Panorama

The macro-regional strategies provide a cooperation framework
for better coordination of EU, national and regional funds
relevant for a specific geographical area and for the concentration
of these funds in strategic projects and initiatives. Being
cross-sectoral, inclusive and involving different levels of governance
levels, they are of key importance in contributing to
and enhancing the cooperation dimension of the European
Green Deal.
Tapping into the potential
Together with the EU macro-regional strategies, the Interreg
programmes are key tools for addressing issues such as
biodiversity conservation and clean energy, for which the
importance of cooperation is explicitly recognised in the
European Green Deal.
Moreover, as outlined in the Communication ‘Boosting growth
and cohesion in EU border regions’, there is significant
untapped potential in these regions. Here, further cooperation
on energy, climate and environmental objectives, along with
joint investments, can make a significant contribution to
a sustainable recovery in general.
The Border Focal Point, established by DG REGIO, aims to
support this process by helping to remove potential legal
and administrative obstacles to cross-border cooperation
and by promoting carbon-neutral activities along and across
all EU borders.
ENI CBC: EUROPEAN NEIGHBOURHOOD
INSTRUMENT CROSS BORDER COOPERATION
ZERO WASTE: STRATEGY FOR GOOD
ENVIRONMENTAL STATUS – INTERREG
ENI CBC BLACK SEA BASIN PROGRAMME
2014-2020
This project aims to contribute to an overall reduction
in the number of visible (> 2.5cm) litter items, including
plastic, fishing and sanitary litter items on coastlines;
the number of litter items per square metre on
the seabed, including fishing-related litter items, to
2012 levels by 2020, in Odessa (Ukraine), Burgas (Bulgaria),
Guria (Georgia) and Tekirdağ (Turkey). This will
involve adequate collection, sorting, and environmentally
sound disposal of a minimum of 1.5 tonnes of
litter from the seabed and 0.5 tonnes of litter from
coasts and beaches in these regions.
The project builds on the results of a previous project:
Integrated Land-use Management Modelling
of Black Sea Estuaries (ILMM-BSE) funded by the
Operational Programme ‘Black Sea Basin 2007-
2013’. The first main activity envisaged is the collection
and disposal of marine litter. A ‘Fishing for
litter’ campaign is being organised in the four countries,
targeting 330 local fishermen and encouraging
them to collect a minimum of 1.5 tonnes of
derelict fishing gear from the seabed.
There are also ongoing beach clean-up campaigns,
with the help of children between 7 and 16 and their
teachers. The project hopes to encourage at least
1 600 people to help clean the
beaches around the Black Sea,
while raising public awareness,
which is key. Researchers are
targeting 75 primary/secondary
schools, 50 non-governmental
organisations (NGOs) and 25
local media organisations as part
of the so-called ‘Ecosystem Education
Programme’, involving a
total of 4 500 people, using
multimedia tools and online
games, too.
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