NEXT Italy – Tunisia

Description

The ENI Cross-Border Cooperation Programme Italy-Tunisia 2014-2020 was adopted by the European Commission on 17 December 2015, with decision C(2015) 913. The Programme, which receives EU funding of EUR 33,354,820 under the European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI) aims to contribute to the overall ENI objective of progress towards “an area of shared prosperity and good neighbourliness between EU Member States and their neighbours”

The cooperation area of the Italy-Tunisia ENI CBC Programme 2014-2020 spans the territories located on both sides of the maritime route connecting Sicily and Tunisia, namely the territorial areas of the five Sicilian provinces of Agrigento, Caltanissetta, Ragusa , Syracuse and Trapani, and the territorial areas of the nine Tunisian governorates of Ariana, Ben Arous , Bizerte, Mahdia, Monastir, Nabeul, Sfax, Sousse and Tunis.

In addition, the territorial areas of three Sicilian provinces (Catania, Enna and Palermo) and the territorial areas of six Tunisian governorates (Beja, Gabes, Kairouan, Manouba, Sidi Bouzid and Zaghouan) were considered under the ENI CBC Programme 2014-2020 as neighbouring territories, extending the area of cooperation compared to the previous programming period 2007-2013.
All other Sicilian and Tunisian territorial areas are eligible within the 20% limit of the EU budget allocation.

The participation of Italian national ministries and bodies under the control of the government based in Rome is envisaged in cases where it contributes to the achievement of the objectives of the Programme.

The ENI CBC Programme Italy-Tunisia 2014-2020 provides a framework for the implementation of projects around three main thematic objectives:

Objective 1 – Business and Development

• Strengthening economic clusters
• Promotion and support for entrepreneurship

Objective 2 – Support to education, research, technological development and innovation

• Encouragement and support for research and innovation
• Promotion of cooperation between enterprises and of professional training operators
• Support for local cooperation in the field of education

Objective 3 – Environmental protection, climate change mitigation and adaptation

• Joint actions for environmental protection
• Conservation and sustainable use of natural resources

The Sicilian Region, Presidency – Department of Programming. is the Managing Authority, that is the entity responsible for the daily management and implementation of the Italy-Tunisia ENI CBC Programme 2014-2020.