EGTC monitoring report 2016 and impacts of Schengen area crisis on the work of EGTCs.
Date: 2017-04-18
Institutions: Commission for Territorial Cohesion Policy and EU Budget
Subjects: EU programme, European Union, European cooperation, association of local authorities, cooperation policy, cross-border cooperation, economic and social cohesion, euro area, international cooperation, monetary crisis, regional and local authorities, regional cooperation, report

EGTC monitoring report 2016 and 
impacts of Schengen area crisis on the 
work of EGTCs  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
This report was written by Sabine Zillmer, Sebastian Hans, Christian 
Lüer, Amparo Montán, Maria Toptsidou (Spatial Foresight) in 
collaboration with Bernd Schuh, Chien-Hui Hsiung (ÖIR), Pietro Celotti 
and Paola Le Moglie (t33). 

It does not represent the official views of the European Committee of the 
Regions. 

More  information  on  the  European  Union  and  the  European  Committee  of  
the  Regions 
and 
online 
is 
http://www.cor.europa.eu respectively. 

http://www.europa.eu 

available 

at 

Catalogue number: QG-AD-17-001-EN-N 
ISBN: 978-92-895-0923-7 
ISSN: 2314-9299 
doi:10.2863/63042 

© European Union, 2017 
Partial reproduction is allowed, provided that the source is explicitly  mentioned. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table of contents 

List of tables, maps and figures .......................................................................... 1 
List of abbreviations ........................................................................................... 2 
List of EGTC acronyms and abbreviations ......................................................... 3 
List of Member States ........................................................................................ 7 
Executive Summary ........................................................................................... 8 
1 
Introduction .............................................................................................. 11 
2  Comparative analysis of national provisions ............................................. 12 

2.1  Development  of  national 

legislation 

to 

implement 

the  EGTC 

regulation ............................................................................................. 12 

2.2  Member  State  activities  to  improve  coordination and  transparency  in 

3 

EGTC activities .................................................................................... 14 
Impacts of the Schengen Area crisis on EGTCs ....................................... 17 
3.1  Relevant territories of EGTCs .............................................................. 17 
3.2  Effects for EGTCs ................................................................................ 18 
4  Overview of the state of play of the EGTCs ............................................. 22 
4.1  Factsheets for EGTCs founded before Autumn 2015 ............................ 24 
4.1.1  Eurométropole Lille-Kotrijk-Tournai ........................................... 24 
4.1.2 

Ister-Granum  European  Grouping  of  Territorial  Co-operation 
Ltd ................................................................................................ 25 

4.1.3  Agrupación Europea de Cooperación Territorial Galicia – Norte 

de Portugal ................................................................................... 26 

4.1.4  EGTC  Amphictyony  of  Twinned  Cities  and  Areas  of  the 

Mediterranean .............................................................................. 28 

4.1.5  Ung-Tisza-Túr-Sajó  (Hernád-Bódva-Szinva)  Limited  Liability 

EGTC* ......................................................................................... 29 

4.1.6  Limited liability European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation 

Karst-Bodva* ............................................................................... 30 
4.1.7  Agrupación Europea de Cooperación Territorial Duero-Douro .... 31 
4.1.8  Groupement  Européen  de  Coopération  Territoriale  West 

Vlaanderen/Flandre-Dunkerque-Côte d'Opale .............................. 32 
4.1.9  EGTC Archi-Med* ....................................................................... 34 
4.1.10  GECT Pyrénées-Meditérrannée .................................................... 35 
4.1.11  GECT Eurodistrict Strasbourg-Ortenau ........................................ 36 
4.1.12  Agrupamento  Europeu  de  Cooperação  Territorial  ZASNET, 

AECT ........................................................................................... 37 

4.1.13  Agrupació  Europea  de  Cooperació  Territorial  Hospital  de 

Cerdanya ...................................................................................... 38 
4.1.14  GECT INTERREG "Programme Grande Région"* ...................... 39 
4.1.15  Eurodistrict Saarmoselle ............................................................... 40 

4.1.16  ABAÚJ  -  ABAÚJBAN  European  Grouping  of  Territorial  Co-

operation Ltd* .............................................................................. 41 
4.1.17  Pons Danubii EGTC ..................................................................... 42 
4.1.18  Bánát - Triplex Confinium Limited Liability EGTC ..................... 43 
4.1.19  Arrabona 

Felelősségű 
Együttműködési Közhasznú Csoportosulás .................................. 44 

Korlátolt 

Európai 

Területi 

4.1.20  "Linieland  van  Waas  en  Hulst"  Europese  Groepering  voor 

Territoriale Samenwerking ........................................................... 45 
4.1.21  GECT Euregio Tirolo - Alto Adige – Trentino ............................. 46 
4.1.22  Territorio  dei  comuni:  Comune  di  Gorizia  (I),  Mestna  Občina 

Nova Gorica (Slo) e Občina Šempeter-Vrtojba (Slo) .................... 48 
4.1.23  GECT Pirineus – Cerdanya .......................................................... 50 
4.1.24  Agrupación  Europea  de  Cooperación  Territorial  "Espacio 

Portalet" ....................................................................................... 51 

4.1.25  Rába-Duna-Vág European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation 

with Limited Liability ................................................................... 52 
4.1.26  GECT Eurorégion Nouvelle Aquitaine-Euskadi-Navarre ............. 53 
4.1.27  Európa-kapu  Korlátolt 

Felelösségü 
Együttmüködési Csoportosulás ..................................................... 54 

Európai 

Területi 

4.1.28  BODROGKÖZI  Korlátolt  Felelősségű  Európai  Területi 

Együttműködési Közhasznú Csoportosulás* ................................ 55 

4.1.29  Novohrad-Nógrád  European  Grouping 

of  Territorial 

Cooperation with Limited Liability* ............................................ 56 
4.1.30  Pannon European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation Ltd. ......... 57 
4.1.31  EGTC  EFXINI  POLI  -  Network  of  European  Cities  for 

Sustainable Development ............................................................. 58 

4.1.32  European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation European Urban 

Knowledge Network Limited ....................................................... 59 
4.1.33  GECT "Euregio Senza Confini r.l." .............................................. 60 
4.1.34  European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation TRITIA limited ... 61 
4.1.35  Sajó - Rima / Slaná - Rimava European Grouping of Territorial 

Cooperation with Limited Liability .............................................. 62 

4.1.36  European  Grouping  of  Territorial  Cooperation  Via  Carpatia 

Limited ......................................................................................... 63 
4.1.37  Parc européen / Parco europeo Alpi Marittime – Mercantour ....... 64 
4.1.38  Gruppo  Europeo  di  Cooperazione  Territoriale  (G.E.C.T)  Parco 

Marino Internazionale delle Bocche di Bonifacio (P.M.I.B.B) ..... 65 
4.1.39  GECT "Secrétariat du Sommet de la Grande Région" .................. 66 
4.1.40  EGTC TATRY Ltd. ...................................................................... 67 
4.1.41  European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation Spoločný región 

limited .......................................................................................... 69 
4.1.42  Torysa European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation ................. 70 
4.1.43  Svinka European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation ................. 71 

4.1.44  GECT Alzette Belval .................................................................... 72 
4.1.45  Agrupación Europea de Cooperación Territorial Ciudades de la 

Cerámica, AECT limitada ............................................................ 73 

4.1.46  European  Grouping  of  Territorial  Cooperation  Eurocity  of 

Chaves-Verín ................................................................................ 75 

4.1.47  European  Common  Future  Building  European  Grouping  of 

Territorial Cooperation with Limited Liability ............................. 77 

4.1.48  Central  European  Transport  Corridor  Limited  Liability 

European Grouping of Territorial Co-operation ............................ 78 
4.1.49  Huesca Pirineos – Hautes Pyrénées .............................................. 80 
4.1.50  Agrupación  Europea  de  Cooperación  Territorial  Faja  Pirítica 

Ibérica .......................................................................................... 81 

4.1.51  European  Border  Cities  European  Grouping  of  Territorial 

Cooperation Limited Liability ...................................................... 82 
4.1.52  ESPON EGTC – European Node for Territorial Evidence ............ 83 
4.1.53  GECT  Pays  d'Art  et  d'Histoire  Transfrontalier  Les  Vallées 

Catalanes du Tech et du Ter ......................................................... 85 
4.1.54  Interregional Alliance for the Rhine-Alpine Corridor EGTC ........ 86 
4.1.55  MASH European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation* ............... 87 
4.1.56  European  Grouping  of  Territorial  Cooperation  NOVUM 

Limited ......................................................................................... 88 
4.2  Factsheets for EGTCs founded since Autumn 2015 ............................. 89 
4.2.1  Mura  Region  European  Grouping  of  Territorial  Cooperation 

Limited Liability .......................................................................... 90 

4.2.2  Tisza  European  Grouping  of  Territorial  Cooperation  Limited 

Liability ........................................................................................ 92 

4.2.3  GECT-Autorité de gestion programme INTERREG V A Grande 

Région .......................................................................................... 94 
4.2.4  Agrupación Europea de Cooperación Territorial León-Bragança . 96 
4.2.5  PONTIBUS  European  Grouping  of  Territorial  Cooperation 

Limited Liability .......................................................................... 98 
4.2.6  Eucor The European Campus EGTC .......................................... 101 
4.2.7  European  Grouping  of  Territorial  Cooperation  "European 

Mycological Institute" ................................................................ 104 
4.2.8  Eisenbahnneubaustrecke Dresden Prag EVTZ ............................ 106 
4.2.9  Groupement  Européen  de  Coopération  Territoriale  Eurodistrict 

PAMINA .................................................................................... 108 

5 

The  Groupings  in  a  nutshell  –  Implementing  actions  of  European 
Territorial Cooperation ........................................................................... 111 
5.1  Evolution of geography and partnership ............................................. 111 
5.2  EGTCs’ staff, budget and projects ...................................................... 115 
5.3  Thematic focus of activities of EGTCs ............................................... 118 
5.3.1  Europe 2020 flagship initiatives ................................................. 118 

6 

5.3.2  Activities in CoR Commissions’ policy areas ............................. 120 
5.4  Profile, achievements and obstacles of EGTCs in ETC ...................... 122 
5.4.1  Role of EGTCs in ETC in 2016 and beyond ............................... 122 
5.4.2  Obstacles in involvement of EGTCs in ETC .............................. 125 
5.5  Use of new instruments and smart specialisation strategies ................ 126 
EGTCs under construction ..................................................................... 128 
6.1  Overview of EGTCs under constitution .............................................. 128 
6.2  Obstacles encountered for delayed constitutions ................................ 131 
7  Conclusions ............................................................................................ 133 
8  Bibliography........................................................................................... 134 
Annex 1 – Legislation update ......................................................................... 136 
Annex 2 – Overview of key characteristics of EGTCs ................................... 143 
Annex 3 – Policy areas of EGTCs .................................................................. 155 
Annex 4 – Contact details of EGTCs .............................................................. 159 

List of tables, maps and figures 

Table 1:  Updated  national/regional  provision  –  state  and  intentions    (30 

March 2017) ..................................................................................... 13 

Table 2:  Overview  of 

temporary  border  controls  2015-2016 

(excl. 

