The European Commission has adopted a package of cross-border cooperation programmes totaling EUR 1 B to back social and economic development in the regions on both sides of the EU’s external borders.

The programmes will finance projects in 27 countries – 14 EU member states, including Bulgaria, plus Norway and Turkey, as well as five countries bordering the EU in the east plus Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine and Tunisia.

The funding will be provided from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI). Financing agreements will be finalised between the partner countries and the EU by the end of the year, the European Commission said in a statement on Thursday.

For each of the programmes, the participating countries have selected up to four priorities, such as SME development, culture, environment and climate change, fight against poverty, education and research, energy, accessibility, border management.

“This new funding will further contribute to a more integrated and sustainable regional development in the neighbouring border regions and to a more harmonious territorial cooperation on EU's external borders,'' commented EU Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn.