Over the last 35 years, Interreg has become a major European instrument of solidarity, reconciliation, confidence-building and strategic cooperation, reducing the divisive effects of borders and boosting the local economies of previously peripheral border regions. Today, after several crises, we are witnessing emerging distrust, dissatisfaction, disharmony between Member States and the decline of the spirit of solidarity and cooperation, a general cooperation fatigue.

We, the members of the Transfrontier Euro-Institut Network (TEIN), share the conviction that there has never been a more urgent need to strengthen the spirit of solidarity and cooperation than today. We consider European Territorial Cooperation as the best tool to preserve the key values and achievements of European integration. The national measures taken during COVID have clearly shown that without open borders, the European project loses its meaning and energy. To keep the borders open, we need cooperation and mutual trust, which can best be promoted through Interreg programmes. In short, we are convinced that without Interreg, the European Union cannot be kept alive in today’s crises.

The network is thus actively contributing to the reflection on the future of European cohesion policy.
This contribution can be seen as complementary to the INTERREG 35 Declaration.