The INTERREG IVA 2 Mers Seas Zeeën Programme promotes crossborder cooperation between the coastal regions of 4 Member States: France (Nord-Pas de Calais), England (SW, SE, E), Belgium (Flanders) and The Netherlands (South coastal area).
The 2 Seas crossborder Operational Programme was approved by the European Commission in September 2008 and has a budget of €167 million community funding (ERDF) for the period 2007-2013. The Programme has three priority themes as well as a common priority with the France (Channel) – England INTERREG IVA Programme.
Priority 1: Creating an economically competitive, attractive and accessible area
Priority 2: Promoting and enhancing a safe and healthy environment
Priority 3: Improving quality of life
Priority 4: Common priority with the France (Channel) – England programme.
Two types of cooperation projects can be supported within the Programme. These are:
Regular Crossborder Cooperation projects that bring together partners from different countries in the Programme area who wish to develop or solve a shared cross-border issue in line with the objectives of the Programme priorities.
Strategic projects that are approved and identified by the Programme Authorities and seen as essential in achieving the Programme Objectives.
In 2012, the 2 Seas Programme initiated a capitalisation process with the aim to valorise the Programme, its projects and their achieved results in the current Programming period and to prepare for the future.
This process consists of three distinct components:
• Thematic: Capitalising on project results from a cross border thematic point of view
• Territorial: Capitalising on the benefits of being involved in a programme
• On-going evaluation: Evaluating first results and lessons learnt to inform the next programming period : programme, project, organisation and management
Thematic clusters will be developed as part of the 2 Seas thematic capitalisation.
