Apart from interventions on external borders supported by external policy instruments of the Union covering border regions inside and outside the Union, it should be possible for cooperation programmes supported by the ERDF to cover regions both inside and, in certain cases, outside the Union, where the regions outside the Union are not covered by external policy instruments either because they are not defined as a beneficiary country or because such external cooperation programmes cannot be set up.
Seachas na hidirghabhálacha ar theorainneacha seachtracha arna dtacú ag ionstraimí beartais sheachtraigh an Aontais a chumhdaíonn réigiúin teorann laistigh agus lasmuigh den Aontas, ba cheart go bhféadfadh cláir chomhair arna dtacú ag CFRE réigiúin atá laistigh den Aontas agus, i gcásanna áirithe, lasmuigh den Aontas a chumhdach, i gcás nach gcumhdaíonn ionstraimí beartais sheachtraigh na réigiúin lasmuigh den Aontas, toisc nach bhfuil siad sainithe mar thír tairbhí nó toisc nach féidir cláir um chomhar seachtrach den sórt sin a bhunú.