Interreg wide consultation 2024
In 2024, in parallel to programme own consultation efforts, Interact conducted a consultation on the future of Interreg, collecting feedback from programmes about the future, including the regulatory repairs as well as inspirational ideas for a better future.
The final Interact reports were published in January 2025, and fed into the Interreg GO deliberations, as well as DG REGIO's final Harvesting Report published in May 2025
Interact's final reports include ten-subject reports, some of which are supported by additional subject specific reports, where additional subjects needed more specific exploration. The contents of these reports reflect Interact's best effort to collect and share the perspectives of Interreg programmes. They also aim to identify the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.
Process undertaken
From the launch at the Interreg Annual Event 2ß23 in Santiago de Compostela, Interact used two milestone events to anchor the consultation and provide input opportunities for almost all progammes.
The first opportunity was the Interreg Knowledge Fair 2024, which took place in Riga, which launched a number of discussions about the future. To bring the topics and conclusions back to the whole Interreg community, the Harvesting event in November 2024 discussed and reviewed discussion papers, and supported the drafting of the final reports.
These large events were supported by the many smaller discussions took place in events throughout 2024. These discussions supported the additional work on the main topics, with utilised different methodologies to be able to report back.
What were the key topics
Seven priority subjects were identified and were developed between the two milestone events. These topics were able to utilise their own methodologies to develop discussion papers, and in order to prepare final reports.
The seven core topics were:
- Performance-based approach and future SCOs
- Synergies and cooperation
- Territorial instruments
- External cooperation
- Flexibility and adaptability of programmes
- Greener Europe
- Future of ISO1
During the discussions additional issues were identified for discussion, these included Interreg visibility, sustainability and Data in Interreg.
Contact
For more information please contact Marko Ruokangas.
Working group
Interact established a working group to explore the performance-based approach, how it could be used in Interreg, and the risks and opportunities of this approach.