We will continue to support cross-border cooperation between Slovenia and Croatia in the programming period 2021-2027.
The Programme will be managed by the GODC as the Managing Authority and the Joint Secretariat; the two bodies will work closely together with the representatives of both countries.
In May 2018, the European Commission put forward a package of proposals for regulations governing regional development and Cohesion Policy beyond 2020. The negotiations, which took three years, were finalized with an agreement reached on 24 June 2021, which was followed by the adoption and publication of the Cohesion Policy legislative package 2021-2027.
The Monitoring Committee of the Cooperation Programme Slovenia-Croatia 2014-2020 established the Programming Task Force (PTF) which started its work in September 2019. The role of PTF, which is composed of members from both partner countries, is to steer the overall programming process as well as to formally decide on the content of the future programme and on the selection of thematic priorities. Representatives of the European Commission, the Managing Authority and the Joint Secretariat participate in PTF in the capacity of observer but have no substantive role in the decision-making process.
A group of external experts that support the programming process conducted a territorial and socio-economic analysis of the programme area and drew up a report outlining the findings of the analysis. PTF approved the report in January 2022.
The territorial and socio-economic analysis and numerous discussions held within the scope of PTF serve as the basis for the formulation of initial strategic orientations. The discussion on the selection of specific objectives of the future Interreg Programme Slovenia-Croatia 2021-2027 builds on the proposed strategic orientations.
Strategic environmental assessment (SEA) is carried out in parallel to the preparation of the Programme to identify any potential adverse effects of the future Programme on the environment.
An important milestone has been achieved in the preparation of the new Interreg Programme Slovenia-Croatia 2021-2027. The Programming Task Force approved the final draft of the Interreg Programme (IP) Slovenia-Croatia for the programming period 2021-2027 in the last week of March 2022, which was followed by the signing of the Partnership Agreement by the heads of the relevant ministries on behalf of Slovenia and Croatia.
The final draft Interreg Programme Slovenia-Croatia 2021-2027 was officially submitted to the European Commission for approval on 31 March 2022. The European Commission will make observations to the document within three months of the date of its submission. The draft programme will be fine-tuned taking into due account the observations made in order to be approved at the latest within five months of the date of its submission to the European Commission. The new programme is thus expected to be formally approved at the start of autumn 2022.
In the meantime, the relevant authorities will prepare the call for proposals and the relevant legal bases governing the implementation of projects (guide for the beneficiaries on project implementation). Support will be given to the projects that will best help realize the vision of the new Interreg Programme Slovenia-Croatia and that will contribute to a well-preserved, resilient and connected border region where sustainable development is recognized as the driver of economic activity, safety and security, biodiversity protection and social prosperity.
