Cross-Border Cooperation – How Transnational Programs Connect Europe

Transnational Cooperation

Cooperation across national borders is a core value of the EU. Transnational programs under Interreg promote cross-border collaboration over larger geographic areas and are a key objective of European cohesion policy. In Austria, these programs enable cooperation with partners in the Central European, Danube, and Alpine regions to address shared challenges such as climate change, sustainable mobility, and economic development.

Unlike bilateral ETC projects, transnational programs cross national borders on a large scale, thereby strengthening Europe’s territorial cohesion. They also serve as an important implementation level for macro-regional strategies, such as the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR) and the EU Strategy for the Alpine Region (EUSALP). These strategies provide thematic and geographic frameworks within which Interreg projects implement concrete measures—from sustainable energy and education to innovative solutions for rural areas.

In this way, transnational programs significantly contribute to bringing Europe closer together—politically, economically, and socially.

Alpine Space Program

The Interreg Alpine Space 2021–2027 program brings together stakeholders from various sectors and levels of government across seven Alpine countries. Decision-makers from science, administration, and business collaborate to develop solutions for the diverse challenges of the Alpine region. The program aims to address current and future challenges while improving the quality of life for people living in the Alps.

In addition to Austria and the Alpine regions of other EU member states—Germany, France, Italy, and Slovenia—the program also includes participation from non-EU countries Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

The program focuses on four priorities, which also contribute to the implementation of the EU Strategy for the Alpine Region (EUSALP), and is implemented through specific objectives:

• Climate-resilient and green Alpine region

• CO₂-neutral and resource-efficient Alpine region

• Innovation and digitalization for a green Alpine region

• Cooperatively managed and developed Alpine region

For the 2021–2027 period, a total of  Euro 107.05 million from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) is allocated to the Alpine Space Program.

Danube Region Program

The Interreg Danube Region Programme 2021–2027 aims to support political integration and strengthen cohesion in the Danube Region across various thematic areas linked to the priorities of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR), where transnational projects can achieve meaningful change. The Danube Region includes all 14 countries along the Danube and its tributaries, encompassing both EU member states and non-EU countries with candidate status. Despite the significant differences across the region, participating areas work together under the motto: “from a region of barriers to a region of flows.”

The program is implemented along four priorities with specific sub-goals:

• A more competitive and smarter Danube Region

• A greener, low-carbon Danube Region

• A more social Danube Region

• Better governance for cooperation in the Danube Region

For the 2021–2027 period, the Danube Region Program has Euro 165.4 million in ERDF funds. The European Commission provides an additional Euro 30 million from the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance and Euro 29.2 million from the Instrument for Neighborhood, Development, and International Cooperation. Including national co-financing, the program’s total Interreg budget amounts to Euro 224.6 million.

High project interest – 30 projects approved in the 2nd Call

The calls for proposals under the Danube Region Program are very well received. Out of 162 applications submitted in the second call, the Monitoring Committee approved 30 projects on 17 December 2024, with 28 Austrian institutions participating in 20 projects. A list of approved projects and further information on the 2nd Call is available on the ÖROK website.

Interreg Central Europe

Transnational cooperation in Central Europe has contributed for over 20 years to developing, disseminating, and testing new knowledge at local, regional, and national levels through projects. In the 2021–2027 funding period, the cooperation area was expanded to include the Braunschweig region in Germany. The new program encourages collaboration between organizations and institutions from regions and cities in Germany, Croatia, Italy, Austria, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Czechia, and Hungary. The program focuses on transnational cooperation for a smarter, greener, and better-connected Central Europe.

The program is implemented along four priorities:

• Cooperation for a smarter Central Europe

• Cooperation for a greener Central Europe

• Cooperation for a better-connected Central Europe

• Better governance for cooperation in Central Europe