The “European Territorial Cooperation” (ETC), also known as “Interreg”, is one of the two objectives of the European Union’s cohesion policy and provides a framework for the implementation of joint actions and policy exchanges between national, regional and local actors of different Member States.

The promotion of European Territorial Cooperation (Interreg) is an important priority for the Union’s cohesion policy.

The primary objective of European Territorial Cooperation (ETC) is to promote a harmonious, economic, social and territorial development of the Union as a whole.

Programmes under the “European Territorial Cooperation” (Interreg) goal, in which many Member States and also third countries participate, have special characteristics. The Regulation on the European Territorial Cooperation goal lays down specific rules for Interreg (Reg. (EU) 2021/1059 on the specific provisions governing the European territorial cooperation goal (Interreg), which is supported by the European Regional Development Fund and external financing mechanisms).

Interreg is organized under three strands of cooperation:

• Cross-border (Interreg A)
• Transnational (Interreg B)
• Interregional (Interreg C)

Five Interreg Programming Periods have been completed since 1990 (including the current one).