Towards INTERACT II Georg Schadt, Managing Authority INTERACT International Conference Venice 16 th June 2006

Mission Statement –Whether the political objectives of INTERREG and Objective 3 can be met depends highly on the performance and the features of the implementing system; –Fundamental influence on efficiency and effectiveness of policy implementation The specific governance challenge: Multicountry, mulitlevel and cross-sector dimension –Territorial co-operation is a case for good governance. And this is what INTERACT is about.

Programme Objectives and Tasks –Increase the effectiveness of INTERREG III –Facilitate the preparation for and launch of the Objective 3 Programmes –Promotion of transfer of know-how and exchange of experience among Programmes and Strands –Support to the Managing Bodies and key stakeholders of 79 INTERREG III Programmes –Technical Assistance for the creation and consolidation of joint structures for programming, monitoring and management

Services and Activities –Training seminars –Workshops and discussion fora (online) –Advisory Services –Creation and Animation of Networks of Professionals –Conferences at regional, national and European level –Study Visits –Communications Campaigns –Data collection on INTERREG Projects and experts –Handbooks and Studies on INTERREG programmes and projects –Web resources

First review of programme performance –Created for the first time a community of the key stakeholders of 79 cross-border, transnational and interregional INTERREG programmes 11 Europe-wide conferences (2700 participants) 38 training seminars and workshops (2300 participants) 22 Advisory services on the spot including the 10 NMS –Enjoys excess demand and good scores for the programmes´ services –Covered effectively the main governance issues related to Territorial Cooperation (Trainings, Studies, Management Tools)

First review of programme performance –Contributed to minimise n+2 losses and to organise financial control at transnational level –Facilitated a smooth integration of the 10 NMS into the INTERREG III programmes –Prepared the ground for a successful launch of Objective 3 –has raised the awareness for Territorial Cooperation –Built up decentralised implementing bodies located in 9 Member States within only 1 year –Has launched successfully 2 calls for project proposals (22 Projects, 180 partners)

Table of contents –Mission statement –First review of performance –Towards INTERACT II –Consolidation and new priorities –Review of the delivery structure –Budget forecast

Towards INTERACT II From INTERREG to OBJECTIVE 3 New objective 3 part of European strategy (CSG, NSRF) focussed on Lisbon and Gothenburg agendas –cross border co-operation strengthend ( allocation, broad range of eligible measures, even more ambition towards joint procedures, projects and co-operation structures). – transnational as well as interregional co-operation driven towards more strategic projects and tangible results – EU 10 to participate fully in the new objective 3 programmes (structures, procedures, project partners) – IPA for further enlargement (Rumania, Bulgaria, Croatia) – ENPI to facilitate cooperation at new external borders

Table of contents –Mission statement –First review of performance –Towards INTERACT II –Consolidation and new priorities –Review of the delivery structure –Main improvements justifying a budget increase?

Towards INTERACT II Consolidation Consolidating and reinforcing the management principles and institutions introduced with the last SF reform –Principles: joint programming, genuine cross border projects, project leader approach, partnership –Institution building: joint management structures (Managing Authority, Paying Authority, Joint Technical Secretariats, Joint Monitoring Committees, Single Bank Account, Joint Monitoring Systems, EGTC) – European legislation on financial management and control to be mainstreamed

Towards INTERACT II Strengthening the strategic orientation – deepen the understanding of Good Governance as a key factor for improving regional competitiveness (multilevel and cross-sector implementation) – translate the CSG and the NSRF´s for the context of Objective 3 – carry out applied research on Governance aspects of regional co-operation programmes (most complex implementation systems!)

Towards INTERACT II More support for Regional and Local Actors - Meet higher ambitions for Cross Border Cooperation: e.g. generalisation of Project Leader Principle, setting up joint structures, EGTC, national co-financing systems, … - Safeguard project quality, more strategic orientation - use spill overs from transnational and interregional programmes to CBC (tools, procedures, practises) – meet the challenge of localisation (Language barrier, access, critical mass, more investment type projects, qualification of MA and PA staff, regional boards and committees)

Towards INTERACT II Thematic Concentration Raising efficiency of Management and Quality of Projects will become even more important: – Capturing INTERREG III project results to carry forward into new programmes – Building up project pipelines (pro-active project generation vs. open call) – Enhance quality assessment, indicators, project selection – Enable (impact) monitoring of project implementation

Towards INTERACT II Institution building –EU 15: Regionalisation of CBC programme management functions, –Groupings of CBC programmes –EU 10: new CBC programmes to be set up, paradigmatic shift from PHARE/TACIS/CARDS to SF (structures, procedures) – “clash of administrative mindsets” – New transnational co-operation areas

Towards INTERACT II Integration of New Member States New External Borders – Objective 3 and IPA: Pre-accession support for Rumania, Bulgaria and Croatia – Objective 3 and ENPI: clear demand from EU 10 but limited mandate for DG.Regio

Table of contents –Mission statement –First review of performance –Towards INTERACT II –Consolidation and new priorities –Review of the delivery structure –Budget forecast

The INTERACT Points Decentralised Implementing Units 5 INTERACT Points currently located in 9 Member States: Valentia (SP) – Maastricht (NL) Viborg (DK) – Luxemburg (ESPON) Östersund (S) Vienna (A) – Turku (FIN) Rostock (GER) - Lille (F)

Towards INTERACT II Streamlining the delivery structure From a network approach towards a coherent organisation for service delivery –Strengthen the strategic programme development –Develop a coherent and integrated service portfolio at common quality level –Remain responsive to end users needs –Localise INTERACT services –Arrive at a geographically balanced service level –Raise efficiency of service delivery –Make the delivery structure more robust

Towards INTERACT II –Strengthen the programme coordination unit and its strategic capacity (programme management, co-ordination, CD, PR, know-how and quality management, thematic platforms, research on governance) –Service delivery by a limited number of decentralised INTERACT implementing units (based on INTERACT Points) responsible for product development and service delivery –Form a single service organisation –Give INTERACT Points a regional focus –Refocus service profile towards a common and integrated service portfolio

European Commission Monitoring and Steering Committee EU NC + 2 PAC Coordination Unit Managing Authority Interact Point Objective 3 Programmes (Region A) Objective 3 Programmes (Region B) Objective 3 Programmes (Region C) SupervisionManagementEnd users

Towards INTERACT II Political value added (1) “INTERREG is the Flagship of the Structural Funds (Meadows, 2003)” clear European value added INTERREG becoming an Objective in its own right has even raised this profile The political ambition of the 1999 and 2006 reforms concerning European Territorial Cooperation can only be met when the governance challenge will be met

Towards INTERACT II Political value added (2) –Creates a transnational Community of stakeholders for this political objective –Provides a missing link between political ambition and policy implementation –Enables management to steer programmes more strategically –Demonstrates the capacity to make proper use of European Funds –Makes territorial cooperation sustainable in the long term

Thank you for your attention Managing Authority INTERACT