Interreg Alpine Space 2021-2027

1 Interreg Programme (IP) adopted by the European Commission on 5 May 2022 INTERREG ALPINE SPACE PROGRAMME 2021-2027 2 CCI 2021TC16RFTN001 Title (Interreg VI-B) Alpine Space Version 1.1 First year 2021 Last year 2027 Eligible from 01-Jan-2021 Eligible until 31-Dec- 2029 EC decision number C(2022) 2881 final EC decision date 05-May- 2022 NUTS regions covered by the programme SI03 - Vzhodna Slovenija SI04 - Zahodna Slovenija CH01 - Région lémanique CH02 - Espace Mittelland CH03 - Nordwestschweiz CH04 - Zürich CH05 - Ostschweiz CH06 - Zentralschweiz CH07 - Ticino FRC2 - Franche-Comté FRF1 - Alsace FRK2 - Rhône-Alpes FRL0 - Provence-Alpes- ITC1 - Piemonte ITC2 - ITC3 - Liguria ITC4 - Lombardia ITH1 - Provincia Autonoma di Bolzano/Bozen ITH2 - Provincia Autonoma di Trento ITH3 - Veneto ITH4 - Friuli-Venezia Giulia LI00 - Liechtenstein AT12 - Niederösterreich AT13 - Wien AT21 - Kärnten AT22 - Steiermark AT31 - Oberösterreich AT32 - Salzburg AT33 - Tirol 3 AT34 - Vorarlberg DE11 - Stuttgart DE12 - Karlsruhe DE13 - Freiburg DE14 - Tübingen DE21 - Oberbayern DE22 - Niederbayern DE23 - Oberpfalz DE24 - Oberfranken DE25 - Mittelfranken DE26 - Unterfranken DE27 - Schwaben AT11 - Burgenland Strand Strand B: TN Transnational Cooperation Programme (ETC) CCI 2021TC16RFTN001 Title (Interreg VI-B) Alpine Space 4 Table of content 1. Joint programme strategy: main development challenges and policy responses ....................... 7 1.1. Programme area ............................................................................................... 7 1.2. Joint programme strategy: Summary of main joint challenges, taking into accco unt economic, social and territorial disparities as well as inequalities, joint investment n eeds and complimentary and synergies with other funding programmes and instruments, lessons-learnt from past experience and macro-regional strategies and sea-basin strategies where the programme area as a whole or partially is covered by one or more strategies ..................................................... 8 1.3. Justification for the selection of policy objectives and the Interreg specific o bjectives, corresponding priorities, specific objectives and the forms of support, addressing, w here appropriate, missing links in cross-border infrastructure ................................................. 25 2. Priorities ........................................................................................................... 30 2.1. Priority 1: Climate resilient and green Alpine region ................................................. 30 2.1.1 Specific objectives: RSO2.4. Promoting climate change adaptation and disaster ris k prevention, resilience taking into account eco-system based approaches ............................. 30 2.1.1.1. Related types of action, and their expected contribution to those specific objectives an d to macro-regional strategies and sea-basis strategies, where appropriate ............................ 30 2.1.1.2. Indicators ........................................................................................... 33 2.1.1.3. Main target groups ................................................................................ 34 2.1.1.4. Indication of the specific territories targeted, including the planned use of ITI, CLLD or other territorial tools ............................................................................................ 34 2.1.1.5. Planned use of financial instruments ............................................................... 34 2.1.1.6. Indicative breakdown of the EU programme resources by type of intervention ....... 35 2.1.2. Specific objective: RSO2.7. Enhancing protection and preservation of natur e, biodiversity and green infrastructure, including in urban areas, and reducing all forms of pollution ........................................................................................................... 36 2.1.2.1 Related types of action, and their expected contribution to those specific objecti ves and to macro-regional strategies and sea-basis strategies, where appropriate ............................ 36 2.1.2.2. Indicators ................................................................................................ 39 2.1.2.3. Main target groups ..................................................................................... 40 2.1.2.4. Indication of the specific territories targeted, including the planned use of ITI, CLLD or other territorial tools ............................................................................................ 40 2.1.2.5. Planned use of financial instruments ............................................................... 40 2.1.2.6. Indicative breakdown of the EU programme resources by type of intervention ............ 41 2.2. Priority: 2 - Carbon neutral and resource sensitive Alpine region .................................. 42 2.2.1. Specific objective: RSO2.1. Promoting energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions ........................................................................................................... 42 2.2.1.1 Related types of action, and their expected contribution to those specific objecti ves and to macro-regional strategies and sea-basis strategies, where appropriate ............................ 42 5 2.2.1.2. Indicators ................................................................................................ 45 2.2.1.3. Main target groups ..................................................................................... 46 2.2.1.4. Indication of the specific territories targeted, including the planned use of ITI, CLLD or other territorial tools ............................................................................................ 46 2.2.1.5. Planned use of financial instruments ............................................................... 