The territorial cooperation policy of EU with third Mediterranean Countries : 53rd ERSA Congress, Regional Integration: Europe, the Mediterranean and the World Economy 27-31 August 2013 Palermo, Italy

During the programming period 2007-2013 the Cohesion Policy of EU was adopted and is also implemented the policy of territorial co-operation with third countries. In this framework, the EU co-finances (through the European Regional Development Fund, the pre-accession instrument and the instrument of European neighborhood policy) a series of cross-border, interregional and transnational co-operation programmes in the Mediterranean basin. These are programs with economic, political, social and environmental objectives. Specifically, in this area are implemented bilateral cross-border co-operation programmes, multinational interregional co-operation programmes (e.g. IPA Adriatic CBC Programme, ENPI Med CBC) and transnational co-operation on territorial cohesion of Macro-regions (e.g. the Mediterranean Sea Basin Programme). The third Mediterranean Countries of North Africa and Near East are eligible only to the ENPI Med CBC Programme 2007-2013. The aim of this study is to conduct an interim evaluation of this programme and make suggestions for the new programming period for Cohesion Policy 2014-2020.