Interreg III B MEDOCC is part of Strand B of the Interreg Community Initiative Programme, which deals with Transnational Cooperation.  The primary objective of the Programme is to increase the territorial competitiveness of Southern Europe in order to create an economic integration zone of world-wide importance, as well as supporting the contribution of the Barcelona Process to greater integration between the European regions of the MEDOCC and Third Countries of the Mediterranean zone. Based on Community Policy priorities and the recommendations of the "European Spatial Development Perspective" (ESDP), the main fields of cooperation are the following:

Priority 1: Structuring and Integration between the two sides of the Mediterranean;

Priority 2: Strategies of territorial development and urban systems, comprising the cooperation between cities or urban and rural zones, in favor of a sustainable polycentric development: realization of strategic studies, interconnection of metropolitan areas and of medium dimension cities, development of the cooperation between Planning and Territorial Research Institutes.

Priority 3: Development of effective and sustainable transport systems and promotion of the universal use of IT in the service sector: connection of secondary transport networks to transnational networks (with the exclusion of freeways and main roads construction), know-how and technology transfers between local administrations.

Priority 4: Encouraging environmental protection, management of cultural heritage and natural resources (especially water resources): the development of the European ecological network for the connection of protected areas, combined strategies of risk management in areas subject to natural catastrophes (prevention of flooding and dryness), concerted management of coastal waters.

The countries eligible to participate in the INTERREG IIIB MEDOCC Programme are Malta and Greece, together with regions from Spain, France, Italy, Portugal and the  United Kingdom. Moreover, projects are recommended to include the associated countries and MEDA countries (Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Syria, Palestinian Territories, Tunisia, Turkey) in order to extend the territorial development to the whole Mediterranean Zone.