In 2020, the Managing Authority for Romania-Ukraine Joint Operational Programme 2014-2020 started the process of preparing Interreg NEXT Romania-Ukraine Programme for 2021-2027.
In June 2020, the Joint Programming Committee was set up. This was the main body to decide on the programming process and it was formed of representatives of public central and local authorities, as well as other stakeholders from both partner countries. The representativeness of the Joint Programming Committee is available here.
The programme area covers 5 counties in Romania, i.e. Satu Mare, Maramureș, Suceava, Botoșani, Tulcea, and Zakarpatska, Ivano-Frankivsk, Chernivtsi, and Odessa oblasts in Ukraine.
The Joint Programming Committee approved the methodology of drafting the future programme and it decided to start the territorial analysis stage. The programme drafting methodology was based on the European regulations, and on TESIM guidelines available for all programmes, which can be found here. During the programming process, local and national stakeholders were consulted (public local and national authorities, NGOs etc.), both on drafting the territorial analysis, as well as on establishing programme priorities, target groups and potential beneficiaries, and on identifying large infrastructure projects to be implemented in partnership, so as to answer to common needs.
Furthermore, the public was asked to send proposals on the draft of the programme, which were published on this page of www.ro-ua.net, as well as on www.mlpda.ro (Ministry of Public Works, Development and Administration in Romania) and on the website of the Cabinet of Ministers in Ukraine.
Interreg VI-A NEXT Romania-Ukraine was adopted by the European Commission on November 30, 2022.