foreseeable events) ........................................................................... 17 
Table 3:  Type and geography of existing and new EGTCs ........................... 113 
Table 4:  Type of partnerships of existing and newly founded EGTCs .......... 114 
Table 5:  Use of EU funds other than ERDF (2016) ...................................... 117 
Table 6:  Overview of the Europe 2020 flagship initiatives ........................... 118 
Table 7:  EGTCs in ETC in 2016 .................................................................. 123 
Table 8:  Obstacles in the involvement of EGTCs in ETC ............................. 125 
Table 9:  Comparison of use of new instruments 2015 and 2016 ................... 126 
Table 10: Intentions for future use of new instruments ................................... 127 
Table 11: Overview of EGTCs under constitution according to status ............ 129 
Table 12: Prospective EGTCs not pursued further.......................................... 132 

Figure 1:  Number of EGTCs according to year of foundation ....................... 112 
Figure 2:  Average number of FTE per EGTC* between 2010 and 2016 ........ 116 
Figure 3:  Average budget per EGTC* in Euros between 2010 and 2016 ....... 116 
Figure 4:  Fields of activity grouped according to CoR Commissions in 2016 121 

Map 1:  Territorial dimension of EGTCs as of December 2016 ..................... 23 
Map 2:  Territorial  dimension  and  location  of  EGTCs  founded  since 

Autumn 2015 .................................................................................... 89 

Map 3:  Geographical distribution of  EGTCs under  constitution,  February 

2017 ............................................................................................... 131 

1 

 
 
 
 
 
List of abbreviations 

Abbreviation 
AEBR 
CBC 
CEF 
CIVEX 

CLLD 
CoR 
COTER 

DEAR 
EAFRD 
ECON 

ECOS 

EGTC 
ENVE 

ERDF 
ESF 
ESIF 
ETC 
EU 
FDI 
FTE 
ITI 
JAP 
MA 
MS 
MOT 
NAT 

OCT 
POCTEFA 
POCTEP 
SEDEC 

SME 
SPF 
RIS3 

Full term 
Association of European Border Regions  
Cross-border cooperation 
Connecting Europe Facility 
Commission of Citizenship, Governance, Institutional 
and External Affairs of the Committee of the Regions 
Community-led Local Development 
European Committee of the Regions 
Commission of Territorial Cohesion Policy of the 
European Committee of the Regions 
Development education and awareness raising 
European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development 
Commission for Economic Policy of the European 
Committee of the Regions 
Commission of Economic and Social Policy of the 
European Committee of the Regions 
European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation 
Commission of Environment, Climate Change and 
Energy of the European Committee of the Regions 
European Regional Development Fund  
European Social Fund 
European Structural and Investment Funds 
European Territorial Cooperation 
European Union 
Foreign direct investment 
Full Time Equivalent 
Integrated Territorial Investment 
Joint Action Plan 
Managing Authority 
Member State 
Mission Opérationelle Transfrontalière  
Commission for Natural Resources of the European 
Committee of the Regions 
Overseas Countries and Territories 
Interreg Programme VA Spain-France-Andorra 
Interreg Programme VA Spain-Portugal 
Commission for Social Policy, Education, Employment, 
Research and Culture of the European Committee of the 
Regions 
Small and medium sized enterprises 
Small Project Fund 
Research and Innovation Strategies for Smart 
Specialisation 

2 

 
 
List of EGTC acronyms and abbreviations 

Note to the reader: For improved readability and better legibility of the report, 
the EGTCs are referred to by their official acronyms as mentioned in the EGTC 
register of the CoR1. If there is no official acronym, either the English name (if 
listed in the register) or the name in the language of the seat country is used to 
minimise  the  length  of  the  names.  In  all  cases,  the  different  languages’ 
abbreviation  of  ‘EGTC’  is  translated  into  English  to  avoid  confusion  between 
names  and  the  translation  of  the  term  EGTC.  The  following  list  gives  an 
overview of the used abbreviations. The number in the left column refers to the 
register number of the EGTC in the CoR register. 

No   Acronym/ 

Abbreviation 
Lille-Kortrijk-Tournai 
Ister-Granum 

1 
2 

3  GNP 

4  Amphictyony 

5  UTTS 

6  Karst-Bodva 

7  Duero-Douro 

8 

Flandre-Dunkerque-
Côte d'Opale 

Full name (in English or seat country 
language) 
Eurométropole Lille-Kotrijk-Tournai 
Ister-Granum European Grouping of Territorial 
Co-operation Ltd 
Agrupación Europea de Cooperación Territorial 
Galicia – Norte de Portugal 
EGTC Amphictyony of Twinned Cities and 
Areas of the Mediterranean 
Ung-Tisza-Túr-Sajó (Hernád-Bódva-Szinva) 
Limited Liability EGTC 
Limited liability European Grouping of 
Territorial Cooperation Karst-Bodva 
Agrupación Europea de Cooperación Territorial 
Duero-Douro 
Groupement Européen de Coopération 
Territoriale West Vlaanderen/Flandre-
Dunkerque-Côte d'Opale 
GECT ArchiMed 

9  ArchiMed 
10  Pyrénées-Méditerranée  GECT Pyrénées-Méditerranée 
11  Eurodistrict Strasbourg-

GECT Eurodistrict Strasbourg-Ortenau 

Ortenau 

12  ZASNET 

13  HC 

14  Grande Région 

15  SaarMoselle 

Agrupamento Europeu de Cooperação 
Territorial ZASNET, AECT 
Agrupació Europea de Cooperació Territorial 
Hospital de Cerdanya 
GECT INTERREG "Programme Grande 
Région" 
Eurodistrict Saarmoselle 

1 https://portal.cor.europa.eu/egtc/CoRActivities/Pages/welcome.aspx  

3 

 
 
                                         
16  ABAÚJ - ABAÚJBAN  ABAÚJ - ABAÚJBAN European Grouping of 

17  Pons Danubii 
18  BTC 

19  Arrabona 

20  Linieland van Waas en 

Hulst 

21  Euregio Tirolo - Alto 
Adige - Trentino 

22  GO 

23  Pirineus - Cerdanya 
24  Espacio Portalet 

25  RDV 

26  Eurorégion Nouvelle 

Aquitaine-Euskadi-
Navarre 
27  Gate to Europe 

28  BODROGKÖZI 

29  Novohrad-Nógrád 

30  Pannon 

31  Efxini Poli – 

SolidarCity Network 

32  EUKN 

Territorial Co-operation Ltd 
Pons Danubii EGTC 
Bánát - Triplex Confinium Limited Liability 
EGTC 
Arrabona Korlátolt Felelősségű Európai Területi 
Együttműködési Közhasznú Csoportosulás 
"Linieland van Waas en Hulst" Europese 
Groepering voor Territoriale Samenwerking 
GECT Euregio Tirolo - Alto Adige - Trentino 

Territorio dei comuni: Comune di Gorizia (I), 
Mestna Občina Nova Gorica (Slo) e Občina 
Šempeter-Vrtojba (Slo) 
GECT Pirineus – Cerdanya 
Agrupación Europea de Cooperación Territorial 
"Espacio Portalet" 
Rába-Duna-Vág European Grouping of 
Territorial Cooperation with Limited Liability 
GECT Eurorégion Nouvelle Aquitaine-Euskadi-
Navarre 

Európa-kapu Korlátolt Felelösségü 
Európai Területi Együttmüködési Csoportosulás 
BODROGKÖZI Korlátolt Felelősségű Európai 
Területi Együttműködési Közhasznú 
Csoportosulás 
Novohrad-Nógrád European Grouping of 
Territorial Cooperation with Limited Liability 
Pannon European Grouping of Territorial 
Cooperation Ltd. 
EGTC EFXINI POLI - Network of European 
Cities for Sustainable Development 
European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation 
European Urban Knowledge Network Limited 

33  Euregio Senza Confini  GECT "Euregio Senza Confini r.l." 
34  TRITIA 

35  Sajó-Rima / Slaná-

Rimava 

36  Via Carpatia 

European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation 
TRITIA limited 
Sajó - Rima / Slaná - Rimava European 
Grouping of Territorial Cooperation with 
Limited Liability 
European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation 
Via Carpatia Limited 

4 

 
37  Parc européen Alpi 

Marittime – Mercantour 

38  P.M.I.B.B. 

39  Secrétariat du Sommet 

de la Grande Région 

40  TATRY 
41  Spoločný región 

42  Torysa 

43  Svinka 

44  Alzette Belval 
45  AEuCC 

46  Eurocity of Chaves-

Verín 

47  European Common 
Future Building 

48  CETC-EGTC 

49  HP-HP 
50  AECT-FPI 

Parc européen / Parco europeo Alpi Marittime - 
Mercantour 
Gruppo Europeo di Cooperazione Territoriale 
(G.E.C.T) Parco Marino Internazionale delle 
Bocche di Bonifacio (P.M.I.B.B) 
GECT "Secrétariat du Sommet de la Grande 
Région" 
EGTC TATRY Ltd. 
European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation 
Spoločný región limited 
Torysa European Grouping of Territorial 
Cooperation 
Svinka European Grouping of Territorial 
Cooperation 
GECT Alzette Belval 
Agrupación Europea de Cooperación Territorial 
Ciudades de la Cerámica, AECT limitada 
European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation 
Eurocity of Chaves-Verín 
European Common Future Building European 
Grouping of Territorial Cooperation with 
Limited Liability 
Central European Transport Corridor Limited 
Liability European Grouping of Territorial Co-
operation 
Huesca Pirineos – Hautes Pyrénées 
Agrupación Europea de Cooperación Territorial 
Faja Pirítica Ibérica 

51  European Border Cities  European Border Cities European Grouping of 

52  ESPON 

53  PAHT 

54  Interregional Alliance 
for the Rhine-Alpine 
Corridor 

55  MASH 

56  Mura Region 

57  Tisza 

Territorial Cooperation Limited Liability 
ESPON EGTC – European Node for Territorial 
Evidence 
GECT Pays d'Art et d'Histoire Transfrontalier 
Les Vallées Catalanes du Tech et du Ter 
Interregional Alliance for the Rhine-Alpine 
Corridor EGTC 

MASH European Grouping of Territorial 
Cooperation 
Mura Region European Grouping of Territorial 
Cooperation Limited Liability 
Tisza European Grouping of Territorial 
Cooperation Limited Liability 

5 

 
58  INTERREG Grande 

Région 

59  NOVUM 

60  León-Bragança 

61  PONTIBUS 

62  EUCOR The European 

Campus 

63  EMI 

64  PROUD 
65  Eurodistrict PAMINA 

GECT-Autorité de gestion programme 
INTERREG V A Grande Région 
European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation 
NOVUM Limited 
Agrupación Europea de Cooperación Territorial 
León-Bragança 
PONTIBUS European Grouping of Territorial 
Cooperation Limited Liability 
Eucor The European Campus 

European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation 
"European Mycological Institute" 
Eisenbahnneubaustrecke Dresden Prag EVTZ 
Groupement Européen de Coopération 
Territoriale Eurodistrict PAMINA 

6 

 
 
 
 
List of Member States 

Abbreviation 
AT 
BE 
BG 
CY 
CZ 
DE 
DK 
EE 
EL 
ES 
FI 
FR 
HR 
HU 
IE 
IT 
LV 
LT 
LU 
MT 
NL 
PL 
PT 
RO 
SE 
SI 
SK 
UK 

Full term 
Austria 
Belgium 
Bulgaria 
Cyprus 
Czech Republic 
Germany 
Denmark 
Estonia 
Greece 
Spain 
Finland 
France 
Croatia 
Hungary 
Ireland 
Italy 
Latvia 
Lithuania 
Luxemburg 
Malta 
Netherlands 
Poland 
Portugal 
Romania 
Sweden 
Slovenia 
Slovakia 
United Kingdom 

7 

 
 
Executive Summary 

The  EGTC  monitoring  report  is  part  of  the  regular  monitoring  exercise  of  the 
European Committee of the Regions on the annual progress and development of 
the  European  Grouping  of  Territorial  Cooperation  (EGTC)  instrument.  The 
EGTC monitoring report 2016 gives an overview of the current state of play and 
revisits the development in 2016.  

The review of the national legislation in order to implement the European EGTC 
regulation in national law shows that all Member States (MS) have adopted the 
European  Union  (EU)  Regulation,  but  only  a  few  of  them  have  renewed  their 
national  provisions  after  the  amendment  of  the  EGTC  regulation  in  2013.  The 
last  national  updates  go  back  to  2015,  while  others  are  under  elaboration  or 
planned to be adopted. MS in which authorities participate in several EGTCs or 
hold EGTC seats are especially active contributors to facilitating exchange and 
knowledge  creation  among  stakeholders.  The  means  of  providing  information 
and  support  vary  greatly.  Hungary  is  the  only  country  with  a  systematic  and 
regular  approach  to  fostering  exchange  among  EGTC  approval  authorities  and 
support EGTCs.   

The specific topic of the 2016 monitoring report scrutinises potential effects of 
the  recent  Schengen  area  crisis  and  the  introduction  of  border  controls  during 
2015-2016. So far, most EGTCs are not experiencing any impact on their work. 
Some were faced with longer travel times or difficulties crossing the border, but 
with few exceptions, such incidents would be relevant for any other EGTC and 
are  not  related  to  specific  EGTC  activities.  Nevertheless,  concerns  are  raised 
that  if  the  Schengen  crisis  is  prolonged  or  border  controls  are  extended  or 
implemented more strictly and extensively, this could have a serious impact on 
several EGTCs.  

The  description  of  EGTCs  is  at  the  centre  of  the  annual  EGTC  monitoring 
report.  As  of  the  end  of  2016,  65  EGTCs  exist,  five  of  which  were  founded 
during  2016.  For  each  EGTC,  a  factsheet  describes  the  main  characteristics. 
Those EGTCs described in previous editions of the EGTC monitoring report are 
described  briefly  with  a  focus  on  their  tasks  and  links  to  European  Territorial 
Cooperation  (ETC).  For  some  EGTCs,  no  activities  could  be  identified, 
implying that not all EGTCs established are actually  working. The first EGTC 
will be formally closed in 2017. EGTCs founded late in 2015 or during 2016 are 
described  in  more  lengthy  factsheets  that  include  a  summary  of  governance 
structures and other principal characteristics of the EGTCs.  

8 

 
 
 
 
 
A  comparison  of  the  factsheets  shows  that  the  variety  of  types  of  EGTCs  in 
terms of their geographic location, players involved, topics covered and type of 
tasks  has  increased  considerably  over  recent  years.  However,  EGTCs  still 
remain fairly concentrated in specific European border areas, with a few MS not 
involved in any EGTCs. The number of EGTCs that include members from non-
EU  MS  is  still  low  but  has  been  rising  considerably.  This  regards  mostly 
members from Switzerland.  

The membership of some EGTCs has changed since the last monitoring report, 
with  a  few  EGTCs  losing  members  and  more  EGTCs  gaining  members.  All 
EGTCs founded in 2016 have a cross-border focus but differ strongly in terms 
of  thematic  focuses  and  memberships.  They  range  from  local,  regional  and 
national authorities to scientific institutions and universities. Some have a cross-
thematic  focus  on  territorial  development;  others  have  very  specific  tasks  for 
enhancing  cooperation  between  universities  or  the  preparation  of  a  certain 
infrastructure development.  

Compared  with  previous  years,  EGTCs  have,  on  average,  grown  somewhat  in 
the size of their staff and budgets. Funding for the majority of EGTCs depends 
on  membership  fees,  which  are  augmented  by  either  national  and/or 
international resources. EGTCs benefit from a variety of programmes other than 
ETC,  including,  for  example,  other  European  Structural  and  Investment  Funds 
(ESIF),  Horizon  2020,  LIFE,  Connecting  Europe  Facility  (CEF),  Erasmus  and 
Europe for Citizens.  

EGTCs  have  been  involved  in  wide-ranging  fields  of  activity.  By  definition, 
EGTCs  that  implement  European  projects  and/or  programmes  have  a  high 
potential  to  contribute  to  the  objectives  of  the  Europe  2020  strategy  and  its 
flagship initiatives. Direct links to flagship initiatives are rather rare. Apart from 
general contributions to different objectives of Europe 2020, activities in support 
of sustainable and inclusive growth tend to be among the most prominent EGTC 
actions.  In  relation  to  the  fields  of  activity  of  the  European  Committee  of  the 
Regions  (CoR)  Commission,  the  ones  most  frequently  cited  by  EGTCs  are 
from 
tourism,  culture  and  sports, 
environmental  actions,  this  distribution  is  similar  to  actions  mentioned  in  past 
years.  

transport  and  environment.  Apart 

ETC  provides  the  most  widely  used  European  funding  for  EGTCs,  through 
projects  from  a  variety  of  programmes.  Nevertheless,  only  a  few  EGTCs  are 
more  directly  involved  in  the  implementation  of  programmes  and  parts  of 
programmes. In 2016, 17 EGTCs indicated they had implemented ETC projects, 
and  in  many  cases,  more  than  one  project.  The  total  number  of  ETC  projects 
implemented by EGTCs in 2016 is still relatively low, which may be explained 

9 

 
 
 
 
 
by  the  delayed  start of  some  ETC  programmes.  Apart  from  being  a  partner  or 
lead  partner  in  an  ETC  project,  EGTCs  also  contribute  indirectly  to  the 
implementation  of  ETC  through  a  variety  of  other  actions,  such  as  capacity 
building,  support  to  programmes  or  membership  in  Monitoring  Committees. 
Many more EGTCs intend to become involved in ETC until the end of the 2014-
2020  programming  period.  But  some  obstacles  remain  for  EGTCs  to  enhance 
their involvement in ETC. These relate mostly to differences between the MS.  

EGTCs also make use of the new instruments available under ESIF. In 2016, the 
number  of  EGTCs  using  one  or  more  of  the  new  instruments  was  higher  than 
expected in the 2015 EGTC monitoring report. Nevertheless, the overall number 
of EGTCs making use of these instruments is low, although more EGTCs intend 
to use them in the future.  

Two  EGTCs  have  been  involved  in  the  implementation  of  Research  and 
Innovation  Strategies  for  Smart  Specialisation  (RIS3)  in  2016.  One  of  them  is 
directly  related  to  a  cross-border  RIS3.  A  few  more  EGTCs  are  interested  in 
extending  their  activities  related  to  RIS3  or  contributing  in  different  ways  to 
RIS3 projects.  

Application of the EGTC instrument is very dynamic. Every  year new EGTCs 
are  constituted.  For  the  end  of  2016,  23  EGTCs  under  constitution  could  be 
identified.  Several  of  them  are  awaiting  approval,  with  two  of  them  being 
identified  undertakings  are  under 
established  already.  The  majority  of 
preparation,  though  the  state  of  preparation  varies  widely.  Prospective  EGTC 
members  can  be  found  all  across  the  EU  and  once  established,  they  will 
contribute to even further widening the variety of fields of actions and regions 
involved in EGTCs. Some EGTCs previously identified as ‘under constitution’ 
have  not  pursued  their  constitution  further.  This  is  partly  due  to  obstacles 
encountered  in  relation  to  developing  statutes  and  conventions,  overall 
complexity  in  setting  up  an  EGTC  or  difficulties  encountered  when  seeking 
support from national authorities. Other reasons for stopping or delaying EGTC 
constitution processes  are  of  external  nature, such  as administrative  reforms  or 
changing political representatives.  

10 

 
 
 
 
 
 
1  Introduction  

The EGTC monitoring reports are part of the regular monitoring exercise of the 
European Committee of the Regions on the annual progress and development of 
the EGTC instrument. The EGTC monitoring report 2016 gives an overview of 
the  current  state  of  play,  focusing  on  the  activities  and  development  of  the  65 
EGTCs currently in place.  

The  EGTC  monitoring  report  2016  begins  with  the  analysis  of  national 
legislation  development  toward  the  implementation  of  the  amended  EGTC 
Regulation  (EU)  No  1302/2013  to  provide  an  update  on  the  legal  basis  for 
EGTCs (Chapter 2).  

EGTC monitoring reports are usually accompanied by a specific topic, which is 
relevant  for  the  EGTCs’  work.  The  specific  topic  of  the  EGTC  monitoring 
report  2016  refers  to  the  recent  Schengen  area  crisis  and  the  introduction  of 
border  controls  during  2015-2016.  Reasons  for  that  have  been  the  influx  of 
migrants  and  asylum  seekers,  as  well  as  the  terrorist  attacks  that  took  place 
during the past year in some of the MS of the EU. The monitoring report 2016 
will  look  at  whether  and  to  what  extent  this  crisis  has  influenced  the  territory 
and work of the EGTCs (Chapter 3).  

An overview of the activities and development of EGTCs during 2016 follows 
(Chapter 4). For this, new factsheets have been developed for the EGTCs, using 
different colour codes to better display the relevant information. EGTCs created 
up  to  the  autumn  of  2015  are  described  in  one-page  factsheets  (Section  4.1). 
EGTCs founded after that date and up to the end of 2016 are described in more 
elaborated  factsheets  of  two  pages  (Section  4.2).  It  will  be  the  first  time  that 
information on the nine most recent EGTCs will be provided. This provision of 
information  per  EGTC  is  complemented  by  an  analysis  of  activities  across  all 
EGTCs  (Chapter  5).  This  analysis  aims  at  highlighting  the  main  policy  fields 
relevant  for  EGTCs,  their  involvement  in  Cohesion  Policy,  the  achievements 
and obstacles of their work. This cross-analysis may inspire future EGTCs in the 
wide potential use of the instrument.  

A  special  chapter  is  devoted  on  EGTCs  in  the  phase  of  constitution,  i.e.  on 
EGTCs awaiting approval, in preparation, or at the stage of an idea (Chapter 6). 
This  chapter  looks  at  two  angles;  the  progress  made  by  EGTCs  under 
constitution toward finalising their foundation process, as well as an overview of 
the  potential  new  EGTCs’  foundation  processes.  Consequently,  the  report 
concludes with some general findings on the evolution of the EGTC instrument 
and its implementation in 2016 (Chapter 7).  

