. For the period 2007-2013, the Nord-Pas de Calais Region is responsible for managing this maritime cooperation programme which involves coastal regions of France, England, Flanders and the Netherlands. To enable it to carry out this function, the Region has a joint technical secretariat, based in Lille. More than 500 participants, both institutional and project sponsors (local authorities, companies, chambers of commerce and industry, development agencies, universities, etc.) from the four regions will have the “keys to the door” delivered to begin new projects for the new 2007-2013 programming period, the press release adds. The day was the opportunity for project sponsors to receive the information needed to build their cooperation projects, or to help them join networks with future partners thanks to the “cooperation” area specially provided for that purpose, the press release concludes.
An explanatory note says that: (1) the two seas operational programme was officially sent to the European Commission by the Nord-Pas de Calais Region on 15 November 2007 for approval by June 2008; the first call for projects was made on 24 April with a 27 June 2008 deadline for receipt of applications by the secretariat in Lille; (2) proposed projects must have a partner in the United Kingdom and at least one partner from the three other eligible areas; (3) the programme also provides for small-scale projects and strategic projects, which could also spill over into the geographic area covered by the neighbouring cross-border programme, i.e. the France (Manche)-England programme. Further information is available at http: //http://www.dunkerquekursaal.com/interreg/accueil.html (G.B.)