46 2.2.1.6. Indicative breakdown of the EU programme resources by type of intervention ............ 47 2.2.2. Specific objective: RSO2.6. Promoting the transition to a circular an d resource efficient economy ............................................................................................................ 48 2.2.2.1 Related types of action, and their expected contribution to those specific objecti ves and to macro-regional strategies and sea-basis strategies, where appropriate ............................ 48 Reference: point (e)(i) of Article 17(3), point (c)(ii) of Article 17(9) .................................. 48 2.2.2.2. Indicators ................................................................................................ 51 2.2.2.3. Main target groups ..................................................................................... 52 2.2.2.4. Indication of the specific territories targeted, including the planned use of ITI, CLLD or other territorial tools ............................................................................................ 52 2.2.2.5. Planned use of financial instruments ............................................................... 52 2.2.2.6. Indicative breakdown of the EU programme resources by type of intervention ............ 53 2.3. Priority: 3 - Innovation and digitalisation supporting a green Alpin e region ..................... 54 2.3.1. Specific objective: RSO1.1. Developing and enhancing research and innovati on capacities and the uptake of advanced technologies .................................................................... 54 2.3.1.1 Related types of action, and their expected contribution to those specific objecti ves and to macro-regional strategies and sea-basis strategies, where appropriate ............................ 54 2.3.1.2. Indicators ................................................................................................ 57 2.3.1.3. Main target groups ..................................................................................... 58 2.3.1.4. Indication of the specific territories targeted, including the planned use of ITI, CLLD or other territorial tools ............................................................................................ 58 2.3.1.5. Planned use of financial instruments ............................................................... 58 2.3.1.6. Indicative breakdown of the EU programme resources by type of intervention ............ 59 2.3.2. Specific objective: RSO1.2. Reaping the benefits of digitisation for citizens, companies, research organisations and public authorities ............................................................... 60 2.3.2.1 Related types of action, and their expected contribution to those specific objecti ves and to macro-regional strategies and sea-basis strategies, where appropriate ............................ 60 2.3.2.2. Indicators ................................................................................................ 63 2.2.2.3. Main target groups ..................................................................................... 64 2.3.2.4. Indication of the specific territories targeted, including the planned use of ITI, CLLD or other territorial tools ............................................................................................ 64 2.3.2.5. Planned use of financial instruments ............................................................... 64 2.3.2.6. Indicative breakdown of the EU programme resources by type of intervention ............ 65 6 2.4. Priority: 4 - Cooperatively managed and developed Alpine region ................................ 66 2.4.1. Specific objective: ISO6.4. Enhance institutional capacity of public auth orities and stakeholders to implement macro-regional strategies and sea-basin strategies, as well as othe r territorial strategies (all strands) .............................................................................. 66 2.4.1.1 Related types of action, and their expected contribution to those specific objecti ves an d to macro-regional strategies and sea-basis strategies, where appropriate ............................ 66 2.4.1.2. Indicators ................................................................................................ 69 2.4.1.3. Main target groups ..................................................................................... 70 2.4.1.4. Indication of the specific territories targeted, including the planned use of ITI, CLLD or other territorial tools ............................................................................................ 70 2.4.1.5. Planned use of financial instruments ............................................................... 70 2.4.1.6. Indicative breakdown of the EU programme resources by type of intervention ............ 71 3. Financing plan ..................................................................................................... 72 3.1 Financial appropriations by year ...................................................................... 72 3.2 Total financial appropriations by fund and national co-financing .............................. 73 4. Action taken to involve the relevant programme partners in the preparation of the I nterreg programme and the role of those programme partners in the implementation, monitoring and evaluation ......................................................................................................... 74 5. Approach to communication and visibility for the Interreg programme (objectives, tar get audiences, communication channels, including social media outreach, where appr opriate, planned budget and relevant indicators for monitoring and evaluation) .............................. 77 6. Indication of support to small-scale projects, including small projects within smal l project funds ...................................................................................................................... 