The cohesion policy for the period 2007-2013 has officially been launched with the adoption of the first four programmes of cross-border cooperation co-financed by the European Fund of Regional Development: Italy-Austria (80 million uro); Bavaria-Austria (72.1 million uro); EuroRegion Moselle-Rhine (Germany, Holland, Belgium – 144.8 million uro); and Ireland-Wales (70 million uro). There are some fifty cross-border programmes that the Commission is called to approve in the months ahead and whose content is still being negotiated with member states. The sectors of intervention are various: entrepreneurship, small and medium industries, trade, tourism, culture; joint protection and management of the environment; water, waste management and energy; public health; judicial and administrative cooperation. For 2007-2013, the overall budget allocated to these programmes is 5.4 billion .
