HORIZONTAL PRINCIPLES and Cross-cutting themes

Horizontal principles

Sustainable Development

ADRION encourages project partners to promote eco-innovations and aims at sustainable use of natural resources under all priority axes. Beneficiaries are requested to describe in their project proposal’s activities that they will contribute to reduce the carbon footprint of their project activities. Projects proposals, in which planned activities have a significant negative environmental impact, are excluded from project selection.

Equal opportunities and non-discrimination

Non-discrimination  covers  not  only  women  and  men, but  any  discrimination  based  on  racial  or  ethnic origin,  religion  or  belief,  disability, age or sexual  orientation. ADRION emphasises the importance of sharing knowledge, good practices and the principle of equal access to information.

Equality between men and women

The aim of equality between women and men is one of the fundamental values of the European Union. ADRION promotes actions and measures where gender-mainstreaming aspects, such as gender equality or women’s empowerment, are part of project activities.


Cross-cutting themes


In addition to horizontal principles, ADRION places special attention on cross-cutting themes in different priority axes, which can significantly contribute to its overall objectives.

Information and Communication Technologies

The development of ICT products, services and applications represents a significant support for socioeconomic development, governance, networking, etc. ICT can be used in a transversal way to reach the programme objectives in several priority axes.

Social cohesion and social innovation

The programme is determined to focus on projects that involve partners or take measures that have a positive effect on social cohesion. In fact, involving social enterprises or implementing actions aimed at improving the conditions of vulnerable groups is encouraged, especially when confronted with difficulties of economic and social integration.

Data and knowledge management

Due to general objectives of transnational cooperation, project partners are obliged to make the data used for the projects or generated by the project available to the public to make sure that the promotion of project results is spread as widely as possible. It is suggested that projects deliver datasets in line with the ‘open data by default’ principle to improve the dissemination and reuse of data between public institutions, partners and public in general.

Territorial and eco-systemic approach

In each targeted territory – urban, rural or urban-rural – projects have to involve relevant sectoral institutions from the project intervention field. Approaches must be ‘integrated’ or ‘eco-systemic’ so that the results are not isolated proposals that cover limited aspects e.g. tourism, energy or transports, but rather demonstrate a coordination effort able to contribute to all these domains for sustainable development of territories. With this approach, transnational cooperation projects can contribute to develop strategic planning aspects.