35 Years Interreg in Luxembourg – Building Bridges Together
The origins of Interreg I are strongly linked to the 1988 Regulation on the European Regional Development Fund, which laid the financial foundation to turn cooperation into reality. The early programme’s main objectives were to support the completion of the European single market and to reinforce European integration, particularly in border regions. (cf. EPRS briefing: Thirty years of European territorial cooperation).
Since its creation, Luxembourg has actively participated in all three strands of Interreg:
- i. Cross-border cooperation through Interreg Greater Region (GR)
- ii. Transnational cooperation via Interreg North-West Europe (NWE)
- iii. Interregional cooperation through Interreg Europe
For one of Europe’s smallest countries - surrounded by three neighbours - Interreg has never been just a funding source. it has served as a strategic instrument to address shared challenges in a highly integrated region. With over 240,000 cross-border workers commuting daily, shared natural and environmental resources, and interlinked healthcare and education systems, Interreg has enabled Luxembourg to co-develop solutions and build collective resilience.
Mobility: Closing Gaps Sustainably
In the mobility sector, Interreg has enabled the testing and development of various sustainable transport solutions. These include an electric ferry linking Luxembourg and Germany, cross-border cycling connections to key transport hubs, and pilot initiatives in shared and on-demand mobility. Traffic modelling and data analysis are also being explored to improve flow across national borders.
Health: Advancing Care Across Borders
Interreg enables possibilities to explore new strategies, to combine good practices or to strengthen cross-border or transnational agreements. In the Greater Region programme, a current pilot project integrates AI in radiotherapy to enhance knowledge sharing and accelerate cancer research collaboration in the Greater Region.
In North-West Europe, another pilot is working to ensure equal access to rehabilitation care through a virtual rehabilitation platform. The aim is to embed virtual rehabilitation into everyday practice - allowing patients to perform parts of their therapy at home, supported by healthcare professionals and VR technology.
Environment: Joint Responsibility
Environmental cooperation under Interreg has enabled different initiatives from wastewater treatment plants and drinking water protection to ecological farming initiatives and recycling in the construction sector.
Education: Building Knowledge in the Border Region
A notable achievement in the education sector is the University of the Greater Region. This initiative unites seven universities under a shared legal framework that simplifies student exchanges and fosters academic cooperation on border-related issues and promotes research on border-related topics and policy.
Energy: Innovation on Rooftops
Energy efficiency and carbon reduction are also key goals of Interreg. One example is a project focused on enhancing the sustainability of rooftop greenhouses. In Bettembourg, an existing greenhouse was connected to the adjacent building to reuse waste heat and CO₂ for food production for the canteen below. This concept, supported by Interreg, expanded into the development of a decision-support tool to help integrate renewable energy systems into greenhouses across North-West Europe.
Culture: Preserving Shared Heritage
Interreg also supports cultural heritage initiatives. A standout example is the recognition in 2024 of Luxembourg’s dry-stone wall building technique as part of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Originating from a 2016 Interreg project focused on training and skills development, it shows how ancient craftsmanship can create modern connections across borders.
A Strategic Tool for the Long Term
After 35 years, Luxembourg’s experience proves that Interreg is much more than a mechanism for solving cross-border issues - it is a long-term investment in strategic resilience where mutual learning and exchange of good practices with regions all over Europe play a crucial role. Whether in environment, energy, education, health, mobility, or culture, the projects launched through Interreg are not isolated experiments; they become embedded in wider national and regional policies.
For Luxembourg, Interreg offers a unique opportunity: the agility to test, adapt, and scale solutions collaboratively, with people at the centre. It is a platform where practical cooperation often in public-private partnerships leads to tangible outcomes.
Celebrate With Us: 35 Years of Interreg
In the 35 Years of Interreg campaign, we invite you to explore the projects that have brought new ideas to life, ideas that have helped associations all over Europe to create solutions and build bridges, to share knowledge and to transfer usability of different practical cases. From innovation to health cooperation, from education to common heritage, energy and environmental projects – more than 500 projects have been carried out successfully in Luxembourg these past 35 years.
Today, 21 September, is Interreg Cooperation Day – join us in celebrating 35 years of Interreg. From now until the end of 2025, explore the projects, meet the people behind them, and discover how cross-border collaboration is shaping solutions for Luxembourg, the Greater Region, and beyond. Don’t just read about cooperation – experience it on our social media channels: