This article examines the role of the Government of Catalonia as a cross-border actor. The analysis is based on two elements: projects financed by the INTERREG fund in periods III and IV (1999-2014) in which Catalonia took part, and cooperation structures that were developed in the same period. The analysis brings to light the significant develop- ment of cross-border cooperation initiatives during the period 2003-2006 through both INTERREG funded projects and institutional cooperation structures. The results reveal that most projects in which Catalonia has taken part are related to economic development and environment management and although some institutional cooperation initiatives have been successful, further effort is required to consolidate them. © 2018, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona and Universitat de Girona. All rights reserved.