About INTERREG Riga Office
On 1 June 2004, the INTERREG III B Rīga office stated its work. It functions as a unit of the State Regional Development Agency and is funded by the Schleswig-Holstein Investment Bank.
INTERREG is an initiative of the European Community, supporting cross-border projects by allocating the financing of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
In 2004-2006, the INTERREG was designed to strengthen economic and social cohesion, supporting and promoting balanced regional development and bilateral and multilateral cooperation in Europe.
Within the framework of the Baltic Sea Region INTERREG III B Neighbourhood Programme in 2004-2006, it was possible to get support for projects aimed at stimulating socio-economic development in the Baltic Sea Region. 11 countries could participate in it: Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, some regions in Germany, Russia, and Belarus.
INTERREG IIIA priorities in 2004-2006 involve direct cross-border cooperation of neighbouring countries. It means that projects are carried out together with the bordering region of the neighbouring country.
- Estonia – Latvia – Russia (Priority North)
- Latvia – Lithuania – Belarus (Priority South)
The continuation of INTERREG III programmes for the European Structural Fund programming period of 2007-2013 is carried out within the framework of "European Territorial Cooperation". The programmes of territorial cooperation are an initiative of the European Community financed by the ERDF.
The task of the "European Territorial Cooperation" is to enhance the current cooperation on the level of cross-border countries and between the regions. Each cooperation programme has a definite cooperation theme.
In the period of 2007-2013 Latvia may participate in the following cooperation programmes:
Cross-border cooperation programmes:
- Latvia– Lithuania
- Latvia– Estonia
- Latvia– Estonia – Sweden – Finland or the Central Baltic Programme
Within the framework of the instrument of the cross-border programme of the European Neighbourhood and Partnership:
- Latvia– Lithuania - Belarus
- Latvia– Estonia – Russia
Baltic Sea Region Programme for 2007-2013 (successor of BSR INTERREG III B NP).
It is possible to get information on the INTERREG IIIA North and South Priority Programmes and the Baltic Sea Region INTERREG III B Programme at the INTERREG Rīga office.
Information on the Baltic Sea Region Programme for 2007-2013 is also available. Starting 2008, the employees of the Latvian – Lithuanian Joint Technical Secretariat are working at the INTERREG Rīga office and the office will house also employees working with other new territorial cooperation programmes for 2007-2013.
Additional information on the European territorial cooperation programmes for 2007-2013 can be obtained in the home pages of the respective programmes:
Baltic Sea Region Programme 2007-2013 http://www.eu.baltic.net/
Estonia-Latvia Programme http://www.estlat.eu
INTERREG IV C programme: http://www.interreg4c.net/
The main tasks of the Rīga office:
- lending support to the Member States of the European Union – Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia in implementing two new INTERREG IIIA priorities for cross-border cooperation with the neighbouring regions of Russia and Belarus;
- lending support to the Baltic Sea Region countries in elaborating and implementing projects in the Baltic Sea Region Programme;
- managing the project application procedure;
- monitoring the project progress;
- cooperating with organizations, institutions and networks concerning the Baltic Sea Region Neighbourhood Programme, focusing on the Baltic Sea Region INTERREG III B programme.
