Assistance to the cross-border cooperation referred to in Article 86(1) shall in principle be granted within the framework of multi-annual programmes for cross-border cooperation, hereinafter referred to as the ‘cross-border programmes’.

Cross-border programmes shall be drawn up for each border or group of borders by an appropriate grouping at NUTS level 3 regions or, in the absence of NUTS classification, equivalent areas.

Each cross-border programme shall be jointly drawn up by the participating countries, in cooperation with the partners referred to in Article 11 of Regulation (EC) No 1083/2006.

The participating countries shall jointly submit a proposal for a cross-border programme to the Commission, containing all the elements referred to in Article 94.

The Commission shall appraise the proposed cross-border programme to determine whether it contains all the elements referred to in Article 94 and whether it contributes to the goals and priorities of the relevant multi-annual indicative planning document(s) referred to in Article 5.

Where the Commission considers that a cross-border programme does not contain all the elements referred to in Article 94 or is not in line with the goals and priorities of the multi-annual indicative planning document(s), it may invite the participating countries to provide all necessary additional information and, where appropriate, to revise the proposed programme accordingly.

The Commission shall adopt the cross-border programme by decision.