EU financial supports for cross-border co-operations: external borders

promotion of cross-border co-operation between regions in the Central European Candidate Countries (CECCs) and the European Union
aim: to mirror the Interreg Initiative

Source: From pre-accession to accession..., February 2004

Phare CBC allocations 1994-2003

but finally only 820 million was used (approximately 18% of total Phare funds at that time)

Phare CBC allocations during the first phase of the programme

Phare CBC implementation by area of intervention as of 31 December 1998

Source: data based on Special Report 5/99, Court of Auditors, 1999

(million euro, 1994-1998) (Source: data based on Special Report 5/99, Court of Auditors, 1999
)

Source: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2000:048:0001:0024:EN:PDF

of border regions in countries in Central and Eastern Europe with adjacent regions in a neighbouring EU and accession countries, and thus to help the border regions in Central and Eastern Europe to overcome the specific development problems which may arise, inter alia, from their position within the national economies, in the interest of the local population and in a manner compatible with the protection of the environment
to promote the creation and the development of co-operation networks on either side of the border, and the establishment of links between these networks and wider Community networks (Article 3)
broadened the geographical eligibility by including the borders between the CECCs
redefined eligible actions under Phare CBC (Article 5)
introduced new planning and implementation instruments
Joint Programming Documents
Joint Co-operation Committees
Joint Small Project Funds
(Commission Regulation 2760/98. http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CONSLEG:1998R2760:20050708:EN:PDF)

2000: amended again and the modifications primarily followed the expected changes resulting from the enlargement in 2004:
partly making the activities more consistent with Interreg IIIA
and partly easing the ‘principle of territoriality’
the financial support for the 2000-2006 budgetary period has been increased
partly related to the more intensive coordination of Interreg IIA and Phare CBC,
and partly to the broadening of the scope of authority within the Phare CBC
Between 2000 and 2006, 1 141 million euro was available for Phare CBC projects, representing 10% of the total yearly Phare commitments. In 2003, this figure was supplemented by an External Border Initiative (33 million euro) aiming to support CBC-type investments at the future external border of the EU as well as to help the acceding countries to prepare for Interreg and Neighbourhood Programmes upon accession.

available for Phare CBC projects, representing 10% of the total yearly Phare commitments. In 2003, this figure was supplemented by an External Border Initiative (33 million euro) aiming to support CBC-type investments at the future external border of the EU as well as to help the acceding countries to prepare for Interreg and Neighbourhood Programmes upon accession.

Total Phare allocation and the share of Phare CBC in 2003 (million euro)

Source: data from ec.europa.eu/comm./enlargement/pas/phare/programmes/index.htm

Distribution of the Phare CBC allocations by countries in 2003

2003

Differences in the Interreg and Phare CBC procedures (until 1998)

the Interreg and Phare CBC allocations by countries in 2003

border regions of Central and Eastern Europe and adjacent regions of the European Union, as well as border regions between applicant countries of Central and Eastern Europe. Given the accession of eight Phare countries in 2004, the Phare CBC Regulation has been amended in order to update the list of countries which remain eligible and, on the same occasion, the scope of the Phare CBC programme has been extended to cover the Bulgarian border with Turkey and the Bulgarian and Romanian borders with their adjacent TACIS and CARDS countries (Ukraine, Moldova, Serbia and Montenegro, and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia). In addition to this, the Commission Communication Paving the way for a New Neighbourhood Instrument (COM(2003) 393 of 1 July 2003) envisaged the Phare CBC Joint Programming Document for Bulgarian and Romanian external borders as a useful basis for its Neighbourhood Programme, designed to boost co-operation between an enlarges EU and neighbouring non-candidate countries.

to the Interreg programming. To achieve harmony with Interreg, there are indicative multiannual frameworks here as well. These programmes must be in compliance with the general EU regulations which in fact provide basis for the multiannual financial division. The (annual) discussions about the approval of the budget, its division by the actual projects and financial obligations were done in accordance with the general Phare Regulations with the approval of the Phare Management Committee and the European Commission.

all border regions – have a significant role in the planning, execution and monitoring processes of the programmes. These Committees work with the participation of the representatives of the Interreg and Phare CBC central authorities, of the specific ministries and agencies responsible for the main projects of the programme, and of the stakeholder regional and local authorities (in some cases the authorities of euroregions or border regions may also delegate representatives – like in the case of the German-Dutch border). The general coordination of the programmes and their financial background are conducted by the authority responsible for programmes (existing in all countries concerned).

Multi-Beneficiary Programmes)
operated between 1997 and 2000
aim: to promote and support “East-East” cross-border co-operations between the border regions of the candidate countries
objectives:
promote good neighbourliness and social stability in the border regions
promote cross-border co-operation which can contribute to economic and community development and
contribute towards decentralisation in the Central European candidate countries
tasks: promotion of multi-sectoral projects including
economic development
socio-cultural co-operation
urban and regional services
human resources
environment
local and regional development
mission: to prepare for the Interreg programme after the enlargement