At its second meeting, the Shadow MC 2027* decided on the work plan for the new programme start-up phase and made important decisions for the implementation of the new programme. Meanwhile, the Cooperation Programme document national approval process is underway.

Besides matters of procedural and administrative nature necessary for the correct management and control of the programme, the following was decided by the members of the shadow MC2027: 

• The Interreg NPA 2021-2027 will adopt Jems as its electronic monitoring system. The system is being developed by INTERACT in close cooperation with Interreg programmes and is designed to meet the regulatory requirements as well as the specific needs of Interreg programmes and projects. The system is also based on a harmonised set of documents (e.g. Application form, Project report, etc. ) which have been jointly designed across Interreg programmes to simplify the participation in these programmes.
• The following project types will be supported in the Interreg NPA 2021-2027 period:
  • Main projects
  • Preparatory projects to develop main projects
  • Preparatory projects for capacity building in Priority 3
  • Clustering projects
  • Other small-scale projects

• The following partnership criteria have been decided:
  • The NPA main projects will have to involve partners from at least 3 programme partner countries, at least one of which from an EU Member States. Besides this, it will be required that partnerships are clearly of a transnational character. These partnership criteria also apply to preparatory projects for capacity building in Priority 3, Clustering projects, and other small-scale projects.
  • For preparatory projects to develop main projects, where one of the goals is to establish the appropriate transnational partnership, it is proposed to require that they involve partners from at least 2 programme partner countries, at least one of which is from an EU Member State.

• In order to reduce the administrative burden for beneficiaries, the shadow MC2027 agreed to the maintain the Simplified Cost Options (SCOs) already in use and offer additional options for travel costs and other costs than staff.

Pending on the approval process of the Cooperation Programme, the Shadow MC 2027 also decided that the first NPA 2021-2027 call for projects will be launched in Spring 2022 and that for the first part of the programme period, there will be two main project calls open at regular intervals in the Spring and in the Autumn of each year.

The next meeting will take place in March 2022.

*The Programme bodies for the NPA 2021-2027 such as the Monitoring Committee, the Regional Contact Points etc. cannot be formally appointed and act, before the Programme has been approved by the European Commission. In the transition period, there is a need for certain structures to ensure that necessary preparations are carried out, and that the programme administration is established and fully operational from day one. For this reason, the MC2027 is established as a shadow Monitoring Committee until approval of the Cooperation Programme.