79 7. Implementing provisions ........................................................................................ 80 7.1. Programme authorities ..................................................................................... 80 7.2. Procedure for setting up the joint secretariat ......................................................... 80 7.3. Apportionment of liabilities among participating Member States and where applicable, th e third or partner countries and OCTs, in the event of financial corrections imposed by the managing authority or the Commission ....................................................................... 81 8. Use of unit costs, lump sums, flat rates and financing not linked to costs ............................ 82 Appendix 3: List of planned operations of strategic importance with a timetable - Article 22( 3) CPR ...................................................................................................................... 83 Figure 1: Map of the cooperation area ........................................................................... 84 7 1.1. Programme area Reference: point (a) of Article 17(3), point (a) of Article 17(9) 1 The programme area for the Alpine Space Programme 2021-2027 comprises the following terri tories: Austria: the whole territory France - NUTS 2: Alsace, Franche-Comté, Provence-Alpes- -Alpes Germany NUTS 2: Oberbayern, Niederbayern, Oberpfalz, Oberfranken, Mittelfrank en, Unterfranken, Schwaben; Stuttgart, Karlsruhe, Freiburg, Tübingen Italy NUTS 2: Lombardia, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Veneto, Provincia Auto noma di Trento, Provincia Autonoma di Bolzano / Bozen, Valle d'Aosta / Vallée d'Aoste, Piemont e, Liguria Liechtenstein: the whole territory Slovenia: the whole territory Switzerland: the whole territory. In 2015 the Alpine States and Regions gave themselves a common strategy: the EU Strategy for the Alpine Region (EUSALP). In order to enable the involvement of releva nt partners from the entire EUSALP area in the development of the Alpine Region, the perimeter of the Alpine Space programme 2021-2027 shall be aligned to the perimeter of EUSALP. This is meant to strengthen the coherence between programme and strategy goals and to support the path towards a carbon neutral and climate resilient territory. The focus of activities and interventions on the functional and geographic specificities of the Alps and peri-a lpine areas will be maintained. The programme continues to play a key role in implementing the strategy and facilitating transnational cooperation in the area. Through transnational coope ration, the Alpine Region is striving for joint solutions and exchange in this regard. 1 Regulation (EU) 2021/1059 of the European Parliament and of the Council o f 24 June 2021 on specific provisions for the European territorial cooperation goal (Interreg) suppo rted by the European Regional Development Fund. Available here. 8 1.2. Joint programme strategy: Summary of main joint challenges, taking into acccount economic, social and territorial disparities as well as inequalities, joint investment needs and complimentary and synergies with other funding programmes and instruments, lessons- learnt from past experience and macro-regional strategies and sea- basin strategies where the programme area as a whole or partially is covered by one or more strategies Reference: point (b) of Article 17(3), point (b) of Article 17(9) Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic, present at the time of programming, makes it more diff icult than usually to assess current data and derive valid future COVID- 19-pandemic) and the best possible estimation of future developments, also a gainst the background and the inclusion of longer-lasting megatrends. The Alpine Space Programme area consists of both: metropolises of global importa nce as well as remote rural areas. It spreads across the borders of seven countries. The Alp ine states share the geographical and environmental characteristics and challenges of the Alpine region. However, these states differ considerably in terms of their economy and culture. Cultu ral differences contribute to the wealth of the Alpine heritage. They are embraced and celebrated in the ma cro-regional, cross- border and transnational dimensions and complement the natural her itage making the Alpine region a particularly attractive destination for tourists. The long histor y of cooperation as well as the establishment of the Alps as a popular touristic destination is an evidence of cultural and natural wealth and heritage. Alpine regions are very heterogeneous. This heterogeneity is further intens ified by economic and demographic disparities. On the one hand, there are disparities between large r areas as a whole, such as northern and southern Alps, eastern and western Alps. On the o ther hand, there are disparities between different territorial types such as rural, peri-urban, and urban areas, alpine an d peri-alpine areas, or finer socio-economic typologies such as Alpine metropolises, Alpine cities, stable or growing rural areas, declining and shrinking rural areas and tourism areas. Alpine economies are also characterised by different specialisations and economic activities. The Alpine region is affected not only by issues inherent to its mountai nous character, environment and its diverse culture but also by external forces linked to develo pments at a wider geographical scale. The former, such as remoteness, accessibility, rich, and susce ptible biodiversity and environment, economic disparities but also cooperation history are well- known in the region. The latter are emerging developments and mega trends, such as climate chan ge, globalisation, and digitalisation. They pose new opportunities and challenges and impact already exis ting ones. Both 9 already established and relatively new challenges closely interact wi th each other and have social, economic, and environmental consequences. Of particular note is climate change which is a long-term issue that gr eatly affects society and economy. Climate change and digitalisation together pave the way towards the n ext phase of globalisation. Climate change is a global trend with highly relevant but often uncertain impacts on territories, environment, human health, and economy. Mountainous regi ons, such as the inner Alpine regions, are more affected by climate change than lowlands. Environmental ch allenges and the phenomenon of climate change pose the most pressing problems on a global scale. Similar to other parts of the world, they impact already existing economic, demographic, and so cial characteristics and disparities in the Alpine region. This phenomenon challenges us to joi ntly rethink our economies, societies, and development strategie s. Digitalisation is a global and far reaching technology-driven tra nsition that has been changing life, work structures, businesses, provision of services of general inter est (SGIs), mobility, as well as social interaction. This phenomenon offers a considerable range of oppo rtunities in the Alpine region that can be exploited, but possible negative effects (e.g. on CO2-reduction) carefully have to be assessed and weighted up towards the overall goal of CO2-neutrality. Other rel evant trends include urbanisation, demographic change, societal change; focus on kno wledge-based economy, and increasing energy consumption. A comprehensive and place-based appr oach is needed to address the range of these issues. A more comprehensive and place-based approach to these environmental, ec onomical, and social challenges can be offered by transnational cooperation at different gove rnance levels in the entire Alpine region. In tackling these challenges, it is necessary to acknowledge the underlying and long- term environmental and climate change-related developments as opportuni ties for a shift to sustainable economies and societies. The Alpine Space Programme aims to exploit thes e opportunities and fully embrace this innovative and trail-blazing approach which will require commitment and cooperation. Having that in mind the content of the programme is based on the applicabl e European Commission`s regulations, as well as on overarching strategies such as the UN Susta inable Development Goals, the European Green Deal as well as on overarching objectives, to achieve a just and green Europe and the New Leipzig Charta. -2027 therefore states the following: Why are we here? We are at the forefront of the transition to a unique, carbon neutral and clim ate resilient European territory: the Alpine region. What do we do? 10 Through innovative and pioneering ideas, we foster the integration o f sustainable economic development, societal wellbeing and the preservation of its outstanding nature. We support cooperation projects across borders and facilitate joint trans-national s olutions. How do we do it? We bring together stakeholders from different areas, sectors and level s and create benefit for the citizens in the Alpine region. Summary of main joint challenges, opportunities, and relevant territorial, social, and economic disparities Environment, biodiversity and climate change, energ y The Alpine region is a biodiversity hotspot and its territory is more susce ptible to climate change . The Alps are the second largest biodiversity reservoir in Europe after the Mediterra nean Sea and one of the most important water towers of Europe. With almost 4500 va scular plants, the Alps represent one of the largest biodiversity centres in Europe as about 500 of these s pecies are endemic. These resources are widely used creating strong competition for land and water for various purposes. Alpine biodiversity and ecological connectivity has been under pressure for many decades especially since the second half of the 20th century. Intensive exploitation of na tural resources and the use of land for various purposes like settlements, transport, energy, and touristic i nfrastructure as well as for agriculture and forestry have caused high losses in biodiversity and the fragmentation of ecosystems in the Alpine area. In addition, the rich natural heritage of the Alpine region is more and more endangered. Climate change is a new threat for Alpine biodiversity. As a result of its rich biodiversity across its different territories (mountainous regions, forelands , the Alpine region has a high potential for Green Infrastructures (GIs) . However, the Alpine region is also among regions with the lowest contribution of protected ar eas to the total area of potential GI. An obstacle to potential multi-functionality of GIs is the prese nce of bare rock on the surface. This results in low values for most ecosystem services . For example, in Austria there is a large network of protected areas; however, they have a low capacity to provide ecosystem services. In Slovenia and part of France there is the highest capacity for multi-fu nctionality for policies. Notwithstanding this, there are possibilities for improvement in better integrating ecosystem services and green infrastructures. At the same time, urbanised areas play an important role by using ecosystem services . In particularly high demand is given for water, leisure supply (including second homes), tourism (demand), but also clean air and ecological benefits. This requires a particular focu s on the use of GIs and ecosystem areas in the urban territories of the Alpine region. In the last deca des the Alpine countries together with trans-Alpine organisations and networks have taken high efforts to protect natural hot spots and biodiversity as well as to build up ecological networks in the Alps through numerous activities. It is necessary to continue these efforts in the face of continued environmental threats.