Shaping priorities of the new programme
Did you know that by 2030, 10% of the EU-27 population is expected to live in the North Sea Region? Or that the region has a high innovation level, especially on R&D expenditure and innovation by SMEs? These are some of the insights presented recently in the scoping study that NORth consortium (a partnership created by Reeleaf, Oxford research, and Nordregio) wrote for the programme.
Shaping the priorities
The scoping study was prepared for the development of the next Interreg North Sea Region Programme. While projects of the current program are ongoing, the secretariat is busy with the new programme that will run from 2021 till 2027.
To set up a new programme, our starting point is the themes recommended by the European Commission. The scoping study helps us to understand how the objectives of the European Commission fit in the participating countries' national and regional priorities. With feedback from consultation sessions with participating countries, regions, and the public, we will further shape the programme.
Climate adaptation
The scoping study shows there is a large potential impact of climate change for some of the coastal areas but also our inland mountainous regions are vulnerable. The adaptation to climate change for people and land, will continue to be an important aspect in our programme. We are looking forward to continuing to work with the regions to put their innovation and adaptation potential to good use.
Next steps
If you would like to read more about the geographical similarities and differences and learn about the focus of the new programme, you can find the scoping study here.
The secretariat will receive another round of input and feedback on the new programme at the North Sea Region Conference and will work together with the participating countries on a final draft for the European Commission. We are excited to put the recommendations into practice in the sixth Interreg North Sea Region Programme.
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