11 

 
 
 
 
 
 
2  Comparative analysis of national 

provisions 

All MS have adopted the EGTC Regulation (EC) No 1082/2006 as outlined in 
Annex 1, which lists the corresponding provisions and authorities and indicates 
updates  of  national  /  regional  provisions.  Most  information  that  was  not 
available in the past has now been collected. In principle, all MS have fulfilled 
their  obligation  to  adopt  the  EGTC  Regulation.  This  chapter  scrutinises  the 
further development of national provisions especially related to the adoption of 
provisions  in view of  the  amended  EGTC Regulation  (Section 2.1)  and efforts 
made  by  MS  to  support  the  implementation  of  the  EGTC  instrument  (Section 
2.2). 

2.1 Development of national legislation to implement the 

EGTC regulation 

By  December  2016,  20  out  of  55  approval  authorities2  have  adopted  the 
amended  EGTC  Regulation  (EU)  1302/2013,  as  shown  in  Table  1.  Annex  1 
provides a more detailed overview with information on the date of adoption and 
competent  authorities.  It  shows  which  MS  have  adopted  the  amended  EGTC 
regulation  (EU)  1302/2013  since  the  last  monitoring  report  and  what  other 
minor  adjustments  by  the  competent  authorities  or  editorial  corrections  have 
been implemented as compared with the EGTC monitoring report 20153.  

First  provisions  were  already  adopted  in  2015.  Among  those  MS  that  have 
adopted new provisions are MS and regions in which several EGTCs exist, e.g. 
Spain,  Portugal,  the  Czech  Republic,  Romania,  Slovakia,  Slovenia  or  Baden-
Württemberg  in  Germany  (see  Table  1).  But  also  most  Austrian  states  have 
adopted new provisions after the amendment of the EGTC regulation in 2013. 

Only  eight  MS  have  not  yet  adopted  new  provisions  but  are  currently  in  the 
phase of adopting or drafting new provisions. Among these are MS with several 
EGTCs,  like  Greece  and  Cyprus.  Other  MS  and  regions  that  plan  to  draft  and 
adopt new provisions are e.g. Bavaria in Germany, Styria in Austria (planned for 
2017)  and  Estonia  (not  before  2018).  The  Irish  authorities  want  to  assess  the 
need for new provisions before they decide on how to proceed.  

2 This includes the 28 MS and the regional approval authorities in those MS where the competence is delegated 

to the regional level (i.e. in AT, BE and DE).  

3 Committee of the Regions, 2016 

12 

 
 
 
 
                                         
Table 1:  Updated national/regional provision – state and intentions  

Member State 

(30 March 2017) 
New 
provisions 
adopted 
x 
x 

AT - Burgenland 
AT - Carinthia 

x 

x 

x 

x 
x 

x 

x 

x 

AT - Lower Austria 

AT - Salzburg 
AT - Styria 
AT - Tyrol 
AT - Upper Austria 
AT - Vienna 
AT - Vorarlberg 

BE - Brussels Capital 

BE - Flanders Region 

BE - German-Speaking 
Community 

BE - Walloon Region 

BG 

CY 

CZ 
DE - Baden-
Württemberg 
DE - Bavaria 
DE - Berlin 

DE - Brandenburg 

DE - Bremen 
DE - Hamburg 
DE - Hesse 
DE - Mecklenburg 
Western Pomerania 

DE - Lower Saxony 

DE - North-Rhine 
Westphalia 
DE - Rhineland-
Palatinate 
DE - Saarland 
DE - Saxony 

DE - Saxony-Anhalt 

DE - Schleswig-
Holstein 
DE - Thuringia 

New provisions 
drafted, but not 
adopted 

Provisions not 
yet drafted but 
planned 

No intention to 
draft and adopt 
new provisions 

x (for 2017) 

x  

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 
x 
x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 
x 

x 

x 

x 

x (in the process 
of drafting) 

x 

13 

 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
DK 
EE 
EL 
ES 
FI 
FR 
HR 
HU 

IE 

IT 
LT 
LU 
LV 
MT 
NL 
PL 
PT 
RO 
SE 
SI 
SK 
UK 

x 

x 
x 

x 
x 

x 
x 
x 

x 
x 

x (for 2018) 

x 

x (need 
assessment) 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

Answer outstanding 
Source: Spatial Foresight, based on information collected from responsible authorities. 
Most  MS  and  regions  (at  least  21)  do  not  intend  to  draft  and  adopt  new 
provisions  at  all.  Among  these  are  both  MS  with  several  EGTCs  like  Italy, 
Belgium  and  Luxembourg,  and  MS  with  only  a  few  EGTCs,  such  as  most 
German states (‘Länder’). Another six authorities have not indicated in due time 
whether  new  provisions  are  underway  or  whether  any  such  intentions  exist 
(highlighted in orange). However, some MS that have not replied to the request 
for information, such as Lithuania, Latvia and Malta have only very limited or 
no experience with the EGTC instrument. Thus, it is unlikely that they plan to 
adopt  new  provisions.  Hence,  inactivity  of  national  authorities  indicates  either 
that  they  see  no  need  for  new  provisions,  because  they  consider  existing 
provisions to be sufficient or that there is no interest in the EGTC instrument. In 
some cases it may also reflect a lack of awareness of the instrument’s existence.  

2.2 Member State activities to improve coordination and 

transparency in EGTC activities 

The  European  Parliament,  the  Council  and  the  Commission  agreed  that  they 
would undertake efforts inside the European institutions and the MS to support 
the use of the EGTC instrument. This inter-institutional statement is part of the 

14 

 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
annex  to  the  amended  EGTC  Regulation  (EU)  No  1302/2013.  It  aims  for 
coordination activities to raise awareness in order to improve the visibility of the 
EGTC  instrument.  Furthermore,  the  European  institutions  ask  the  MS  to 
undertake their own coordination and communication actions to ensure smooth 
authorisation procedures for new EGTCs within the given time limits.  

The  EU  MS  use  various  means  to  promote  the  possibilities  of  the  EGTC 
instrument as a tool for territorial cooperation and to foster communication and 
coordination among and between authorities.  

Joint statement of the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission relating to 
awareness raising and Article 4 and 4a of the EGTC Regulation* 
The  European  Parliament,  the  Council  and  the  Commission  agree  to  undertake  better  coordinated 
efforts for awareness raising among and inside the institutions and Member States in order to improve 
the  visibility  of  the  possibilities  to  use  EGTCs  as  an  optional  instrument  available  for  territorial 
cooperation in all EU policy areas.  
In  this  context,  the  European  Parliament,  the  Council  and  the  Commission  invite  Member  States  in 
particular  to  undertake  appropriate  actions  of  coordination  and  communication  among  national 
authorities and between authorities of different Member States in order to ensure clear, efficient and 
transparent procedures of authorisation of new EGTCs within the time limits fixed. 
* EGTC Regulation (EU) No 1302/2013, Annex, 17 December 2013 

Many  approval  authorities  provide  information  online.  However,  available 
information  differs  both  quantitatively  and  qualitatively.  It  ranges  from  basic 
information  about  what  an  EGTC  actually  is  and  contact  details  to  guidance 
documents.  Partially,  this  also  includes  not  only  European  documents  but 
guidance developed by the MS. In addition, several authorities offer to consult 
with  interested  players  upon  request.  To  be  updated  on  recent  developments, 
learn and informally exchange experience with colleagues from other authorities 
and  countries,  representatives  furthermore  participate  in  events  that  are 
organised  by  institutions and ministries in their own countries and in others  as 
well.  

Some  MS  also  initiate  bi-lateral  exchanges  with  their  neighbouring  countries. 
When  interest  in  using  the  EGTC  instrument  first  emerged  after  it  was 
introduced  in  2006,  Spain,  for  example,  agreed  with  French  and  Portuguese 
authorities  on  common  procedures  for  the  foundation  process.  To  increase  the 
visibility  of 
its  possibilities,  authorities  from  e.g. 
Luxembourg,  Slovakia,  Flanders  in  Belgium  or  the  Saarland  in  Germany  used 
meetings  of  working  groups  and  other  committees  related  to  territorial 
cooperation to present the EGTC instrument as a potential tool for cooperation.  

instrument  and 

the 

Only a few MS have so far organised events with a specific focus on the EGTC 
instrument. In past years, some countries like Slovakia, Italy, Greece, Germany 
and  Cyprus  held  single  seminars,  conferences,  forums,  information  days  or 

15 

 
 
 
 
 
 
training  sessions  at  irregular  intervals  or  in  the  context  of  a  specific  occasion. 
These events aim at different target groups, from existing EGTCs and involved 
authorities  of  EGTCs  in  constitution  and  interested  players.  By  far  the  most 
active  authority  is  the  Ministry  of  Foreign  Affairs  and  Trade in  Hungary.  It  is 
the only national authority responsible for EGTC that organises regular annual 
events. Among these are (i) an annual EGTC Forum with EGTCs and different 
ministries  and  organisations  to  inform  each  other  and  promote  networking 
activities  and  (ii)  an  annual  Meeting  of  the  European  EGTC  Approval 
Authorities  to  which  approval  authorities  from  all  MS  are  invited  to  exchange 
experience  and  improve  communication.  In  addition,  each  year  the  Hungarian 
approval  authority  organises  three  to  four  workshops  together  with  existing 
EGTCs.   

16 

 
 
 
3  Impacts of the Schengen Area crisis on 

EGTCs 

The  Schengen  Agreement  is  the  epitome  of  the  free  movement  of  people,  a 
fundamental right guaranteed to all  European  Union  citizens. According to the 
Schengen Agreement, first signed back in 1985, citizens of the European Union 
are  enabled  to  cross  the  internal  borders  without  being  subject  to  any  border 
controls.4  

Nevertheless,  Member  States  within  the  Schengen  area  are  allowed  to 
temporarily reintroduce border controls at their internal borders. This capacity is 
restricted to serious threats to public policy or internal security but must remain 
an exception and be limited in time. Such a case has been the influx of migrants 
and asylum seekers during recent years, as well as a number of terrorist attacks 
in  the  European  territory,  which  initiated  temporary  internal  border  controls  at 
some MS and sparked a Schengen area crisis.  

3.1 Relevant territories of EGTCs  
For this study, the current list of border controls and in particular the controls in 
force  in  2016  are  of  interest.  The  table  below  provides  an  overview  of  border 
controls in 2015 and 2016 that are related to the ongoing influx of refugees and 
asylum  seekers  and  terrorist  attacks.  It  is  simplified  in  comparison  with  the 
official  notification  by  the  European  Commission5  by  only  giving  month  and 
year of the control rather than the exact dates. Border controls due to foreseeable 
events  (e.g.  G7  summit,  Tour  de  France)  and  thus  not  attributable  to  the 
Schengen area crisis have been excluded from this list.  
Table 2:  Overview of temporary border controls 2015-2016 (excl. 

