Interreg Greece - Albania

30/10/2026

A technical meeting for the projects Health4All and SmartCities, implemented under the Interreg IPA Greece–Albania Programme, took place at the headquarters of the Regional Council of Korçë, in Korçë, Albania.

The meeting brought together representatives of the Joint Secretariat, the Managing Authority, SASPAC, First Level Control (FLC) in Albania and the Regional Council of Korçë, as the project partner.

Discussions focused on the progress achieved so far, the implementation challenges and the targets ahead. Particular emphasis was placed on agreeing on a binding timetable with clear milestones and commitments, ensuring timely progress and the successful completion of both projects.

Working together to turn cross-border cooperation into tangible results for the benefit of citizens in both countries.

30/10/2026

Some places stay with us because of the stories they tell — and the people and cultures they bring together.

Through CLLD-CulTour – Interreg Greece–Albania, we discover the rich heritage we share across borders: from Marigo Posio’s historic house, linked to Albania’s Independence Flag, the Pheasants Forest in Maliq, and the early Christian basilica and its beautiful mosaics near Pogradec, to the historic monasteries and archaeological treasures of Greece.

The journey also celebrates the traditional silverwork of Zitsa, the rich cultural traditions of Metsovo, and Dropull’s unique contribution through its vibrant traditions and distinctive cultural heritage.

Every place holds a memory, every tradition tells a story, and every cultural route brings our communities a little closer together.

Because our shared heritage is more than history — it’s a living bridge between people, cultures and generations.

Council of Korçë

30/10/2026

Water knows no borders. Protecting it requires joint planning, modern infrastructure and cross-border cooperation.

The WATER TRAP – Wastewater Treatment for Environmental Restoration in Transboundary Prespa project, implemented under the Interreg VI-A IPA Greece–Albania 2021–2027 Programme, aims to improve urban wastewater collection and treatment while protecting the sensitive ecosystem of the transboundary Prespa region.

🇦🇱 Intervention on the Albanian side – Tren, Devoll Municipality, Korçë Region

In the village of Tren, near Lesser Prespa Lake, the project includes a comprehensive set of interventions to upgrade wastewater management infrastructure:

▪️ Reconstruction and upgrading of the sewerage network, improving the collection and transportation of urban wastewater.

▪️ Installation of a three-compartment septic tank, providing primary wastewater treatment.

▪️ Prevention of uncontrolled discharge of untreated wastewater into natural water bodies, contributing to the protection of water resources and the ecosystem of Lesser Prespa Lake.

These interventions will strengthen the village’s basic environmental infrastructure and contribute to improved sanitation conditions and quality of life for local residents.

🇬🇷 **Interventions on the Greek side **

🤝 A shared environmental strategy

Beyond infrastructure investments, WATER TRAP also includes:

• Development of a Joint Action Plan for wastewater management across the transboundary Prespa river basin.
• Exchange of expertise and cooperation between the competent authorities of the two countries.
• Environmental education, awareness-raising activities and educational visits (eco-tours) focusing on modern and nature-based wastewater treatment solutions.

Through complementary interventions on both sides of the border, the project promotes an integrated approach to sustainable water management and environmental protection.

Project partners:

* Municipality of Prespa (Lead Beneficiary)
* Korca Regional Water Supply and Sewerage Company (UKRK)

💶 Total project budget: €1,265,127
🇪🇺 EU co-financing: 80%

WATER TRAP: Two countries, one shared goal – protecting our water resources and natural heritage for future generations.

22/10/2026

What an incredible Interreg Cooperation Day 2026! 🎉 Today, high school students from Konitsa - Δήμος Κόνιτσας / Επα.Λ. Κόνιτσας and Dropull - Δήμος Δρόπολης Bashkia Dropull came together at the Public Central Library of Konitsa — Δημόσια βιβλιοθήκη Κόνιτσας for an unforgettable experience!

