Regional cooperation can play a key role in fostering the integration of the outermost regions into their regional environments.

The Commission has repeatedly stressed the need to strengthen cooperation of this kind between the outermost regions and their neighbouring countries and territories(1).

This calls not only for the continuation of territorial cooperation programmes under the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), but also, as stressed by the Committee of the Regions(2), for greater synergy between cohesion policy funding and the European Development Fund (EDF), with a separate regulation and timetable for each fund.

1. Has the Commission carried out an in-depth analysis of the existing scope for synergies between the structural funds and the EDF with a view to facilitating regional cooperation involving the outermost regions?

2. In the case of Interreg territorial cooperation programmes, how does it intend to improve coordination between the ERDF and the EDF?

3. When will it publish a strategy designed to exploit the full scope for synergies between cohesion policy funding and development policy funding?

(1) See, for example, COM(2011)0611 and COM(2012)0287. (2) Committee of the Regions 1685/2012.