Interreg ALCOTRA (France – Italy)

Programme Thematic Objectives

• A smarter Europe – innovative and smart economic transformation

  RSO 1.2 Reaping the benefits of digitisation for citizens, companies, research organisations and public authorities

  • The projects supported here will refer to the strategic objective "A more competitive and intelligent Europe" and focus on developing the skills of entrepreneurs to facilitate industrial transition and access to local services and products through digital tools. This priority is in line with strategic orientation A of the Horizon Europe strategic plan for the period 2021-2024, as well as the European Partnership for Innovative SMEs, which encourages the development of European industry leadership through the development of new tools, services and skills.
    The Programme support will go to actions that fall into the following categories: development, adoption, and transfer of technologies, know-how, and best practices.

  RSO 1.4 Developing skills for smart specialisation, industrial transition and entrepreneurship

  • The development strategies of the regions involved converge towards the identification of certain key sectors on which to focus actions aimed at strengthening innovation and technology transfer processes, including agricultural and forestry production, renewable energies, manufacturing industry, and circular economy (many opportunities especially around waste reduction, management and valorisation by economic actors, in a territory characterised by a very high waste production). These strategies aim to promote the European sustainable development strategy, particularly in the fight against climate change, in line with the commitments made by the Union (Article 10 of the RPDC).

    Regarding the integration of the SUERA, this is particularly recommended by the Alpine strategy in its actions 1 and 2, emphasising both the need for support for the entrepreneurial fabric of the territory and a search for innovation and sustainability (both environmental and economic) for the economic sector. Note also the activity of Action Group 2 in identifying and consolidating supply chains of strategic interest for the cross-border economy.

    The consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic are affecting a fragile economic fabric that had recently begun to emerge from the economic crisis of the past decade, and which needs skills adapted to the new context and capable of developing the innovation potential of the cross-border territory.

    The project supported by the Programme are grouped into two categories:
    • Awareness raising, knowledge, information, and training
    • Development, adoption, and transfer of technologies, know-how, and best practices.

• A greener, low-carbon Europe

  RSO 2.2 Renewable energy

  • Project supported under this objective will primarily focus on the development of renewable energy for electricity production, both for domestic and industrial use (for heating and cooling), and even for transportation (green hydrogen). The cross-border approach will allow for mutualisation of awareness-raising actions, sharing of knowledge and expertise in the field of renewable energy, and joint pilot projects. This will contribute to reducing the carbon footprint of the ALCOTRA territory and promoting adaptation to climate change, with the support of methodologies for assessing economic, energy and environmental sustainability. These investments align with the European sustainable development strategy to improve the well-being and living conditions of present and future generations.

    The actions planned in the ALCOTRA Programme will cover three types of action:
    • Awareness raising, knowledge, information, and training.
    • Development, adoption, and transfer of technologies, know-how, and best practices.
    • Preparation and implementation of material and infrastructural investments

  RSO 2.4 Promoting climate change adaptation and disaster risk prevention and resilience, taking into account eco-system based approaches

  • The Programme ALCOTRA aims to improve the prevention and management of climate change risks through tis specific objective and in line with the objectives of the SUERA. Specifically, the Programme seeks to increase awareness among citizens and institutions about the risks present in the territory and provide new tools and solutions for anticipating, managing and preventing risks. This will be achieved through strategies and plans for adapting to climate change that involve key socio-economic sectors and promote mechanisms of integrated governance. These actions align with the principle of sustainable development and contribute to the climate and biodiversity objectives set by the European Union (Articles 10 and 11 of the RPDC).

    The actions planned in the Programme will cover three types of actions:
    • Awareness raising, information, and training.
    • Development, adoption, and transfer of technologies, know-how, and best practices.
    • Preparation and launch of material and infrastructural investments.

  RSO 2.7 Biodiversity and green infrastructure

  • Through this specific objective, the Programme wishes support project with new ambitions in terms of biodiversity, green infrastructure and reduction of all forms of pollution, by directly contributing to the horizontal principle of sustainable development and aligning with the Union's commitments on climate and biodiversity.

    The actions planned by the Program relate to the following three types of actions:
    • Awareness raising, knowledge, information, and training.
    • Development, adoption, and transfer of technologies, know-how, and best practices.
    • Preparation and launch of material and infrastructural investments.

  RSO 2.8 Urban mobility

  • The measures supported by the Programme to promote sustainable multimodal urban mobility will promote equality, inclusion, and non-discrimination, and contribute to the fight against climate change, which is a priority for the European Union.

    They cover three types of actions:
    • Awareness raising, knowledge, information, and training.
    • Development, adoption, and transfer of technologies, know-how, and best practices.
    • Formulation and/or implementation of policies on a cross-border scale.

• A more social Europe implementing the European Pillar of Social Rights

  RSO 4.2 Improving equal access education, training and lifelong

  • The programme wants to strengthen the knowledge and skills of citizens in the area, which can work together with the Alpine Strategy to educate young people about mountain culture and sustainable development. This includes revitalizing school trips and summer camps, promoting Alpine language learning, and providing apprenticeship training in sectors with future employment opportunities. These efforts can also work with the SUERA's Action Group 3 to improve labour market, education, and training, especially for teachers and workers involved in training course renovation.

    To achieve this specific objective, a type of action that can be implemented is: awareness-raising, knowledge, information, and training.

  RSO 4.5 Ensuring equal access to health care and fostering resilience of health systems

  • The Programme aims to ensure satisfactory accessibility to health, socio-health, and assistance services throughout the cross-border ALCOTRA territory, particularly in areas where access to general interest services is limited.
    The programme is committed to promoting equality, inclusion, and non-discrimination, with a focus on priority groups such as the elderly. Specific measures focused on healthy aging will be financed, including initiatives promoting physical activity, supporting informal caregivers, providing training for healthcare and social workers, preventing social isolation, and promoting appropriate nutrition for the elderly. This objective also addresses the challenge posed by COVID-19 by organizing widespread healthcare services through innovative instruments and approaches beyond hospital structures.

    The Programme plans to take four main types of action to improve the accessibility and effectiveness of the territory's social-health and assistance systems:
    • Raising awareness, improving knowledge, providing information, and offering training.
    • Developing, adopting, and transferring technologies, expertise, and best practices.
    • Creating and implementing cross-border policies.
    • Preparing and implementing physical and infrastructure investments.

  RSO 4.6 Enhancing the role of culture and sustainable tourism

  • The Programme aims to promote sustainable and inclusive tourism while ensuring equality between genders, inclusion, and non-discrimination. The analysis of the territory has shown the importance of sustainable tourism and the need to develop a diverse tourist and cultural offer to reduce environmental impact. The Programme supports actions that integrate environmental considerations and align with the challenges faced by the program in Objective 2.
    The Programme also supports the transition to digital and ecological approaches to promote economic development, social innovation, and inclusion. The Programme's actions contribute to the European sustainable development strategy and can work alongside the Alpine Strategy's actions towards sustainable tourism. The programme could also support the Alpine Strategy's initiative to launch a network of sustainable tourist destinations.

    Three types of actions can be developed within this specific objective:
    • Raising awareness, education, information and training.
    • Development, adoption and transfer of technologies, know-how and good practices.
    • Preparation and implementation of material and infrastructural investments.

• A Europe closer to citizens – sustainable and integrated development of urban, rural and coastal areas through local initiatives

  RSO 5.2 Fostering the integrated and inclusive social, economic and environmental local development, culture, natural heritage, sustainable tourism and security in areas other than urban areas

  • The ALCOTRA Programme aims to continue its territorialization efforts and build on the expertise gained from previous programmes, such as PITs (2007-2013) and PITERs (2014-2020). The focus is on inclusive and participatory approaches, involving key stakeholders, including citizens, to address challenges in the cooperation territory. The funded projects aim to develop territorial and local development strategies that take into account the specificities and needs of different territories (rural, urban, mountainous, coastal). The strategies will be multi-thematic and mainly focus on themes such as natural risks prevention, tourism, cultural heritage, healthcare, mobility, bilingualism, smart villages, and social services. Possible instruments include ITIs, CLLD, and simplified PITERs.

    In order to support interventions in these thematic areas, the Programme identifies four main types of actions that will be addressed through a territorial approach:
    • Awareness raising, knowledge, information, and training.
    • Definition and implementation of cross-border policies that can improve the living conditions of citizens in the cooperation area.
    • Development, adoption, and transfer of technologies, know-how, and best practices that promote innovation and knowledge sharing at the territorial level.
    • Preparation and implementation of material and infrastructure investments.

• A better cooperation governance

  RSO 6.1 Enhance the institutional capacity of public authorities

  • A consultation with stakeholders highlighted the presence of normative and institutional barriers limiting the effectiveness of cross-border cooperation, particularly in sectors such as transportation, education, health, climate change, and risk management. To address these obstacles, a new governance framework will be implemented, involving integrated projects with beneficiaries possessing the necessary legal-administrative competencies. The integration of the SUERA provides an opportunity to strengthen links between the Program and the strategy, making the Alpine region a model laboratory for multilevel governance. France and Italy will establish a joint border strategy, with a committee of cross-border cooperation representatives tasked with identifying and resolving obstacles to cooperation through regulation, legislation, or diplomacy. Projects funded through ISO1 will address the issues identified by the committee and contribute to its work. Coordination between ALCOTRA-supported obstacle resolution projects and those prioritized by the committee will be sought through the involvement of stakeholders at different cooperation levels.

    The foreseen projects are grouped into the following category:
    • Defining and implementing policies at the cross-border level to solve or overcome cross-border obstacles.