INTERREG is a Community initiative which aims to stimulate interregional cooperation in the European Union and is financed under the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). INTERREG is focusing on European territorial cooperation. The program is actually covering the period 2007-2013.[1] The INTERREG IV A Greater Region (Grande Région) programme has been elaborated to facilitate cooperation between the project partners from the different parts of the Greater Region.
History
editThe following programmes were forerunners of the current INTERREG IV Greater Region programme:
Aims
editThe programme shall facilitate cross-border cooperation among the different stakeholders of the Greater Region and promote the realisation of local and regional projects. The projects can profit from a financial aid of 50% of their budget.
Programme area
editLuxembourg, the Belgian provinces of Luxembourg (Belgium) and Liège, the French Lorraine (region) as well as the Saarland and large parts of Rhineland-Palatinate are considered as the programme area.
Programme partners
editThe programme Greater Region for the period 2007-2013 to contribute to European territorial cooperation has been elaborated by eleven institutional partners of the Greater Region:
- the government of Luxembourg, Ministry of the Interior and Spatial Planning
- the government of Wallonia
- the government of the French community of Belgium
- the government of the German speaking Community of Belgium
- the council of the Meuse
- the council of the Meurthe-and-Moselle
- the council of the Moselle
- the prefecture of Lorrain
- the Ministry of Economy, Transport, Agriculture and Viniculture of Rhineland-Palatinate
- the Ministry of Economy and Science of Saarland
Programme
editINTERREG IV A Greater Region is focussing on many themes of common interest to develop projects in the Greater Region in between three main focuses:
Focus 1: ECONOMY
editBoost and broadening of competitiveness of the interregional economy, promotion of innovation and of the labour market.
- Scheme 1.1 – Promotion of innovation
- Scheme 1.2 – Promotion of common projects to strengthen the economical structure
- Scheme 1.3 – Development of cross-border economical infrastructure
- Scheme 1.4 – Encouragement and increasing of cross-border employment
- Scheme 1.5 – Promotion of the touristy offer
Focus 2: SPACE
editImprove of the quality of life, enhancement of the attractiveness of the different areas and protection of the environment.
- Scheme 2.1 – Promotion of spatial development policy
- Scheme 2.2 – Promotion of the mobility in the Greater Region
- Scheme 2.3 – Upgrading and prevention of the environment
Focus 3: HUMANS
editPromotion of the acquisition and the diffusion of knowledge, utilisation of cultural resources and strengthening of social cohesion.
- Scheme 3.1 – Cooperation in the areas of education and continuing education
- Scheme 3.2 – Strengthening of university cooperation
- Scheme 3.3 – Encouragement of the cooperation in health care management
- Scheme 3.4 – Encouragement of the cooperation in social work
- Scheme 3.5 – Encouragement and upgrading of the culture and the cooperation in between the media
Approved projects
editTill now 66 projects have been approved and will get financial support from INTERREG. Only some of the projects will be presented in this article but for detailed information a plan is available on the website of the INTERREG programme.
Focus 1: ECONOMY
editBoost and broadening of competitiveness of the interregional economy, promotion of innovation and of the labour market.
Scheme 1.1 – Promotion of innovation
edit(6 projects)
- TRANSTIR II (project looking at the extension and the reinforcement of the cross-border network covering technology)
- COFORKO (project to intensify co-operation in forests in the Greater Region)
- Science Parc TriLux- Cooperation between Trier and Esch, 2nd project phase
The project is focussing on the common establishment and promotion of the “Science Parc TriLux” which will be located in Trier (Germany) and Esch (Luxembourg). TriLux will propose different services to small- and medium-sized companies and to creators of companies to facilitate their cross border work. One of the objectives is to facilitate the market access of the neighbor countries and to reinforce the cooperation between German and Luxemburgish firms. Following domains have been worked out: economy of health, information technology, innovative techniques in building, publicity and design. The project partners are the city of Trier and the city of Esch.
