Memo: Cross-border Cooperation Operational Programme Italy – Slovenia 2007-13

On 20 December 2007, the European Commission approved a Cross-border Cooperation Operational Programme between Italy and Slovenia for the period 2007-2013. The Programme involves providing Community support as part of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) for specific Italian and Slovenian regions that lie along their common border: the Italian regions of Trieste, Gorizia, Udine, Venezia, Rovigo, Padova, Ferrara and Ravenna and Slovenian regions Goriška, Obalno-Kraška and Gorenjska. The areas of Osrednjeslovenska in Slovenia, and Pordenone and Treviso in Italy may take part in projects as an adjacent area, i.e. receiving a maximum 20% of the ERDF funding allocated to the Programme.

The Operational Programme falls within the framework laid out for the European Territorial Cooperation Objective and has a total budget of around €136 million. Community assistance through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) amounts to some €116 million, which represents approximately 1.3% of the total EU investment earmarked for the European Territorial Cooperation Objective under the Cohesion Policy 2007-2013.