Mapping tomorrow's Interreg: evidence for stronger cooperation after 2027

Evidence to support the next chapter of Interreg

Europe's regions face common challenges that rarely stop at administrative borders. Climate adaptation, demographic change, innovation, sustainable mobility and economic resilience all require cooperation that extends beyond individual regions and countries.

As discussions on Cohesion Policy and Interreg beyond 2027 gather pace, programme authorities are beginning to consider how future cooperation programmes can best respond to these evolving territorial realities. Sound evidence is essential to that process.

To support these discussions, ESPON has prepared a new series of territorial analyses examining cooperation from two complementary perspectives: transnational cooperation areas and cross-border regions. Together, they provide a richer understanding of where cooperation can create the greatest added value in the years ahead.

Looking at Europe's transnational cooperation areas

The TNCOOP project focuses on Interreg's transnational cooperation programmes. Covering all 13 current programme areas, it analyses territorial development trends, regional disparities, functional linkages, programme governance and emerging opportunities across large European cooperation areas.

Each programme fiche combines maps, indicators and territorial analysis to provide a consistent overview while recognising the specific characteristics of each cooperation area. Alongside these programme fiches, a strand-level analysis explores the overall role and added value of transnational cooperation across Europe.

The aim is not to prescribe future priorities, but to equip stakeholders with a common analytical foundation that can inform strategic discussions as preparations for the post-2027 programming period continue.

Understanding Europe's border regions

While TNCOOP takes a broad transnational perspective, the COREIB project (Cross-Border Integrated Territorial Evidence) focuses on Europe's cross-border cooperation areas. Developed by ESPON to support preparations for post-2027 Interreg programmes, COREIB compiles and analyses comparable evidence for the 48 Interreg cross-border cooperation areas. 

Border areas often experience shared opportunities and challenges that require joint solutions. Labour markets, transport networks, environmental systems and public services frequently operate across national borders, making cross-border evidence particularly valuable when designing future cooperation programmes.

The cross-border analyses compile comparable information for individual border areas, helping programme authorities better understand local development patterns, identify common challenges and recognise opportunities for future cooperation. The methodology and key findings from the analysis can be found in the COREIB Final Report, with a Technical Annex that documents the full metadata and detailed processing steps.

Together, these analyses provide a detailed picture of the diversity of Europe's border regions while maintaining a consistent analytical approach across the continent.

Two perspectives, one shared objective

Although they examine different territorial scales, the TNCOOP and COREIB projects are closely connected, providing complementary evidence to support the design of future Interreg programmes. The transnational fiches explore cooperation across large European macro-regions, while the cross-border analyses focus on neighbouring territories that share common borders. Together, they offer complementary perspectives on how cooperation functions across Europe.

Using a common evidence base also makes it easier to compare territorial characteristics, identify emerging trends and understand where cooperation can have the greatest impact. This shared approach supports more informed discussions as future Interreg programmes begin to take shape.

Rather than viewing transnational and cross-border cooperation separately, the analyses demonstrate how different forms of territorial cooperation contribute to broader European objectives while responding to the specific needs of individual territories and regions.

Exploring the evidence

The analyses are designed to support programme authorities, policymakers, researchers and other stakeholders involved in territorial cooperation. They also provide a valuable resource for anyone interested in understanding how Europe's regions are evolving and where future cooperation opportunities may lie.

The complete collection of transnational programme fiches is available through the TNCOOP project webpage, while the COREIB cross-border analyses can be accessed through the dedicated post-2027 Interreg collection.