Interregional cooperation works at pan-European level, covering all EU-27 Member States + Norway and Switzerland. It creates networks to develop good practice and facilitate the exchange and transfer of experience from successful regions to the poorest one.

 

The Interregional co-operation programme (INTERREG IVC) enables EU regions to connect their work together. The aim of cross-border cooperation is to 'filling the gaps'. It does so through agreed cross-border 'analysis and response' strategies, formulated in each of the 52 cross-border programmes. It deals with a wide range of issues, including:
- Encouraging entrepreneurship, especially the development of SMEs, tourism, culture and cross-border trade;
- Improving joint management of natural resources;
- Supporting links between urban and rural areas;
- Improving access to transport and communication networks;
- Administrative, employment and equal work opportunities.
It is interesting to observe that NUTS3 is officially used as a basis for the definition of these areas. In deed, the cross-border programs areas are very short in the country where the surface of NUTS3 is small (Germany, Netherlands, Belgium) and larger where NUTS division is bigger (France, Spain, Scandinavian countries).