Member State 

foreseeable events) 
Duration 

Reasons 

France 

July 2015 – Jan 2017 

Nice attack, all internal borders 

Dec 2015 – May 2016 

Emergency state (Paris attacks), all internal borders 

Norway 

June 2016 – Feb 2017 

Ports with ferry connections to DK, DE and SE 

Jan 2016 – Jun 2016 

Influx of persons seeking international protection 

Nov 2015 – Jan 2016 

Unexpected  migratory  flow  -  all  borders  (focus  on 
ports) 

Sweden 

June 2016 – Feb 2017 

Harbours in Police Region South &  West  & Öresund 
bridge 

Influx of persons seeking international protection - all 

4   https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/what-we-do/policies/borders-and-visas/schengen_en  
5   https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/what-we-do/policies/borders-and-visas/schengen/reintroduction-border-

control_en  

17 

 
 
 
                                         
Jan 2016 – Jun 2016 

borders  (focus  on  harbours  in  Police  Regions  South 
and West, Oresund bridge) 

Nov 2015 – Jan 2016 

Denmark 

June 2016 – Feb 2017 

Influx of persons seeking international protection - all 
borders  (focus  on  harbours  in  Police  Regions  South 
and West, Oresund bridge) 

Ports  with  ferry  connections  to  DE  and  DK-DE  land 
border 

Mar 2016 – Jun 2016 

Influx of persons seeking international protection - all 
internal borders (focus on DE, incl. ferries)  

Jan 2016 – Mar 2016 

Unexpected  migratory  flow  -  all  internal  borders 
(focus on DE, incl. ferries) 

Austria 

May 2016 – Feb 2017 

Land border with SI and HU 

Nov 2015 – May 2016 

Influx of persons seeking international protection - all 
borders  (focus  on  SI,  HU,  IT),  authorised  border 
crossing points 

Sep 2015 – Nov 2015 

Influx of persons seeking international protection - all 
borders (focus on IT, HU, SI, SK) 

Germany 

May 2016 – Feb 2017 

Land border with AT 

Nov 2015 – May 2016 

Influx of persons seeking international protection - all 
borders (focus on AT) 

Sep 2015 – Nov 2015 

Influx of persons seeking international protection - all 
borders (focus on AT) 

Feb 2016 – Mar 2016 

Border between West-Vlaanderen and France 

Oct 2015 

Influx  of  persons  seeking  international  protection  - 
land border with Slovenia 

Belgium 

Hungary 

Slovenia 

Sep 2015 – Oct 2015 

Influx  of  persons  seeking  international  protection  - 
land border with Hungary 

Source: Spatial Foresight, based on https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/what-we-
do/policies/borders-and-visas/schengen/reintroduction-border-control_en 

Comparing  this  list  with  the  location  of members  of  existing EGTCs  indicates 
for  which  EGTCs  border  controls  are  especially  relevant.  Theoretically,  apart 
from  a  few  other  EGTCs,  all  EGTCs  with  French  members  and  many  EGTCs 
around Hungary may be expected to experience effects from the Schengen Area 
crisis. 

3.2 Effects for EGTCs 
Several studies exist with  regard to obstacles and  effects of border  controls.  A 
research  paper  commissioned  by  the  European  Parliament6  summarises  the 
findings of five different studies7. It distinguishes between impacts on (i) intra-
Schengen travel for work and tourism,  (ii)  travel into the Schengen Area from 

6   Europe Economics, 2016 
7   see e.g.: Bruegel, 2016; Bertelsmann Foundation, 2016; European Commission, 2016a; France Stratégie, 2016 

18 

 
 
 
 
 
                                         
outside,  (iii)  movements  of  goods  and  services,  and  (iv)  capital  investment.  In 
addition  to this  focus  on economic  aspects  and the  estimation  of  costs,  further 
obstacles can be identified. A study on the needs for cross-border cooperation8, 
commissioned  by  the  European  Commission  (EC),  specifies  that  not  only 
administrative  barriers  but  also  (i)  socio-economic  disparities,  (ii)  physical 
obstacles,  (iii)  cultural  obstacles  and  (iv)  normative  and  institutional  obstacles 
affect cross-border development. 

For  assessing  the  impacts  of  the  Schengen  Area  crisis  on  EGTCs,  the  EGTCs 
were  asked  about  effects  they  observe  in  their  territory,  how  these  affect  their 
work  and  whether  the  Schengen  crisis  created  new  obstacles  for  them.  These 
were mirrored against the above categories. 

Although  the  introduction  of  border  controls  across  some  countries  of  the 
Schengen area has affected the territory of the EGTCs, it did not heavily affect 
their work and created hardly any new obstacles. The majority of the EGTCs are 
not affected at all, despite being located in areas with implementation of border 
controls.  Thus,  despite  France’s  internal  borders  being  closed  for  long  periods 
during  2015-2016,  some  of  the  EGTCs  along  its  borders,  such  as  the  EGTC 
Pyrénées-Méditerranée,  the  EGTC  Eurorégion  Nouvelle  Aquitaine-Euskadi-
Navarre, PMIBB, Alzette Belval, EGTC PAHT, the EGTC INTERREG Grande 
Région  and  the  newly  found  EGTC  Eurodistrict  PAMINA,  did  not  report  any 
effect.  Similarly,  the  MASH  EGTC  was  not  affected  by  the  temporary  border 
closure in 2015 between Hungary and Slovenia.  

In total, 13 EGTCs from areas affected by the reintroduction of border controls, 
confirmed  that  posing  border  controls  had  an  effect  in  their  wider  territory. 
However,  most  of  them  stated  that  this  did  not  affect  their  everyday  work. 
Examples  are  the  Parc  européen  Alpi  Marittime  –  Mercantour,  the  EGTC 
Flandre-Dunkerque-Côte  d'Opale  and  the  EGTC  Secrétariat  du  Sommet  de  la 
Grande Région.  

Some EGTCs from areas affected highlighted that travel times increased at least 
temporarily and traffic jams were occurring when passport controls took place. 
This  has  been  an  effect  reported  by  EGTCs,  such  as  Lille-Kortrijk-Tournai, 
SaarMoselle,  EUCOR  The  European  Campus  and  the  EGTC  Eurodistrict 
Strasbourg-Ortenau.  

Another subtle effect on the EGTCs has been the increased passport controls at 
the  border  between  France  and  Spain.  This  measure  has  had  a  limited  effect, 
with  no  further  issues  for  the  EGTC  Espacio  Portalet,  but  has  been  more 

8   European Commission, 2016b 

19 

 
 
  
 
 
 
                                         
challenging  for  the  EGTC  HC.  Being  a  hospital,  it  faced  some  challenges 
regarding newborn babies in the hospital, who officially were "French nationals 
born abroad", but who did not yet have an official French passport to report at 
the border controls and enter France.  

The  EGTC  Euregio  Senza  Confini  has  mentioned  yet  another  effect.  The 
Schengen  area  crisis  has  triggered  the  EGTC  to  address  the  issue  of  migrants 
through participation in a project on decentralised cooperation with the Western 
Balkans.  In  the  framework  of  the  MIGRALONA  project,  the  EGTC  aims  to 
select experiences and models of reception and integration and the cross-border 
coordination procedures existing among the EGTC partners. 

Finally,  the  example  of  EUCOR  The  European  Campus  sees  the  benefit  of  an 
EGTC in the context of the challenged Schengen area, even if the effect is not 
directly  linked  to  the  reintroduction  of  border  controls.  Due  to  the  decision  of 
the  Swiss  population  to  limit  immigration,  the  Swiss  universities  fear  to  be 
excluded from EU funds. For them, the EGTC offers a more stable opportunity 
to take part in European projects.  

Some  EGTCs  also  reported  effects  due  to  the  migration  crisis  that  cannot  be 
directly linked to the Schengen area, as they refer to external Schengen borders. 
The  Pannon  EGTC,  which  has  partners  from  Hungary,  Slovenia  and  Croatia, 
explained  that  the  Schengen  area  crisis  did  not  affect  cooperation  among  the 
partners, but traveling from and to Croatia has been difficult on a few occasions 
for  the  EGTC  officers  when  the  border  between  Hungary  and  Croatia  was 
completely closed down for a while to stop the flow of refugees.  

For the EGTC Gate to Europe, the intention to connect bicycle routes between 
Romania and Hungary in the course of an extension of the Schengen area is on 
hold.  Thus,  the  Schengen  area  crisis  directly  affected  further  integration 
prospects on this cross-border area. 
Some  EGTCs  provided  speculative  responses  on  impacts  if  their  territory  was 
affected  by  the  reintroduction  of  border  controls,  either  by  implementing  the 
controls  more  rigidly  in  the  territories  already  affected  or  by  extending  the 
controls to other  internal  Schengen area borders. These  responses illustrate the 
benefits of the Schengen area for EGTCs. For some EGTCs, crossing the border 
is natural, as it existed even before the creation of the EGTC (e.g. EGTC Alzette 
Belval).  As  pointed  out  by  the  EGTC  Secrétariat  du  Sommet  de  la  Grande 
Région, the experience of closed borders in the Schengen area has sensitised the 
EGTC members, who have started to actively lobby against border closures on 
the grounds that they seriously threaten cooperation. The EGTC Amphictyony, 
for  instance,  mentioned  that  the  prevention  of  free  circulation  can  create 
problems  in  the  cross-border  and  interregional  cooperation.  The  EGTC 

20 

 
 
 
 
 
Eurodistrict  PAMINA  highlighted  that  if  border  controls  were  to  be  re-
established in the whole Schengen area, this would certainly affect cross-border 
relationships  and  increase  mental  and/or  psychological  blockages  relating  to 
border-location.  The  EGTC  GO  pointed  out  that  although  it  has  not  been 
affected by the Schengen crisis, closing the borders would have had a dramatic 
effect  on  the  EGTC,  taking  into  account  that  the  conditions  for  the 
implementation  of  the  Strategic  Plan  of  the  EGTC  are  based  on  freedom  of 
movement  of goods and  people.  Thus, restrictions in  the Schengen area would 
have  a  severe  impact  on  the  operability  of  EGTC  GO,  making  the  conditions 
that have created the EGTC GO almost useless.  

Summing up, the analysis allows for several interesting conclusions.  

•  The  effects  observed  and  reported  depend  very  much  on  the  type  of 

activities implemented by the individual EGTC.  

•  From  the  different  possible  types  of  impacts  of  border  controls  as 
identified in different studies, mainly impacts in terms of travel times are 
observed so far. 

•  Until  now,  the  EGTCs’  daily  work  is  largely  unaffected  by  the 
reintroduction  of  border  controls  along  internal  Schengen  borders.  But 
there is some concern that stricter, longer lasting or more extensive border 
controls would affect the work in the long run. 

•  The  concerns  of  EGTCs  not  directly  affected  by  the  reintroduction  of 
border controls are an indication of the value given to the free movement 
of people and goods.  

•  The  perception  of  the  reintroduction  of  border  controls  varies  along 
different parts of one border (e.g. along the French-German border). This 
indicates  that  the  location  of  the  EGTC  in  terms  of  types  of  border 
crossings (major routes vs. small local crossings) seems to matter. 

•  The  Schengen  area  crisis  also  had  some  effects  on 

integration 

perspectives and cooperation along the external Schengen area borders.  

21 

 
 
 
 
 
4  Overview of the state of play of the 

EGTCs 

This chapter aims to summarise the main information for each EGTC, focussing 
in particular on its tasks and relation to European Territorial Cooperation (ETC). 
It differentiates between EGTCs that were already monitored in previous EGTC 
monitoring  reports9  and  newly  founded  EGTCs.  EGTCs  described  in  previous 
monitoring  exercises  are  presented  with  shortened  factsheets  providing  only 
updated  data  in  addition  to  the  description  of  tasks  (Section  4.1).  EGTCs 
founded in late 2015 and during 2016 are described in more extensive factsheets 
that also describe some general characteristics regarding their structures (Section 
4.2).  Map  1  gives  an  overview  of  the  territorial  location  of  all  65  EGTCs 
existing at the end of 2016. 