​The room was buzzing with giggles and pure elation as the young participants eagerly jumped into our collaborative knowledge exercises. It was inspiring to see their enthusiasm for learning! 💡

​A massive thank you to our phenomenal host and project partner, the Public Central Library of Konitsa. Not only did they play a highly valuable role in hosting and facilitating the event, but they also delivered spot-on remarks and insightful examples that brought the true meaning of the EU and Interreg to life for the younger generation. 🇪🇺👏

Also, a quick but huge thanks to our collaborators Alpha Forum for their contribution to the event organisation, and specifically to the scientific personnel from the National Kapodistrian University of Athens Εθνικό και Καποδιστριακό Πανεπιστήμιο Αθηνών for their vital contribution in designing the presentations and designing & running the learning exercise!

​Through the advanced technology of our VIRTUALAND project VR headsets, students explored digitised cultural-heritage material. The best part? Kids from both sides of the border are heading home today far more knowledgeable about the shared cultural heritage that unites the two sides of the eligible area border. 🌍🤝

​

16/10/2026

🤝 Empowering youth through digital heritage!

As part of Interreg Cooperation Day 2026, high school students from Konitsa and Δήμος Δρόπολης Bashkia Dropull will come together to explore digitised, 3D cultural heritage using VIRTUALAND VR headsets! 🕶️✨

Join us on 21 October 2026 at the Public Central Library of Konitsa - Δημόσια βιβλιοθήκη Κόνιτσας to see how cross-border cooperation between Greece and Albania is strengthening our shared history and creating new learning opportunities. 🌍



For more info 👉 https://greece-albania.eu/eventer/interreg-cooperatipn-day-2026-konitsa-and-dropull-high-schoool-students-discover-interreg-through-virtual-reality/edate/2026-10-21/

08/10/2026

🎉 Thank you for an overwhelming response to our 6th & 7th Open Calls for Small-Scale Projects! 🇬🇷🤝🇦🇱

With the closure of submissions on 30 September 2026, we received 32 cross-border project proposals requesting a total of €11 Million—nearly 4 times the €3 Million available budget!

🌿 6th Call (S.O. 2.7 – Nature, Biodiversity & Green Infrastructure): 14 proposals (€4.83M requested vs. €1M available)
🏛️ 7th Call (S.O. 4.6 – Culture, Sustainable Tourism & Social Innovation): 18 proposals (€6.17M requested vs. €2M available)
🤝 85 Partner Participations (40 from Greece & 45 from Albania) from 66 unique organisations!

More details on our analytical report: https://lnkd.in/p/eatqczNm

Thank you to all the partners and newcomers who teamed up across the border. The evaluation phase is now underway—stay tuned for updates at ➡️ www.greece-albania.eu

24/09/2026

FIRESMARTER: Working Together for Safer, More Resilient Forests 🌲🔥

Looking back at the Firesmarter Interreg VI-A IPA Greece-Albania kick-off meeting, held on 16 July 2026 at the headquarters of the Inspection Directorate for Forest Policy Implementation of Epirus–Western Macedonia, in Ioannina. 🤝📍

The meeting officially launched the joint implementation of FIRESMARTER under the Interreg VI-A IPA Greece–Albania 2021–2027 Programme, bringing together partners committed to strengthening forest wildfire prevention, early detection, climate resilience, and sustainable forest management across the border.
🇬🇷 🇪🇺 🇦🇱🌍

During the meeting, the partners discussed the project’s objectives, planned activities, and implementation timeline, with particular attention to:

🌲 Forest monitoring and surveillance systems
🚁 The use of UAV technologies for biomass and geospatial mapping
📡 The integration of new surveillance equipment into existing alert systems
📊 The collection and exchange of wildfire and forest data
🧯 Early warning and real-time fire detection
🎓 Training activities and knowledge exchange
🌿 Joint forest management plans
💚 Forest carbon credit systems

The programme also included a study visit focusing on an early-warning system for forest fires and the use of environmental sensor technologies for real-time monitoring and rapid detection. This practical exchange highlighted how technology and cooperation can work hand in hand to protect forests and communities. 🔍🌡️🚨

