Interreg NPA 8th Monitoring Committee Meeting

The Monitoring Committee (MC) is the decision making body of Interreg NPA Programme. Each programme partner country is represented on the committee with its national and regional representatives (for some regions only one representative is selected) and decisions are made by consensus. In addition, the European Commission attends meetings of the MC in an advisory capacity together with other permanent observers as listed below. 

The MC is overlooking the Programme´s implementation, can decide the thematic focus of the calls, and is responsible for selecting the approved applications.

Summary of MC Decisions

The Eighth Meeting of the Interreg Northern Periphery and Arctic (NPA) Programme Monitoring Committee took place on 3rd June 2026 in Nólsoy (Faroe Islands), hosted by the Ovasavnið Museum, with the option to participate online.

The meeting was chaired by Ms Gunnvá Olsen (Faroe Islands) and brought together Monitoring Committee members, observers and representatives from the European Commission. 

Programme administration 

The Monitoring Committee received an update from the Audit Authority on programme audits carried out during the 2024–2025 accounting year. Three projects were audited, with only a minor irregularity identified. The Audit Authority concluded that the programme's accounts and control systems provide a true and fair picture, while recommending additional checks on potential double funding.

The Committee also received an update on the ongoing implementation evaluation being carried out by Oxford Research. The evaluation is assessing the programme's relevance and added value, while providing insights for the design of the next programme period. Evidence was being gathered through a programme-wide survey, interviews, 7 project case studies, document reviews and an expert panel.

Preliminary findings reported that programme priorities remain highly relevant to the needs and challenges of the programme area. Respondents generally considered the programme well aligned with regional needs. However, unmet needs were identified in areas such as cultural integration, climate resilience and emergency preparedness, depopulation, connectivity, transport and infrastructure.

The evaluation suggested that the main challenge was not thematic relevance but ensuring that activities could be adapted and sustained throughout the programme area. Administrative burden, co-financing requirements and liquidity constraints were identified as the principal barriers to participation. Participation levels appear to be influenced more by organisational capacity and connectivity than by the relevance of programme priorities.

Oxford Research reported strong evidence of programme added value. Approximately 75% of respondents indicated that their project would not have taken place without NPA support. The programme was particularly valued for enabling cooperation between remote and peripheral regions otherwise difficult to sustain in the long term, and for supporting piloting, networking and knowledge exchange

The evaluation will continue throughout 2026, with final results expected in January 2027.

Decisions under the Interreg Sixth Call

A key item on the agenda was the decision on proposals submitted under the Sixth call for proposals, the last addressing Main projects.

Following assessment, the Monitoring Committee approved 15 Main projects, subject to pre-contracting actions:

Priority 1 – Innovation capacity

• CONNECT - Collaboratively OptimisiNg the adoptioN of hEalth Care Technologies 

Priority 2 - Climate Change and Resource Sufficiency

• BIOGUARD - Operational Biodiversity Loss Risk Prevention and Climate Adaptation in Northern Forest Landscapes

• BRIDGES - Building Regional Innovation for Green Economy Solutions

• Circ-Blade - Circular Decommissioning Pathways for Wind Turbine Blades

• CIRCULATOUR - Circular, low-waste and resource-smart tourism for NPA communities

• PeakCom - Peak Load management for communities

• PLEDGE - Plants on the Edge

• PREPAREd - Empowering Volunteers and Communities for Climate and Crisis Readiness

• RE:FLEX - Testing SME Flexibility Potential in Renewable-Driven Electricity Markets

• RE-SPRINGS - Rural Energy Sharing Providing Resilience INnovation & Green Solutions

Priority 3 - Cooperation Opportunities

• DC NEST - Data Center NPA Ecosystem

• CHARGE - Enhancing Institutional Capacity for Heritage Food Governance

• PREPAREd - Empowering Volunteers and Communities for Climate and Crisis Readiness

• PRESAFE - Safety, Sustainability and Accessibility in Remote Nurse Prescribing across NPA Regions

• NSRR - Nordic SME Risk & Resilience

• NORTHGUARD - Information-Driven Preparedness System for Arctic Resilience, Wildfire Detection, and Emergency Response

The Monitoring Committee confirmed that ERDF funding may be allocated to partners from Non-Member States (Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands), provided that national funding sources are fully allocated.

More information about the approved projects can be found here.

Update on preparations post-2027

The Monitoring Committee was informed that preparations for the next Interreg NPA programme period are about to begin. To support this work, a Task Force will be established, bringing together national Monitoring Committee representatives and the European Commission. The Task Force will help shape the programming process and develop recommendations for the future programme. The first Task Force meeting is planned for October 2026, followed by the first Chapter Planning Group meeting in December 2026.

The next Monitoring Committee meeting will take place on 8th December 2026 in Copenhagen.