In order to collect the necessary information to compile this report, all EGTCs 
were  contacted  with  a  questionnaire  to  gather  all  information  needed  in  a 
structured  way.  As  far  as  possible,  this  information  was  reviewed  for 
consistency  and  edited  to  improve  legibility  of  the  factsheets.  Differences  in 
details provided in the factsheets result from the information obtained from the 
EGTCs. 

For a few EGTCs, no update on their activities could be collected because they 
either  did  not  answer  repeated  requests  or  were  not  willing  to  provide 
information.  Thus,  the  information  for  the  following  EGTCs  is  not  updated  in 
this monitoring report: 
•  UTTS EGTC; 
•  Karst-Bodva EGTC; 
•  EGTC ArchiMed; 
•  Novohrad-Nógrád EGTC. 

Very limited or no activities reported by some EGTCs for the year 2016 suggest 
that  not  all  EGTCs  may  still  be  active.  A  few  may  even  never  have  been 
operational.  For  some  EGTCs  that  were  founded  several  years  ago,  this  might 
indicate that the initial ambitions have not been achieved and that they may no 
longer  possess  an  effective  governance  structure.  For  a  few  EGTCs  there  is 
evidence  that  they  are  "not  fulfiling  their  mission  set  by  their  funding 
documents"10. This applies to the EGTCs UTTS and Karst-Bodva and to some 
degree to the EGTCs Torysa and Svinka.11  

9 Committee of the Regions, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011 
10 Hesz et al., 2016, p. 42 
11 Ibid and research of the current EGTC monitoring report. 

22 

 
 
 
 
                                         
Map 1:  Territorial dimension of EGTCs as of December 2016 

 
 
 
 
4.1 Factsheets for EGTCs founded before Autumn 2015 
All  56  EGTCs  already  subject  to  the  EGTC  monitoring  report  2015  are 
described in the following sub-sections with updated information. If information 
could not be updated, this is highlighted in the factsheet. 

4.1.1  Eurométropole Lille-Kotrijk-Tournai  

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 
Countries involved 

Eurométropole Lille-Kortrijk-Tournai / Eurometropool Lille-Kortrijk-
Tournai (Lille-Kortrijk-Tournai) 
France and Belgium 

Modification of 
membership 

Five cities joined the EGTC within its territory.  

Changes in 
convention/statutes 

Not yet, but there is a project to change statutes/convention (simplification - 
two years for the presidency instead of one year for each "region"; problem 
about "quorum"). 

In  the  period  2016-2020  the  EGTC  is  involved  in  Interreg  projects  carried 
out  by  partners:  employment  without  borders,  Grenzeloos  competent,  etc. 
and  develops  projects  related  to  sustainable  development.  This  includes  the 
development  of  a  digital  eurometropolitan  hub,  cross-border  block  release 
training,  promotion  of  language  learning,  job-training  correlation  across 
borders  through  involvement  in  interregional  projects  "EMPLOYMENT-
the  Benelux  union,  cross-border  mobility, 
TRAINING"  and  with 
coordination  of  the  Blue  Space  constituted  by  the  territory,  promotion  of 
alternative energies. 

The  EGTC  develops  cohesion  on  the  ground  through  its  very  concrete 
actions affecting the territory.  

Regarding  ETC,  2016  was  the  transition  year,  adjusting  priorities  and 
defining  precise  actions.  In  the  remaining  programming  period  2014-2020, 
the EGTC will become involved as associated operator with the employment 
without  borders  project/  partner  operator 
in  Grenzeloos  competent 
(competences without frontiers). This project is about information on cross-
border  employment  and  participation  in  the  establishment  of  a  cross-border 
socio-economic observatory. 
It  is  important  to  reinforce  the  recognition  of  the  EGTC  instrument  at  EU 
level to ensure that EGTCs are considered as transnational partnerships when 
submitting for calls for proposals and to enable the EGTCs (as a convener) to 
be able to submit micro-projects. 

Tasks 

Challenges or issues 

Budget 

€ 1,600,000 

Staff (in FTE) 

7 until the end of April 2016; 8 since May 2016  

24 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4.1.2  Ister-Granum European Grouping of Territorial Co-

operation Ltd 

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 

Countries involved 

Tasks 

HU: Ister-Granum Korlátolt Felelősségű Európai Területi 
Együttműködési Csoportosulás 
SK: Európske zoskupenie územnej spolupráce s ručením obmedzeným 
Ister-Granu 
EN: Ister-Granum European Grouping of Territorial Co-operation Ltd 
(Ister-Granum EGTC) 
Hungary and Slovakia 
The  primary  task  is  to  implement  territorial  cooperation  programmes  and 
projects  co-financed  by  the  EU.  Further  tasks  are  within  the  scope  of  the 
EGTC’s objectives:  
a) implementation of other specific actions, programmes and projects with or 
without financial contribution from the European Union; 
b) continuation of business activities; 
c)  raising  awareness  on  competitive  advantages  occurring  at  local,  national 
and cross-border level of the territorial cooperation that aim at strengthening 
economic and social cohesion; 
d)  ensuring  the  human  and  financial  resources  necessary  for  achieving  the 
objectives and implementing the tasks; 
e)  influencing  decisions  concerning  regional  policy  within  the  institutional 
framework created by the European Union; 
f) acting as contact with international organisations. 

Ister-Granum EGTC is involved in and is implementing new instruments, i.e. 
in field of culture – CLLD of city of Esztergom, in the field of cross-border 
logistics – Ister-Granum Entrepreneur and Logistics Zone ITI and in the field 
of local products – JAP Ister-Granum Local product is prepared. The EGTC 
will  be  a  partner  in  cross-border  projects,  coordinator  of  cross-border 
strategies  and  will  manage  some  regional  projects  mainly  in  the  fields  of 
cross-border 
infrastructure 
development and culture.  
The  only  obstacles  for  the  EGTC  related  to  the  implementation  of  ETC 
projects are difficulties to obtain loans for pre-financing the projects.  

industrial  zones, 

local  products, 

tourism, 

Challenges or issues 

Budget 

Staff (in FTE) 

Due to the financial crisis, the city of Esztergom went bankrupt and because 
of  the  financial  difficulties  some  members  left  the  partnership.  For  these 
reasons,  in  2011  a  new  management  structure  started  to  rebuild  the 
cooperation based on new financial solutions and with a new impetus. 
 57% various project 
€ 125,000 of which are: 15% members' own resources,
funds  and  18%  EGTC  operation  support  from  the  HU  national  budget. 
Annual budget approved every year by the council. 
4,  a  director,  two  Hungarian  and  one  Slovak  employee.  Staff  is  employed 
under Hungarian law. 

25 

 
 
 
 
 
 
4.1.3  Agrupación Europea de Cooperación Territorial Galicia – 

Norte de Portugal 

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 

Agrupación Europea de Cooperación Territorial Galicia – Norte de 
Portugal (GNP AECT) 

Countries involved 

Tasks 

Challenges or issues 

the  ETC  programme  Spain-Portugal,  where 

Spain and Portugal 
The  EGTC  has  two  different  roles.  One  main  focus  is  to  support  the 
development  of 
it  has 
contributed by developing the Common Investment Plan for 2014-2020, used 
as  a  guide  for  Galicia  North  Portugal  area.  The  other  role  of  the  EGTC  is 
actively  seeking  to  participate  as  project  partner  mainly  in  the  Spanish-
Portuguese ETC programme, but also in other relevant programmes such as 
Atlantic Area, Interreg Europe,  Europe for Citizens  and Erasmus+, ESPON 
or  SUDOE.  Main  topics  of  interest  are  higher  education  and  VET 
cooperation,  employment,  innovation,  business  development,  culture,  local 
administration cooperation, environment, tourism, and social issues. 

For 2014-2020, the EGTC will continue to  consolidate  its role in European 
cross-border  cooperation,  promoting  several  projects  and  contributing  to 
strengthening  cooperation  between  Galicia  and  the  North  of  Portugal, 
particularly in the strategic axes of the Common Investment Plan (CIP): 
1. an innovative Euroregion focused on research and transfer; 
2. a competitive Euroregion focused on employment; 
3. a Euroregion focused on environmental quality and heritage; 
4. a Euroregion focused on institutional capacitation to serve citizenship. 

The EGTC has worked for improving employment, through the development 
of  cross-border  Job  Days.  Other  work  includes  fostering  higher  education 
and VET, through the Iacobus programme and through keeping the working 
groups  for  recognition  of  VET  titles  in  the  Euroregion.  The  Iacobus 
programme  was  also  a  step  forward  for  the  development  of  cross-border 
innovation  and  R&D  projects.  All  actions  are  guided  by  the  CIP  Galicia 
North Portugal 2014-2020, which has been elaborated following the Europe 
2020 strategy.  

The EGTC has also developed joint strategies under the priorities defined in 
the CIP and RIS3-T, namely to reinforce the clusters existing on both sides 
of  the  border  supporting  job  creation  and  engaging  different  municipalities 
and other public services in environmental protection actions (ex Reserva da 
Biosfera Gerês-Xúres). 

The  EGTC  cooperates  with  municipalities  both  from  Galicia  and  North 
Portugal to develop innovative ways for joint management of public services. 
These public services are related mainly to sports and cultural facilities.  
In  some  programmes,  EGTCs  are  still  not  recognised  as  a  partner  that 
incorporates a team of partners from different countries as a single partner. 

26 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Budget 

Approximately  €  450,000  made  available  by  the  membe rs'  own  resources 
and some EU funds from ETC programmes. 

EU-funded projects 
and programmes in 
phase of imple-
mentation in 2016 

None due to the end of the POCPTEP Programme. Nevertheless, the EGTC 
has submitted quite a few proposals during the year. Specifically a proposal 
for the new POCTEP (Interreg VA Spain-Portugal) that, if approved, would 
also include some actions in 2017. 

Staff (in FTED) 

6  employees  (3  Spanish  and  3  Portuguese)  from  which  4  are  directly 
employed. The other two, the CEO and the Secretary, are delegated. 

27 

 
 
 
4.1.4  EGTC Amphictyony of Twinned Cities and Areas of the 

Mediterranean 

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 
Countries involved 

Modification of 
membership 

EGTC Amphictyony of Twinned Cities and Areas of the 
Mediterranean (Amphictyony/ΑΜΦΙΚΤΥΟΝΙΑ/Anfizionia) 
Greece, Cyprus, Italy, France, Palestine 
New member: municipality of Ramallah (Palestine).  
Members that left the EGTC: Comunita Montana della Murgia Tarantina & 
Comunita Montana Murgia Barese left the EGTC. 
It  is  envisaged  to  incorporate  other  municipalities  from  Israel,  Lebanon, 
Syria  and  Northern  Africa.  They  shall  be  incorporated  as  full  members  of 
the  EGTC  through  signature  and  ratification  of  the  statutes  and  the 
convention  on  the  basis  of  their  eligibility  within  the  Cross-Border 
Cooperation Programme ENI CBC “Mediterranean Sea Basin”.  