- TIGRE - Transfert de Technologies et Innovation en Grande Region (transfer of technology and innovation in the Greater Region)
- CORENA - Formation d’un réseau régional de recherche et de développement sur le thème « Produits naturels régionaux - nouvelles substances actives pour la médecine et l’agriculture » (project to put in place a cross-border network of research and development in the field of natural products and their manifold applications)
- ALLEGRO – Technologie adaptive pour l'apprentissage des langues dans la Grande Région (adaptiv technology for the learning of different languages in the Greater Region)
Scheme 1.2 – Promotion of common projects to strengthen the economical structure
edit(3 projects)
- Regiowood (interregional partnership conceived to forest and wood)
- Nanodata (development of a nano databank for the Greater Region)
- Eurefi : Développer l’accès au Financement Transfrontalier des Pme – Pmi. (development of the access to cross-border financing of small- and medium-sized companies/cross-border funding)
Scheme 1.3 – Development of cross-border economical infrastructure
editScheme 1.4 – Encouragement and increasing of cross-border employment
edit(2 projects)
- Abilitic 2 Perform (objective: to identify and to improve the potential of educational institutions in the Greater Region)
- Opti-Match - Coopération et Concurrence dans la Grande Région (objective: optimisation of cooperation and competitiveness in the Greater Region)
Scheme 1.5 – Promotion of the touristy offer
edit(7 projects)
- VENNBAHN-ROUTE - promotion du cyclotourisme dans la région Eifel-Ardennes (objective: to promote cycle-tourism in the Eifel-Ardennes Region)
- Chemin transfrontalier des mines de fer (development of a cross-border trail conceived to ore-mines)
- Decoupatri - A la découverte du Patrimoine de l’ardenne Belgo-Luxembourgeoise (discovery of the natural and cultural heritage of the Belgian-Luxembourgish Ardennes)
- Création d'un concept de marketing transnational commun pour le tourisme dans la Grande Région (creation of a common transnational marketing concept for the Greater Region)
- ISKFZ Ralingen-Rosport – 2e Phase du « Centre de Sports et de Loisir Transfrontalier Ralingen-Rosport » (Cross-border sports- and leisure-center Ralingen/Germany and Rosport/Luxembourg)
- Randonnées dans le Parc Naturel Germano-Luxembourgeois (Rails in the German-Luxembourgish natural parc)
- Pays Touristique Transfrontalier de Gaume, Maginot et Meuse : une destination touristique « Terre de Nature, de Culture et de Patrimoine en Pays d’art et d’histoire » (Cross-border tourist region Gaume, Maginot and Maas: a touristy objective: “Nature, Culture and Cultural Heritage in the region of Art and History”)
Focus 2: SPACE
editImprove of the quality of life, enhancement of the attractiveness of the different areas and protection of the environment.
Scheme 2.1 – Promotion of spatial development policy
edit(8 projects)
- Réseau des parcs naturels de la Grande Région (network of natural parks in the Greater Region)
- Ecolirimed (conservation and research on the recovery of cross-border watercourses)
- Intelligence territoriale (territorial intelligence – exchange concerning sustainable development)
- Recherche et analyse de nouveaux indicateurs harmonisés pour la Grande Région : une approche thematique (amelioration of the collection of socio-economic statistical indicators for the characterisation of the identity of the Greater Region)
- La Bande Bleue - l’axe de la Sarre en tant que generateur d’impulsions pour une nouvelle orientation de l’agglomeration transfrontalière (formulation of a concept for the Saar axis as an impulse for economic development)
- Le Warndt après mine - un concept de développement transfrontalier (cross-border development for the Warndt region after the period of mining)
- Sécurisation de l’approvisionnement en eau potable des populations des deux rives de la Moselle dans la région frontalière Germano-Luxembourgeoise (protection of water accommodation in the Mosel region)
- Amélioration et sécurisation de l’approvisionnement en eau potable par interconnexion des réseaux d’adduction Belgo-Français de la région de Meix-Devant-Virton (Wallonie – Arrondissement De Virton) – Thonne-La-Long (Lorraine – Meuse). (formulation of a common action plan for the Obersauer)
Scheme 2.2 – Promotion of mobility in the Greater Region
editScheme 2.3 – Upgrading and prevention of the environment
edit(16 projects)
- Pacte Haute-Sûre (pact of the Sauer river – cross-border action plan for cultivation)
- Optibiogaz – vers une gestion optimisée et intégrée de la production de biogaz à la ferme (optimised utilization of biogas)
- Contrat de rivière pour la rivière frontalière Our (river partnership - sustainable use of the resources of the Our river)
- Polenergie (cross-border center for renewable energies)
- Enerbiom - production agricole durable de biomasse énergie en zones à fortes contraintes environnementales : quelles alternatives pour quelles filières? (agricultural sustainable production of biomass)
- RIFE 2 – « Réseau transfrontalier d'information, de formation et d'accompagnement d'entreprises à la gestion de l'environnement » (improvement of nature management of small- and medium-sized companies)
- Restauration écologique (ecological reconditioning)
- Station d’épuration internationale Wallendorf-Reisdorf (international wastewater treatment plant)
- Le cheval de trait au service de la gestion forestière et rurale durable (dray-horses in agriculture and forestry)
- Optenerges (elaboration of a common concept for CO² emission decrease)
- Flows Ms - gestion des crues et des étiages dans le bassin versant de la Moselle et de la Sarre (low water and flood management in the Mosel and Saar region)
- Patrimoine naturel du bassin de la Chiers (nature park in the Cjier region)
- HWS Ralingen-Steinheim - protection écologique contre les crues du bassin de la Sure dans la zone de Ralingen (D) et Steinheim (L) (ecological orientated flood protection in the Sauer region)
- Prévention des crues dans le bassin hydrographique de la Chiers, de la Messancy et du Ton – deuxième phase de réalisations (flood prevention in the Chier, Messancy and Ton region)
- Raccordement des réseaux d’assainissement des communes d’Escherange (Lo) et Volmerange-Les-Mines (Lo) à la commune de Dudelange (L) et traitement des eaux résiduaires urbaines de ces communes ainsi que de celles de Tressange (Bure) et Ottange, via Rumelange à la station de Bettembourg (L) (sewage in different communes)
- Etablissement d’un schéma directeur transfrontalier de gestion des eaux usées autour des territoires adjacents de l’Aive (B) et de la Cc2r (Fr) et études techniques de réalisation des ouvrages d’assainissement qui en découlent (covering of water supply in parts of Belgium and France)
Focus 3: HUMANS
editPromotion of the acquisition and the diffusion of knowledge, utilisation of cultural resources and strengthening of social cohesion.
