Through projects funded by the trilateral Interreg IPA Cross-Border Cooperation Programme Italy – Albania – Montenegro 2014-2020, Montenegrin institutions and organisations have utilised around €20 million in non-refundable EU funds, which represents nearly a quarter of the total funds allocated through this programme within the financial perspective of the IPA II.

This information was relayed by Bojan Vujović, Director General of the Directorate for European Funds at the Ministry of European Affairs of Montenegro, during an event in Bari which marked the conclusion of the mentioned programme and the beginning of the new cross-border cooperation programme between Italy, Albania, and Montenegro, titled Interreg IPA South Adriatic.

Montenegrin institutions will be the leading partners in two strategic projects. The Ministry of Culture and Media will be the leading partner in the strategic project “Creative South Adriatic,” which will focus on the development of culture and creative industries, while the Institute of Marine Biology at the University of Montenegro will be the leading partner in the strategic project “Competent South Adriatic,” which will focus on the development of competencies for the blue economy.

The event concluded with the announcement of the Call for Standard Projects, expected to be issued by the end of 2023.