EN ANNEX I The cross-border cooperation programme "Interreg-IPA CBC Greece – Albania 2014- 2020" Interreg IPA II cross-border cooperation programme «Greece - Albania 2014-2020» May 2015 CCI: 2014TC16I5CB010 Interreg IPA II cross-border cooperation programme “Greece - Albania 2014-2020” CCI 2014TC16I5CB010 Title Interreg IPA II cross-border cooperation programme Greece – Albania 2014-2020 Version 2.0 First year 2014 Last year 2020 Eligible from 1 January 2014 Eligible until 31 December 2023 EC decision number EC decision date MS amending decision number MS amending decision date MS amending decision entry into force date NUTS level III regions (or EL131 (Grevena) equivalent regions in the EL132 (Kastoria) non-MS) covered by the cross-border cooperation EL134 (Florina) programme EL211 (Arta) EL212 (Thesprotia) EL213 (Ioannina) EL214 (Preveza) EL221 (Zakynthos) EL222 (Kerkyra) EL223 (Kefallinia) EL224 (Lefkada) AL031 (Berat) AL033 (Gjirokastër) AL034 (Korçë) AL035 (Vlorë) 3 Interreg IPA II cross-border cooperation programme “Greece - Albania 2014-2020” Acronyms, Abbreviations Acronyms Description CBC Cross Border Cooperation CLLD Community-Led Local Development CSF Community Support Framework EC European Commission ERDF European Regional Development Fund ESIF European Structural & Investment Funds ΕU European Union FLC First Level Control GDP Gross Domestic Product GVA Gross Value Added HRST Human Resources in Science and Technology ICT Information and Communications Technology IPA Instrument of Pre-accession Assistance ISCED International Standard Classification of Education ITI Integrated Territorial Investment JMC Joint Monitoring Committee JSC Joint Steering Committee JS Joint Secretariat LPs Lead Partners MA Managing Authority MIS Management Information System NGO Non-Governmental Organization NIPAC National IPA Coordinator NSRF National Strategic Reference Framework NUTS Nomenclature of Units for Territorial Statistics CP Cooperation Programme OS Operating Structure PTF Programming Task Force R&D Research & Development RES Renewable Energy Sources SMEs Small and Medium-sized Enterprises SWOT Analysis Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats Analysis TAP Trans Adriatic Pipeline UNDP United Nations Development Programme TFEU Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union 4 Interreg IPA II cross-border cooperation programme “Greece - Albania 2014-2020” Contents SECTION 1 Strategy for the cooperation programme’s contribution to the selected thematic priorities and the relevant Partnership Agreement and Country Strategic Paper(s) ................. 7 1.1. Strategy for the cooperation programme’s contribution to the selected thematic priorities and the relevant Partnership Agreement and Country Strategic Paper(s) .... 7 1.1.1. Description of the cooperation programme’s strategy for contributing to the selected thematic priorities and the relevant Partnership Agreement and Country Strategic Paper(s) ........................................................................................................................ 7 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................... 7 THE ELIGIBLE AREA ........................................................................................................................... 8 The Wider Strategic Reference Framework ............................................................................................. 9 Cross Border Needs And Challenges ..................................................................................................... 12 Lessons learnt in Cross-border Co-operation within period 2007-2013 ................................................ 21 1.1.2. Justification for the choice of thematic priorities, based on an analysis of the needs within the programme area as a whole and the strategy chosen in response to such needs, addressing, where appropriate, missing links in cross-border infrastructure, taking into account the results of the ex-ante evaluation ........................................... 30 1.2 Justification for the financial allocation ..................................................................... 32 SECTION 2. priority axes ..................................................................................................................... 35 Section 2.1. Description of the priority axes ....................................................................................... 35 2.1.1 Priority axis 1 “Promotion of the environment, sustainable transport and public infrastructure” ............................................................................................................ 35 2.1.1.1 Fund, calculation basis for Union support and justification of the calculation basis choice ......................................................................................................................... 35 2.1.1.2 The specific objectives of the thematic priority and expected results .......................... 35 2.1.1.3 Elements of other thematic priorities added to the priority axis .................................. 36 2.1.1.4 Actions to be supported under the thematic priority (by thematic priority) ................. 37 2.1.1.4.1 A description of the type and examples of actions to be supported and their expected contribution to the specific objectives, including, where appropriate, identification of the main target groups, specific territories targeted and types of beneficiaries ......... 37 2.1.1.4.2 Guiding principles for the selection of operations .................................................... 40 2.1.1.4.3 Planned use of financial instruments ......................................................................... 42 2.1.1.5 Common and programme specific indicators ............................................................... 44 2.1.1.5.1 Priority axis 1 result indicators .................................................................................. 44 2.1.1.5.2. Priority axis 1 output indicators ............................................................................... 46 2.1.1.6 Categories of intervention ............................................................................................ 48 2.1.2 Priority axis 2 “Boosting the local economy” ................................................................. 49 5 Interreg IPA II cross-border cooperation programme “Greece - Albania 2014-2020” 2.1.2.1 Fund, calculation basis for Union support and justification of the calculation basis choice ......................................................................................................................... 49 2.1.2.2 The specific objectives of the thematic priority and expected results .......................... 49 2.1.2.3 Elements of other thematic priorities added to the priority axis .................................. 50 2.1.2.4 Actions to be supported under the thematic priority (by thematic priority) ................. 50 2.1.2.6 Common and programme specific indicators ............................................................... 56 2.1.2.7 Categories of intervention ............................................................................................ 58 Section 2.2 Description of the priority axes for technical assistance ................................................. 59 2.2.1 Priority axis 3 “Technical assistance” ............................................................................. 59 2.2.2 The specific objectives of the priority axis and the expected results .............................. 59 2.2.3 Actions to be supported and their expected contribution to the programme implementation ........................................................................................................... 60 2.2.4 Programme specific indicators ........................................................................................ 61 2.2.4.1 Programme specific output indicators expected to contribute to results ...................... 61 2.2.5 Categories of intervention ............................................................................................... 61 Section 2.3 Overview table of indicators per priority axis and thematic priority ................................... 62 SECTION 3 Financing plan ................................................................................................................. 64 3.1 Financial appropriation from the IPA (in EUR) ................................................................. 64 3.1.1 Total financial appropriation from the IPA and national co-financing (in EUR) ........... 65 3.1.2 Breakdown by priority axis and thematic priority .......................................................... 66 SECTION 4 Integrated approach to territorial development ............................................................... 67 4.1 Community-led local development (CLLD) ...................................................................... 67 4.2 Integrated Territorial Investment (ITI) ............................................................................... 67 4.3 Contribution of planned interventions towards macro-regional and sea basin strategies, subject to the needs of the programme area as identified by the relevant partner States and taking into account, strategically important projects identified in those strategies ..................................................................................................................... 67 SECTION