site.btaCabinet Approves Draft Interact IV Interregional Coooperation Programme

At its regular meeting on Wednesday, Bulgaria's Council of Ministers adopted a draft of the Interact IV interregional cooperation programme, the Government Information Service reported. This is the last step before the tabling of the programme at the European Commission for approval. 

The programme's total budget is 56.25 million euro for the 2021-2027 period. Eighty per cent of the resources come from the European Regional Development Fund and the rest, from national co-funding. Bulgaria needs to contribute nearly 180,000 euro to the programme.

Interact IV covers all 27 EU Member States as well as Norway and Switzerland. It is directed at supporting the good governance and implementation of all territorial cooperation programmes. In the new programming period, Interact IV aims to strengthen the efficiency of the cohesion policy through promotion of experience exchange, application of innovative approaches and building of institutional capacity. 

The activities under the programme are implemented within its sole priority, "Provision of Services". Envisaged are activities related to the identification and transfer of innovative approaches as well as good practices of cooperation. Interact IV will continue to support the existing cooperation networks by providing services to the Interreg programmes' structures, to national and regional interested parties, as well as to a broad circle of interested parties in the EU, for example European institutions and funding programmes. 

The Territorial Cooperation Management Directorate of the Regional Development and Public Works Ministry will continue to carry out the functions of national body for Interact.