The Interreg V-A Estonia-Latvia 2014-2020 technical assistance

Lõkke 4 / 10122 Tallinn / 663 8200 / [email protected] / www.rtk.ee / Registrikood 70007340

Sandis Cakuls

Head of National Authority for

Interreg Programmes

[email protected] Ours 09.12.2025 no 11.1-4/25/2528-1

Ministry of Smart Administration and

Regional Development of the Republic of

Latvia

The Interreg V-A Estonia-Latvia 2014-2020

technical assistance

Dear Mr Cakuls,

The State Shared Service Centre approaches you to initiate the repayment of the surplus of

technical assistance received during the 2014–2020 period. In line with the Agreement to the

cooperation programme Interreg V-A Estonia-Latvia 2014-2020 (CCI No 2014TC16RFCB050)

(hereinafter – the Agreement), the technical assistance contribution of Latvia for this period

amounts to € 809,370. The payment of this amount has been completed in full through yearly

instalments.

The Managing Authority of the (Interreg V-A) Estonia-Latvia Programme has received closure

proposal of the Programme from the European Commission on 26 July 2024. The European

Commission has detailed the closure of the Estonia-Latvia Programme 2014-2020 and has

calculated the final amounts chargeable to the funds. The Managing Authority has reviewed the

calculation and confirmed on 16 September 2024 that the amounts proposed for closure by the

European Commission are acceptable to the programme. The Managing Authority received the

formal closure letter from the European Commission confirming that the Programme has been

officially closed on 13 October 2025.

Two topics remain unresolved from the 2014–2020 programming period: the “Valga – Valka Twin

Town Centre Development” project court case and technical assistance. As the court case is

ongoing, at the meeting of the Programme Authorities, it was agreed to return to the discussion of

the technical assistance budget for the 2014–2020 period once the Court had delivered its decision.

On 9 September, we have been informed by the Court that a decision on the “Valga – Valka Twin

Town Centre Development” project will only be made on 23 January 2026. In light of this, it would

not be reasonable to postpone the repayment of technical assistance for the previous period until

the court’s decision is issued. Therefore, the Managing Authority proposes to proceed with the

necessary arrangements for the repayment without further delay.

The European Commission paid for the programme's technical assistance on the basis of eligible

costs. The Latvian National Authority paid the cofinancing of the technical assistance for the

programme by the annual invoices sent according to the Agreement signed. In the case of Estonia,

the cofinancing was in proportion to the amount of the eligible costs received from the European

Commission.

Taking into account that the actual costs of the technical assistance for the 2014–2020 period were

lower than initially planned, a surplus of € 88,581,68 has arisen. The technical Assistance of the

Estonia - Latvia Programme 2014 – 2020:

Financing

rate (%)

Approved TA

budget (€)

Real cost of

TA (€)

Surplus (€)

European

Commission

65.63 2,661,447.00 2,370,006.89

Estonian cofinancing 14.41 584,413.00 520,368.72

Latvian cofinancing 19.96 809,370.00 720,788.32 88,581.68

Total 100 4,055,230.00 3,611,163.93 88,581.68

With regard to the repayment of technical assistance, the Managing Authority proposes to offset

the surplus of the technical assistance of 2014-2020 period against technical assistance payment

for the year 2026 under the 2021–2027 period.

In accordance with the Agreement to the Interreg VI-A Estonia-Latvia Programme 2021-2027

(CCI No 2021TC16RFCB043) and confirmation of national co-financing, the technical assistance

contribution of Latvia for the year 2026 is € 94,432.34. Therefore, in 2026 Latvia would need to

transfer € 5,850.66 to the Managing Authority’s account upon receiving the respective invoice.

Yours sincerely,

(signed digitally)

Urmo Merila

Deputy Director General

State Shared Service Centre

Külli Kaare 504 2896

[email protected]