🤝 Project Partners

Inspection Directorate for Forest Policy Implementation of Epirus–Western Macedonia Υπουργείο Περιβάλλοντος και Ενέργειας — Lead Beneficiary, Greece 🇬🇷

National Forest Agency of Albania Agjencia Kombëtare e Burimeve Natyrore - AKBN faqja zyrtare 🇦🇱

Municipality of Libohova Bashkia Libohovë - Faqja Zyrtare 🇦🇱

Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH) Εθνικό Κέντρο Έρευνας και Τεχνολογικής Ανάπτυξης 🇬🇷

FIRESMARTER is taking an important step towards more coordinated, data-driven, and climate-resilient forest protection. By sharing expertise, strengthening operational systems, and investing in innovative monitoring technologies, Greece and Albania are building a safer future for their forests and border communities. 🌍🌳🤝

🔥The FIRESMARTER Project🔥

Promoting Fire-Smart Territories (FST) Initiative for harmonised and effective forest fire prevention and management strategies

‼️FIRESMARTER tackles the rising wildfire threat in the Greece – Albania cross-border region, where climate change, land abandonment and biomass build-up are increasing forest vulnerability. As wildfire intensity and frequency increase, ecosystems, rural livelihoods, and communities face mounting risks— demanding urgent prevention and coordinated, cross-border action.‼️

💡The project promotes the innovative Fire-Smart Territories (FSTs) concept, combining sustainable land use, fuel management and smart fire detection technologies. It develops joint Forest Management Plans (FMPs) in seven high-risk areas, aiming to reduce fire exposure and enhance forest resilience.💡

🎥A key feature is the integrated surveillance system, with UAVs and smart cameras enabling real-time monitoring and early warning. This cross-border infrastructure enhances emergency coordination and decision-making across territories.🎥

🌿FIRESMARTER also pioneers a Forest Carbon Credit System (FCCS) to incentivise sustainable forestry and carbon sequestration, while supporting bioeconomy clusters focused on wood and non-wood forest products— stimulating green entrepreneurship in remote, fire-prone areas.🌿

📊To ensure long-term impact, the project delivers:
➡ a Fire-Smart Territories Strategy and action plan
➡ a Joint Early Warning ΚΑΙ Detection Strategy
➡ a Transferability ΚΑΙ Capitalization Plan
➡ a Spatial Decision Support System (SDSS) for prioritising fuel treatment and resource use

👥Through training, stakeholder engagement and knowledge transfer, FIRESMARTER builds institutional capacity and embeds its results into everyday governance.
Expected results include stronger climate adaptation policies, better wildfire prevention, revitalised rural economies and scalable models for broader EU application —making FIRESMARTER a smart, sustainable and cooperative response to a growing environmental challenge.👥

💰💰Total Budget: 1.041.552€
🇪🇺 🇪🇺 EU Funds: 833.242€
🇬🇷 🇦🇱 National Funds: 208.310€

23/09/2026

📅 SAVE THE DATE | 20 October 2026

How can Artificial Intelligence help us communicate the impact of cross-border cooperation faster, smarter and more creatively?

As part of the Interreg Greece - Albania MA/Joint Secretariat, we are excited to join forces with our fellow Interreg programmes for a dedicated online workshop!

The Managing Authority Interreg 2021–2027, together with the Interact Programme, is hosting the webinar:

💡 “Use of Artificial Intelligence in Interreg Communications”

Designed specifically for the Communication Managers of our cross-border programmes, this practical session will dive into:

Generative AI and content creation workflows

Large Language Models (LLMs) tailored for public communication

Real-world, everyday AI use cases to make our project storytelling more engaging

We look forward to gaining valuable insights alongside our colleagues from Interreg Greece - Bulgaria, Interreg Greece-Italy, Interreg Greece–Cyprus - Interreg VI-A Ελλάδα-Κύπρος and interreg Greece–North Macedonia, bringing fresh digital tools to the forefront of our cross-border dialogue.

📍 Online Webinar

📅 20 October 2026

👥 For Communication Managers of the 5 Cross-Border Interreg Programmes involving Greece

Stay tuned — registration details and agenda coming soon!