On 3 November 2022 the European Commission approved the Interreg VI-A IPA programme Croatia – Bosnia and Herzegovina – Montenegro, to be implemented in the financial period 2021 – 2027.
The Programme will support cooperation projects with over 117.600.000,00 euros, which are available from the European Regional Development Fund and the IPA III Fund.
The new Programme represents the continuation of the successful cooperation of these three countries, while the main goal is to encourage smart, green, and inclusive development of the cross-border region through the implementation of joint projects and activities that will be supported within the framework of three selected European policy goals (smart, greener, and social Europe).
The Programme area is in line to the one from the previous Programme period 2014-2020 and includes 12 counties in Croatia, Brčko District and 109 municipalities in Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as 11 municipalities in Montenegro, which represents a total of 87.453,95 km² of territory and over 5.000.000 inhabitants.
The Programme area has significant potential and numerous advantages, but it also faces various challenges that affect sustainable development, such as climate change, environmental degradation, and the transition to a climate-neutral economy. The results of the Programme will contribute to the achievement of the goals set by the European Green Plan, which are emphasized by the United Nations Programme on Sustainable Development until 2030. The Programme is directly linked to the European Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR) and the European Strategy for the Adriatic-Ionian Region (EUSAIR).
This Interreg programme is also in line with the general objective of IPA III, which is to support beneficiaries in adopting and implementing the political, institutional, legal, administrative, social, and economic reforms required by these beneficiaries in order to be in line with the values of the Union.
The publication of the first call for submission of project proposals is expected at the beginning of 2023. Information on publication of the first call for proposals, as well as the documentation required for project application, will be available on Programme website.