Changes in 
convention/statutes 

The statutes changed in 2016 due to organisational reasons. 

The  EGTC  organises  seminars  for  the  elected  representatives  and  staff  of 
municipalities that are members of the EGTC Amphictyony. Regarding the 
involvement of the EGTC in EU projects, it acts as leader or as a partner in 
programmes and projects such as LADDER, URGENT, CUPID and Europe 
for Citizens. 

In  future,  the  EGTC  would  like  to  deepen  the  participation  of  citizens  in 
non-material and material development, in social cohesion and to contribute 
to European Identity. During 2016, the EGTC Amphictyony held a series of 
seminars  for  the  elected  representatives  and  the  staff  of  its  municipalities’ 
members.  The  seminars  were  attended  by  400  executives  from  all  over 
Greece. They were focused on the analysis of European projects concerning 
the development of municipalities. The projects promoted the need for the 
participation  of  citizens  in  all  processes  and  increased  their  awareness  to 
become active. This is based on the belief of the EGTC Amphictyony that 
effects  can  only  be  realised  if  citizens  are  aware  that  Europe  belongs  to 
them and they belong to Europe.  
National  legislations  present  obstacles  for  the  implementation  of  ETC 
projects. 

Tasks 

Challenges or issues 

Budget 

€ 120,000 

EU-funded projects 
and programmes in 
phase of imple-
mentation in 2016 

DEAR-programme: LADDER project with a project budget of € 
121,594.80 (85% EU co-funding);  
URGENT project with a project budget of  € 15,430 (100% E U co-funding)  

Staff 

None 

Impact of changes of 
EGTC regulation on 
EGTC 

The revised EGTC regulation needs further improvement in the area of staff 
recruitment.  The  EGTC  wishes  to  be  able  to  recruit  staff  like  a  private 
corporation. The new regulation has also enabled the EGTC Amphictyony 
to enter into contact with third countries. 

28 

 
 
 
 
 
4.1.5  Ung-Tisza-Túr-Sajó (Hernád-Bódva-Szinva) Limited 

Liability EGTC*  

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 
Countries involved 

Tasks 

Budget 

Ung-Tisza-Túr-Sajó (Hernád-Bódva-Szinva) Limited Liability EGTC 
(UTTS) 
Hungary and Slovakia 
To implement projects that contribute to achieving the objectives of the 
Grouping. 
The EGTC designed several projects that are waiting for resources from the 
central government. 
The  EGTC  does  not  have  an  initial  budget;  the  director  paid  for  the 
registration (translation costs, travel costs, lawyers’ fees...) 

Staff (in FTE) 

None 

*All efforts to contact the official representatives of this EGTC failed in the last 
three years. The information in the table dates back to the EGTC Monitoring 
Report 2013. 

29 

 
 
 
 
 
4.1.6  Limited liability European Grouping of Territorial 

Cooperation Karst-Bodva*  

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 

Countries involved 

Tasks 

Budget 

Európske zoskupenie územnej spolupráce Kras-Bodva s ručením 
obmedzeným - Karszt-Bódva Korlátolt Felelősségű Európai Területi 
Együttműködési Csoportosulás - Limited liability European Grouping 
of Territorial Cooperation Karst-Bodva - Zoskupenie Kras Bodva - 
Karszt-Bódva Csoportosulás (Karst-Bodva EGTC) 
Hungary and Slovakia 
The tasks of the EGTC are: 
- develop and realise a common development programme based on a shared 
strategy integrating economic, social and environmental activities; 
-  support  entrepreneurship,  especially  for  SMEs  in  tourism,  cultural 
development and cross-border business; 
-  jointly  protect  environmental  and  cultural  values  and  prevention  of 
environmental and technological risks; 
-  assist  partnerships  between  communal  and  rural  areas  of  cities  and 
villages; 
- improve local and regional infrastructure; 
- support joint infrastructure in health services, culture, travel and tourism 
and education; 
-  use  resources  from  Slovak,  Hungarian  governments  and  EU  funds 
(ERDF, ESF, cohesion funds and policy). 
Not  approved  in  2011.  Only  an  initial  contribution  of  €  500  from  its 
members to register the EGTC. 

Staff (in FTE) 

None 

*All efforts to contact the official representatives of this EGTC failed in the last 
three  years.  The  information  in  the  table  dates  back  to  the  EGTC  Monitoring 
Report 2013. 

30 

 
 
 
 
 
4.1.7  Agrupación Europea de Cooperación Territorial Duero-

Douro 

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 
Countries involved 
Modification of 
membership 

Agrupación Europea de Cooperación Territorial Duero-Douro (Duero-
Douro) 
Spain and Portugal 
One new member: Ayuntamiento de Carmarzana de Tera (local 
administration) 

Tasks 

Challenges or issues 

The Duero-Douro EGTC itself is a Cohesion Policy  tool. It brings together 
200  municipalities  from  two  countries,  allowing  their  administrations  to 
work together in search of cohesion solutions.  

The  main  obstacle  in  relation  to  most  ETC  programmes  is  that  EGTCs  are 
not considered as a partnership institution incorporating two countries. As a 
result,  EGTCs  cannot  act  as  sole  beneficiary  in  most  of  the  programmes, 
although they legally represent two different countries.  

The EGTC faces challenges every day when it tries to implement projects in 
two  countries  with  laws  and  bureaucratic  procedures  that  do  not  recognise 
the  correspondent  operations  on  the  other  side  of  the  border.  The  national 
administration  agencies  in  our  MS  are  not  totally  adapted  to  European 
regulations,  programmes  and  recommendations,  and  it  becomes  difficult  to 
implement  projects  in  two  countries  when  they  cannot  recognise  the  other 
country's authorities and documents. 

Budget 

Staff (in FTE) 

€  1,022,931.60  made  available  by  the  contribution  o f  its  members  (€  1,000 
per member) and via public subsidies  
20 employees from both Spain and Portugal on average 

31 

 
 
 
 
4.1.8  Groupement Européen de Coopération Territoriale West 

Vlaanderen/Flandre-Dunkerque-Côte d'Opale 

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 
Countries involved 

Tasks 

Groupement Européen de Coopération Territoriale West Vlaanderen / 
Flandre-Dunkerque-Côte d'Opale 
Belgium and France 
The  EGTC  provides  an  added  value  by  the  nature  of  its  structure  and 
organisation: all public authorities on both sides of the border are members 
of  the  EGTC.  Furthermore,  a  French  and  Flemish  social-economic  society 
takes  part  (in)directly  in  the  EGTC’s  organisation.  The  composition  of  the 
partnership  allows  a  cross-border  multi-level  governance  structure  in  the 
territory of the EGTC. This structure allows a practical bottom-up approach 
regarding problems, difficulties, opportunities and challenges that require the 
additional  competences,  mediation,  assistance  and  support  of  the  members. 
At  the  same  time,  the  multi-level  governance  structure  allows  a  top-down 
information  flow  that  helps  the  members  with  the  daily  execution  of  their 
tasks. 

The  EGTC  does  not  implement  any  ETC  programmes  because  a  large 
number of its members already do so. In 2015, the EGTC adopted  a multi-
annual action programme based on the principles of economic development, 
sustainability and social and cultural cohesion and in line with the Interreg V 
France-Wallonie-Vlaanderen programme. The four thematic working groups 
of the EGTC have to establish an  annual action  plan every year in order to 
execute the multi-annual action programme adopted by the Assembly of the 
EGTC. Most of the activities of the EGTC are / have to be in line with the 
major axes  and objectives  of  this Interreg programme and  several  activities 
have  been  translated  into  Interreg  V  projects  (see  below).  The  EGTC  also 
facilitates  the  setting  up  of  networks  between  its  stakeholders  in  order  to 
develop new Interreg V projects on its territory. Topics dealt with in 2016 are 
economic  development,  water  and  flood  management,  spatial  planning, 
public services and citizen participation. 

The EGTC will execute the Interreg V projects that started in 2016 and will 
continue the preparations of a new Interreg V project on alternative modes of 
public transport in cross-border rural regions. The EGTC also aims to submit 
at  least  one  micro-project  in  the  field  of  social  and  cultural  cohesion. 
Through  the  Interreg  projects  (Interreg  V  France-Wallonie-Vlaanderen 
programme)  in  which the  EGTC  is  involved,  a  joint management  of  public 
services  is  encouraged,  i.e.  in  the  field  of  water  management,  spatial 
planning, employment, public transport and others.  

By  implementing  or  supporting  multiple  Interreg  V  projects,  the  EGTC  is 
contributing  to  the  Europe  2020  Strategy.  The  EGTC  did  not  contribute  to 
flagship initiatives. 

32 

 
 
  
 
 
 
Challenges or issues 

Budget 

EU-funded projects 
and programmes in 
phase of imple-
mentation in 2016 

Staff (in FTED) 

For  the  moment,  there  are  no  challenges  or  issues.  The  authorities  of  the 
Interreg  V  programme  France-Wallonie-Vlaanderen  consider  the  EGTC  as 
an important player when it comes to encouraging  stakeholders to establish 
or to participate in EU funded projects and to facilitate networking between 
stakeholders with a view of submitting new projects.  
€ 376,614.17 mainly from financial contributions of  the members, according 
to the principle of parity between French and Belgian members (each 50%). 
Three  EU  funded  projects,  all  three  are  part  of  the  Interreg  V  France-
Wallonie-Vlaanderen programme:  
(1)  Mageteaux:  flood  and  water  management  in  the  cross-border  coastal 
region  –  total  budget  of  the  project:  €  2,235,000  ( 55%  co-funded  by  EU)  - 
total budget for the EGTC: € 59,000;  
(2) Partons 2.0: more efficient organisation of social public services in the 
cross-border rural region through participation of citizens & increased cross-
border  accessibility  to  public  services  –  total  budget  of  the  project:  € 
2,248,000 (55% co-funded by EU) - total budget for the EGTC: € 31,000;  
(3)  Grenzeloos  Competent/Compétences  sans 
improve 
matching  cross-border  labour  market  supply  and  demand  through  cross-
border job promotion, training programmes and  coaching employers – total 
budget of the project: € 4,000,000 (50% co-funded b y EU) - total budget for 
the EGTC: € 54,000  
2 

frontières: 

33 

 
 
 
 
4.1.9  EGTC Archi-Med*  

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 
Countries involved 

Tasks 

Challenges or issues 

Budget 

Staff (in FTE) 

GECT ArchiMed 

Italy, Spain, Cyprus and Greece 
The tasks of the EGTC comprise: 
-  the  creation  of  a  stable  structure  for  cooperation  among  its  members; 
-  the  promotion  of  common  interests  among  its  members  in  the  European 
Union;  
- the development of exchange events between their respective communities. 

The  EGTC  pursues  the  objective  of  implementing  EU  co-financed 
programmes,  projects  and  actions  of  territorial  cooperation  among  its 
members. 
To  be  able  to  integrate  all  Mediterranean  islands  in  the  EGTC  including 
those that are not part of EU Member States. 

€  60,000  constituted  by  an  annual  membership  fee  fr om  each  of  the 
members, proportional to their population. 

Director. There are also two people working for the EGTC employed in the 
Region of Sicily. 

