TITLE IIICROSS-BORDER COOPERATION
Article 8Geographical eligibility
1.
The cross-border cooperation programmes referred to in point (c) of Article 6(1) can be established:
(a)
for land borders covering the territorial units corresponding to Nomenclature of territorial units for statistics (NUTS) level 3 or equivalent along the land borders between Member States and the other cross-border cooperation participating countries, without prejudice to potential adjustments needed to ensure the coherence and continuity of cooperation action, and in accordance with Article 9(4);
(b)
for maritime borders covering the territorial units corresponding to NUTS level 3 or equivalent along maritime borders between Member States and the other cross-border cooperation participating countries, separated by a maximum of 150 km, without prejudice to potential adjustments needed to ensure the coherence and continuity of cooperation action;
(c)
around a sea basin covering the coastal territorial units corresponding to NUTS level 2 or equivalent facing a sea basin common to Member States and the other cross-border cooperation participating countries.
2.
In order to ensure the continuation of existing cooperation schemes and in other justified cases, and with a view to contributing to the programme's objectives, territorial units adjoining those referred to in paragraph 1 may be allowed to participate in cross-border cooperation. The conditions under which adjoining territorial units may participate in cooperation shall be laid down in the joint operational programmes.
3.
In duly justified cases, major social, economic or cultural centres in the Member States or in other cross-border cooperation participating countries that do not adjoin eligible territorial units may be included on condition that such participation contributes to the objectives laid down in the programming document. The conditions under which such centres may participate in cooperation shall be laid down in the joint operational programmes.
4.
When programmes are established pursuant to point (b) of paragraph 1, the Commission may, in agreement with the participants, propose that the geographical eligibility be extended to the whole NUTS level 2 territorial unit in the area of which the NUTS level 3 territorial unit is located.
5.
Cross-border cooperation shall aim to be coherent with the objectives of existing and future macro-regional strategies.