Scheme 3.1 – Cooperation in the areas of education and continuing education
edit(7 projects)
- valorisation agricole (agricultural valorisation)
- inhed - intégration, hétérogénéité et différenciation au lycée germano-luxembourgeois Schengen à Perl (integration, heterogeneity and differentiation in schools)
- e2c - école de la deuxième chance transfrontalière (main ambition: the social and professional integration insufficient educated young adolescents)
- p.e.dagogie - pole européen de développement - audiovisuel, géographie, origines, gymnasium, identité européenne (European development pole)
- trilingua - développement de la compétence linguistique en Moselle et en Sarre et création d'un réseau d'échange d'assistants éducatifs/ locuteurs natifs entre les écoles élémentaires et les Ganztagsschulen
The project is a cooperation in the linguistic domain. The objective is to enlarge horizontal and vertical methods in bilingual teaching which is foreseen to take place in the Kindergarten already. The project partners are the General Council of the Mosel and the Ministry for Education, Family, women and Culture of the Saarland.
- IWAP – académie interrégionale de formation en soins palliatifs (continuing education in medical care)
- vivre avec la grande région - formation informelle transfrontalières des jeunes, préparation de leur avenir et de leur vie (living with the Greater Region – young people get prepared for their future in a cross-border environment)
- FCU – réseau pour la formation continue universitaire Grande Région (network of advanced training of universities in the Greater Region)
Scheme 3.2 – Strengthening of university cooperation
edit(1 project)
The project partners are the University of Saarland, the University of Liège, the University of Luxembourg, the University Paul Verlaine of Metz and the University of Nancy. The associated partners are the Technical University of Kaiserslautern and the University of Trier. The University of the Greater Region is being undertaken to create a common space of higher education and research. The main idea is to facilitate mobility and to promote cross-border studies and joint degrees. The universities are working together to connect researchers and to create new networks by developing a truly multicultural and multilingual environment. The realization of this ambitious project is started by the development of marketing tools for the exterior promotion and the increase of mobility of students and professors, as well as the creation of overall courses and the cooperation in terms of research.[3][4]
Scheme 3.3 – Encouragement of cooperation in health care management
edit(6 projects)
- projet pilote de santé publique : étude et actions en prévention et promotion de la santé mentale (studies and actions concerning the prevention and aid for the promotion of mental health)
- NESCAV – nutrition, environnement et santé cardio-vasculaire (nutrition, environment and health – prevention of heater circuit diseases)
- réseau téléradiologique St. Vith – Prüm : mise en place d’un réseau téléradiologique entre St.Vith et Prüm afin d’améliorer les soins médicaux dans cette région (development of a network for better medical supply)
- COSANTÉ - coopération sanitaire transfrontalière (development of a network for better medical supply)
- EDUDORA 2 - éducation thérapeutique et préventive face au diabète et a l’obésité a risque chez l’adulte et l’adolescent (therapeutic education and prevention of diabetes)
- mag-net - « promotion du bien-être et prévention des assuétudes en milieu scolaire et festif auprès d'un public jeunes et a risques » (prevention of dependence for the youth)
Scheme 3.4 – Encouragement of cooperation in social programmes
edit(5 projects)
- Joujoumobile (Play bus for kids)
- Vivre sans frontière ! Réseau de jeunesse Wormer-Wencher-Palzem (Living without borders! Cross-border Youth network for Wormeldange (L) – Wincheringen (G) – Palzem (G)
- Service aux personnes dépendantes (Service for dependant persons)
- proximam-lotharingie 2 (to support kids in bad familiar situations)
- klick-clic 13-16 – regards croisés sur l’avenir professionnel (Future look to Professional aspects)
Scheme 3.5 – Encouragement and upgrading of the culture and the cooperation in between the media
edit(5 projects)
- Émission télévisée transfrontalière (Cross-border TV Emission)
- Plurio-net(Cultural Agenda of the Greater Region - The project develops actions to encourage cross-border cultural cooperation and to promote the cultural events of the Greater Region.)
- Études croisées (Multi-purpose Studies)
- Espace culturel grande région (Cultural Agenda of the Greater Region)
- Location guide (data base for shooting sites in the Greater Region)
References
editGrossregion-Grande Région[5]