SECAP development

Cross-border cooperation between adjacent regions to promote integrated and harmonious regional development between neighbouring land and maritime border regions:

(a) internal cross-border cooperation between adjacent border regions of two or more member states or between adjacent border regions of at least one member state and one or more third countries

(b) external cross-border cooperation, between adjacent border regions of at least one member state and of one or more partners from IPA III beneficiaries, partner countries supported by NDCI and Russian Federation.

Interreg is a general brand name to refer to European Territorial Cooperation (ETC) under cohesion policy. Interreg is funded by the European Regional Development Fund, Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance and the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI). In 2021-2027, Interreg will support cross-border mobility, and efforts to develop environmental protection, emergency services, skilled jobs and access to public services for the next EU generation as well as better cooperation governance and a safer, more secure Europe.

European Local Energy Assistance (ELENA) provides grants for technical assistance focused on the implementation of energy efficiency, distributed renewable energy and urban transport projects and programmes.

The grant can be used to finance costs related to feasibility and market studies, programme structuring, business plans, energy audits and financial structuring, as well as to the preparation of tendering procedures, contractual arrangements and project implementation units.

The climate sub-programme supports projects in the areas of farming, land use, peatland management, renewable energies and energy efficiency. It co-finances projects in the areas of urban adaptation and land-use planning, the resilience of infrastructure, sustainable management of water in drought-prone areas, flood and coastal management, the resilience of the agricultural, forestry and tourism sectors, and/or support to the EU's outermost regions.

Projects are co-financed under the LIFE Clean Energy Transition sub-programme in the following five areas of intervention:

• Building a national, regional and local policy framework supporting the clean energy transition;

• Accelerating technology roll-out, digitalisation, new services and business models and enhancement of the related professional skills on the market;

• Attracting private finance for sustainable energy;

• Supporting the development of local and regional investment projects;

The LIFE programme is divided into two strands: one for the environment and another for climate action.

The climate action strand also has two sub-programmes:

1. Climate change mitigation and adaptation

2. Clean energy transition

Projects are financed under these categories:

- Standard Action Projects (SAPs), traditional LIFE projects focused on best practices, demonstration, capacity building, deployment, mobilizing investment, and implementation of relevant EU policy.

Missions will operate through a portfolio of actions – such as research projects, policy measures or even legislative initiatives - to achieve a measurable goal that could not be achieved through individual actions. The missions will contribute to the goals of the European Green Deal, Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan as well as the Sustainable Development Goals.

Areas where there will be missions

This cluster aims at reducing environmental degradation, halting and reversing the decline of biodiversity on land, inland waters and sea and better

managing natural resources through transformative changes of the economy and society in both urban and rural areas.

Areas of intervention

This cluster aims to fight climate change by better understanding its causes, evolution, risks, impacts and opportunities, and by making the energy and transport sectors are more climate and environment-friendly, more efficient and competitive, smarter, safer and more resilient.

Areas of intervention

Energy cooperatives refer to a business model where citizens jointly own and participate in renewable energy (RES) or energy efficiency (EE) projects. In energy cooperatives citizens are involved in both the decision making and financial & economical participation. All citizens are eligible to participate. After purchasing a cooperative share and becoming a member or co-owner of local RES and EE projects, members share in the profits and often are given the opportunity to buy the electricity at a fair price.