Analysis of European interregional cooperation under Interreg programmes. The case of Spain

Abstract

The present article provides a detailed overview regarding the position of Spain and its Autonomous Communities in the European Territorial Cooperation (Interreg) programmes where the whole country (or some regions) are eligible. This analysis compares the presence (in terms of participation in projects funded by these programmes) of Spain, focusing on three main variables: the regional scope, that is the relative presence of each Autonomous Community, the thematic scope, in terms of the different thematic axes of the programme, and in terms of the institutional scope, in terms of the typology of participating institutions. To perform this analysis, a brand new data base has been generated, aggregating and treating data from eight different sources linked to the four programmes analysed: Interregs Europe, Atlantic, Mediterranean, and South West. Our study aims at providing a sound overview and relevant conclusions that can support, besides the academic approach, the decision-making process towards the definition of the next Interreg programming period 2021-2027, considering Spain as a key example.