The Programme Planning Group (PPG) is tasked to prepare a successor programme to the Northern Periphery and Arctic Programme 2014-2020 on the basis of the draft Cohesion policy legislative package for the funding period 2021-2027.

The PPG is responsible for all aspects of programme development and is the main decision-making body during the programming of NPA 2021-2027.

Each current programme partner country is represented except the UK. The following organisations are also participating as observers: representatives from Russia, the Nordic Atlantic Cooperation (NORA), the Arctic Council's Indigenous Peoples' Secretariat and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency. In addition, the European Commission is an observer in an advisory capacity.

Report from the meeting

At their last meeting, on 14th and 15th April 2021, the PPG discussed the draft Interreg NPA 2021-2027 Cooperation Programme document. The document was updated with the inclusion of the feedback from the public consultation about the Priorities, run between 15th February and 5th March. The PPG agreed to open two public consultations in parallel: one about the draft Cooperation Programme document, and one about the strategic environmental assessment (SEA). Both consultations would be open until May 7th. The PPG agreed this to be the last meeting in this format, in line with the decisions made at the Task Force meeting for the Programme planning in April 2020. Until approval of the NPA 2021-2027 programme, a shadow Monitoring Committee, MC 2027, is established as transitory structure responsible for arranging the final agreement and submission of the Cooperation Programme. The MC2027 will meet on 9th June 2021.