The European Commission has adopted the 2014-2020 cross-border cooperation (CBC) “Mediterranean Sea Basin” Programme with €209 million of EU funding under the European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI)

The Programme provides a framework for implementing cooperation projects in four main thematic objectives: 

• Business and SMEs development, through support to start-up enterprises and the enhancement of Euro-Mediterranean value chains and clusters. Diversification of tourism into new segments and niches is also part of this objective.
• Support to education, research, technological development and innovation, with focus on technological transfer, commercialization of research results and enhancement of links between industry and research.
• Promotion of social inclusion and the fight against poverty, addressing the NEETS category (Not in Education, Employment or Training) as well actors from the social and solidarity economy.
• Environmental protection, climate change adaptation and mitigation, including efficiency in water, waste and energy management as well as conservation of coastal areas.

Women and young people are key target groups of the new Programme while people to people cooperation, institutional capacity building and respect of democracy and human rights are considered as cross-cutting issues to guide the implementation phase.

As for the 2007-2013 period, this Autonomous Region of Sardinia (Italy) is the institution in charge of the day to day management and implementation of the Programme on behalf of the European Commission and the participating countries.

13 countries have already adhered to the Programme: Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Malta, Palestine, Portugal, Spain and Tunisia. Other eligible countries under the ENI will be able to join at a later stage.

Support to projects (grants) will be awarded through calls for proposals expected to be launched starting from mid-2016, following the signing of the Financing Agreements between the European Commission and Mediterranean Partner Countries.

Read the ENI CBCMED program