At the fifth meeting of the Monitoring Committee, held on 4 and 5 March 2026 in Podgorica, 25 projects were approved under the Second Call of the Interreg VI-A IPA Programme Croatia – Bosnia and Herzegovina – Montenegro 2021–2027.
Under the Second Call, EUR 29.9 million from EU funds was available, and the exceptionally high response showed strong interest in participation in the Programme. A total of 188 applications were submitted requesting EUR 190.8 million in EU co-financing, which is more than six times the amount of the available budget. The approved projects relate to five specific objectives: research and innovation, energy efficiency, circular economy, health services, and culture and tourism.
Within the project proposals proposed for contracting, 111 organizations and institutions from all three countries are participating, of which 48 are from Croatia, 36 from Bosnia and Herzegovina and 27 from Montenegro.
A significant number of public institutions, local governments, university units, public enterprises and civil society organizations from Montenegro will participate in 24 projects proposed for contracting, covering all five specific objectives. Representatives of institutions and organizations from Montenegro will also have the role of lead partner in three approved projects.
During the meeting, the Managing Authority and the Joint Secretariat presented the current status of the Programme and projects, as well as available information related to the period after 2027, particularly considering that this was the last call for submission of project proposals within the financial perspective 2021–2027.
During their stay in Podgorica, members of the Monitoring Committee visited the project “SAFE TOGETHER – Risk Prevention in the Cross-Border Area”, financed under the Interreg IPA Cross-Border Cooperation Programme Croatia – Bosnia and Herzegovina – Montenegro 2014–2020, as well as the strategic project INEREP, whose implementation is currently ongoing. More information about the approved projects under the Second Call, those already being implemented under the First Call and the strategic projects can be found here.