European Territorial Cooperation, also known as Interreg, is one of the key instruments of the EU to support cooperation across borders through project funding. Structured around an umbrella of 79 various programmes, its aim is to tackle common challenges and find shared solutions in fields such as health, environment, research, education, transport, sustainable energy and more. Between 2014-2020, the three Regional Assemblies acted as the National Contact Points for a range of European Territorial Cooperation programmes including: INTERREG Atlantic Area, INTERREG North West Europe, INTERREG Northern Periphery and Artic, INTERREG Europe and URBACT.
Over the years, Interreg funding enabled the development of Irish regions and improved their competitiveness across a suite of policy areas, but also contributed to many learning opportunities and fostered cooperation between like-minded regions across the entire European Union.
The map below represents the participation of Irish partners (Local and Regional authorities, County Councils, research institutions, state agencies, universities, private entities and many more stakeholders) in those transnational and interregional Interreg programmes for which Ireland was eligible in the years 2014-2020.
(Please note, this map does not include Irish participation in INTERREG cross border programmes).