For more than 15 years, the members of the network have been working with both managing authorities and project leaders at the various levels of cooperation (cross-border, transnational and interregional).They support managing authorities and joint secretariats in the design of framework documents (programme, territorial strategies, operational manuals, calls for projects), and in the implementation of capitalisation activities, etc.).
With this expertise, they can provide particularly enlightened support to project leaders in the preparation of their application file, taking particular care to optimise the composition of the European partnership and the adequacy of the project’s content with the expectations of the targeted programme. They are also involved in supporting the implementation of cooperation projects: organising transnational meetings, supporting the development of cooperation activities and providing thematic expertise.

This dual perspective on the realities of European territorial cooperation enables them to formulate very operational recommendations in the regular evaluation of programmes and the capitalisation of experience.

ERDF-ESF regional programmes concentrate most of the funding of the cohesion policy and constitute a major axis for the implementation of European priorities (smarter, greener, more connected and more social Europe and Europe closer to citizens) in the context of the green deal and the European digital agenda.

The members of the network intervene according to their specialities in the implementation of these programmes and in particular in the accompaniment of Managing Authorities in the implementation of these financings – methodological guides, strategies, procedures and regulations (simplified costs options, public procurement, State aids…) – and in activities of monitoring and evaluation.

Territorial approaches are a growing dimension of cohesion policy with the introduction of specific tools such as Integrated Territorial Investments (ITIs) or Community Led Local Development (CLLD). For the period 2021-2027, the Specific Objective « Bringing Europe closer to its citizens » increases the capacity of programmes to act in this field.

For three generations of programmes, the members of the network have been providing their expertise on the different types of territories and on the engineering tools set up by the the European Commission: urban areas (integrated urban strategies, urban projects, etc.), rural areas (EAFRD and LEADER territories), maritime areas (CLLD of European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF)), blue economy, sustainable coastal tourism, mountain areas (natural risks, valley areas, etc.). This expertise can consist in the definition of territorial strategies with participatory approach, support for project leaders in the preparation of their applications or the evaluation of these territorial policies.