*All efforts to contact the official representatives of this EGTC failed in the last 
three  years.  The  information  in  the  table  dates  back  to  the  EGTC  Monitoring 
Report 2013. 

34 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4.1.10 GECT Pyrénées-Meditérrannée  

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 
Countries involved 
Changes in 
convention/statutes 

Tasks 

Challenges or issues 

Budget 

EU-funded projects 
and programmes in 
phase of imple-
mentation in 2016 

Staff (in FTE) 

GECT Pyrénées-Méditerranée - AECT Pirineos Mediterráneo - AECT 
Pirineus Mediterrània 
Spain and France 

The convention/statutes will be changed during 2017. 

The main fields of action are culture, innovation, sustainable development, 
higher education and tourism. 

The  task  of  the  EGTC  is  to  carry  out  the  projects  LINKS  UP  (funded  by 
Interreg SUDOE) and KISS ME (funded by Interreg Europe). 
European projects in the fields of innovation, higher education, support to 
increase competitiveness, culture and sustainable development. 
Around € 800,000 – € 1,000,000 contributed by the c ontribution of the four 
regions and also through EU funds. Financial control is carried out by the 
French financial administration. 
The EGTC was involved in five EU-funded projects during 2016:  
LINKS UP (SUDOE) – Lead Partner 
KISS ME (Interreg Europe) – Partner  
The SPUR (Europe créative) – Partner  
SPIN (Erasmus+) – Lead Partner 
E-Health Eurocampus (Erasmus+) – Lead Partner 
9  employees,  of  which  5  in  Toulouse  (employed  under  French  law),  4  in 
Barcelona (employed under Spanish law) 

35 

 
 
 
 
 
 
4.1.11 GECT Eurodistrict Strasbourg-Ortenau  

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 
Countries involved 

Tasks 

Challenges or issues 

GECT Eurodistrict Strasbourg-Ortenau - EVTZ Eurodistrikt 
Strasbourg-Ortenau 
Germany and France 
The  EGTC  is  a  grouping  of  cities  working  on  cross-border  projects  and 
activities.  It  can  either  be  partner  of  projects  with its  own  funds,  or  project 
promoter  with  EU  funds  (for  example  Interreg).  It  implements  cohesion 
policy  in  a  concrete  way.  The  EGTC  can  take  on  all  possible  roles  in 
implementing  ETC  programmes:  project  manager,  project  partner,  provider 
of  co-financing,  etc.  It  can  facilitate  civil  society  groups  to  generate  cross-
border projects that  can receive  EU funding.  With the  Interreg Programme, 
the  EGTC  will  set  up  the  3rd  generation  of  Interreg  financial  support  for 
"micro-projects" 
preparation, 
(assistance 
administrative support...). The EGTC was active during 2016 in a wide range 
of topics in relation to ETC: economy, employment, education, bilingualism, 
social policy, environment, civil society, culture, sport, citizen participation, 
etc. 

2014-2020 

project 

for 

The  EGTC  has  implemented  the  Europe  2020  Strategy  through  numerous 
actions:  Employment,  climate  change  and  energy  (cross-border  tram 
Strasbourg-Kehl  and  bus  Erstein-Lahr),  education  (Fund  for  bilingualism), 
poverty and social exclusion (Fund for young refugees), public health (cross-
border projects for risk reduction of drug use), etc. The EGTC promotes the 
development  of  joint  strategies  of  economic  growth,  social  cohesion  and 
sustainability.  The  strategy  is  decided  by  the  EGTC’s  Council,  which  is 
composed of 25 French and 25 German elected representatives. It also fosters 
the joint management of public services, i.e. through the working  group on 
prevention and security, with public services and authorities from France and 
Germany. 
Differences  in  national  and  regional  competences  may  slow  down  the 
functioning  of  projects  in  fields  that  are  handled  differently  across  EU  MS 
(i.e.  health,  employment  and  social  inclusion).  An  example  is  health 
insurance in general or certificates issued at sports events in particular. Also 
one  obstacle  for  the  EGTC  is  the  heavy  administration  of  EU-funded 
projects.  

Budget 

€  850,000  provided  by  a  membership  fee  per  member  p roportional  to  the 
population (about € 1 per inhabitant). 

EU-funded projects 
and programmes in 
phase of imple-
mentation in 2016 

Eurodistrict Strasbourg-Ortenau: un marché de l'emploi à 360°- ein auf 
360°  offener  Arbeitsmarkt:  total  project  budget  of  €  2,147,99.20  (€ 
1,073,599.60  co-funded  by  the  EU);  budget  implemented  by  EGTC  € 
187,026.30  

Staff (in FTE) 

7 permanent employees 

36 

 
 
 
 
4.1.12 Agrupamento Europeu de Cooperação Territorial 

ZASNET, AECT  

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 
Countries involved 

Tasks 

Challenges or issues 

Budget 

Staff (in FTE) 

Agrupamento Europeu de Cooperação Territorial ZASNET, AECT 
(ZASNET) 
Portugal and Spain 
The  EGTC  ZASNET  manages  the  cross-border  biosphere  reserve  Meseta 
Ibérica  and  was  declared  by  UNESCO  in  June  2015  as  an  instrument  for 
nature  preservation  and  sustainable  development.  The  EGTC  submits 
applications to Interreg VA and VB programmes. 

In  the  remaining  2014-2020  funding  period,  the  EGTC  plans  to  implement 
the  Strategic  Plan  for  Territorial  Cooperation  and  Development,  ZASNET 
2020. It targets sustainable growth through cross-border cooperation and risk 
prevention as well as better management of natural resources. Its mandate is 
to preserve and protect the environment, conserve, promote and develop the 
natural and cultural heritage. 

The  EGTC  also  plans  to  manage  public  services  jointly  through  the 
Transboundary  Biosphere  Reserve  Meseta  Ibérica.  The  EGTC  involves 
public  and  private  actors  of  the  territory  in  the  activities  and  actions  it 
develops. It is a member of RIET (Iberian Network of Transborder Entities 
Portugal - Spain), which is a member of supra-regional committees.  

Requests for information were issued to several national authorities in order 
to  find  out  about  the  legal  environment  and  applicable  laws  (especially  for 
EGTC staff members). 

€  154,848.96,  consisting  of  i)  the  annual  obligator y  membership  fee  of  € 
20,000 that covers the operational / management costs for the whole year, ii) 
EU-Funds  (ERDF,  ESF  and  other  Cohesion  funds),  iii)  other  grants  and 
subsidies and iv) any other income in legal conformity with the statutes 
1  Director,  1  Environmental  engineer  and  the  Technical  Commission  –  6 
members  working  from  their  respective  administrations.  The  Technical 
Commission  has  a  representative  from  each  member,  entitled  to  decide  on 
daily activities and priorities. 

37 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4.1.13 Agrupació Europea de Cooperació Territorial Hospital de 

Cerdanya  

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 

Countries involved 

Tasks 

Challenges or issues 

Agrupació Europea de Cooperació Territorial Hospital de Cerdanya / 
Groupement Européen de Coopération Territoriale Hôpital de 
Cerdagne (AECT-HC / GECT-HC) 
Spain and France 
The  immediate  added  value  of  the  building  of  this  hospital  is  that  it 
provides access to specialised healthcare to the French population (14,500) 
of  the  Cerdan  plateau.  Previously,  this  population  had  no  access  to  the 
existing  Spanish  hospital  across  the  border,  and  had  to  travel  105  km  to 
Perpignan  to  access  specialised  care.  The  existence  of  the  cross-border 
hospital fosters improvements in research and innovation, employment and 
mobility and social inclusion. 

The  creation  of  the  cross-border  hospital  contributed  to  the  employment 
strategy by retaining/attracting young professionals, particularly in nursing 
and healthcare jobs, which is in line with the objectives of the Europe 2020 
strategy. 

The  EGTC  itself  represents  a  joint  management  of  the  public  healthcare 
service through the French and Spanish (Catalan) healthcare authorities. 

The  EGTC  does  foster  the  development  of  joint  strategies  for  economic 
growth, social cohesion and sustainability by participating in the creation of 
a  cross-border  paediatric  healthcare  facility,  which  has  been  under 
construction since summer 2016. Plans for a geriatric facility are also under 
way. 

The EGTC is currently in the third year of a five-year period of launching 
and  stabilisation.  Any  further  development  must  be  approved  within  the 
framework of the Strategic Plan, currently under construction. 

Budget 

€ 20,000,000 

Staff (in FTE) 

In  2016  the  hospital  attained  its  approved  workforce  limit  of  195  FTE. 
Approximately  40%  of  these  were  new  hires  and  60%  were  already 
employed by the now decommissioned hospital in Puigcerdà. 

38 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4.1.14 GECT INTERREG "Programme Grande Région"*  

Tasks 

Countries involved 

Name of the EGTC 

GECT INTERREG "Programme Grande Région" - EVTZ 
INTERREG "Programm Großregion" (Grande Région / Großregion) 
France, Germany, Luxembourg and Belgium 
The  EGTCs  remaining  task  is  to  assist  in  the  closure  of  the  Interreg  IVA 
programme Grande Région. The EGTC will be closed after the respective 
operational  programme 
the  European 
Commission. 
€ 519,227 for the entire programming period, of whi ch 50% is covered by 
the ERDF. The EGTC is financed through the Technical Assistance of the 
programme. 
1 staff member in charge of the programme closure on behalf of the EGTC. 
Staff (in FTE) 
*  The  EGTC  will  face  closure  soon.  Therefore,  it  has  implemented  only  very 
limited activities during 2016.  

terminated  by 

Budget (2015) 

is  officially 

39 

 
 
 
 
 
4.1.15 Eurodistrict Saarmoselle  

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 
Countries involved 

Tasks 

Challenges or issues 

Budget 

EU-funded projects 
and programmes in 
phase of imple-
mentation in 2016 

Staff (in FTE) 

Eurodistrikt Saarmoselle - Eurodistrict Saarmoselle (SaarMoselle) 

France and Germany 
The EGTC develops joint strategies of economic growth to enhance common 
territorial  marketing  and  collaboration  of  the  promoters  of  economic 
development. It also develops joint strategies of social cohesion in the health 
sector  and  in  the  learning  of  the  neighbour  language.  Regarding  the  joint 
management of public services, the EGTC tries to develop cross-border day-
care facilities for toddlers. 

In the remaining period 2014-2020, the EGTC plans to execute  
- projects targeting the development of cross-border planning processes; 
-  a  tourism  project  with  the  aim  to  improve  sites  of  industry  culture  and  to 
market their touristic added-value and products, 
-  several  other  projects  to  increase  the  border  permeability  and  studies 
relating  to  a  new  tram-train  line  that  will  connect  Saarbrücken  (Germany) 
with Forbach (France). 
It  has  become  increasingly  difficult  for  EGTCs  with  communal  partners  to 
get EU funding because of increasing competition. Targets and objectives set 
in the programmes have recently become more distanced from the needs of 
citizens. The main priority is on large-scale projects to foster innovation and 
economic  development.  People-to-people  projects  barely  stand  a  chance  to 
attract funding in some Interreg Programmes. 

The EGTC faces difficulties with regard to the employment of staff from the 
two countries, as they have different working hours per week, different rules 
with regard to salaries, public holidays, number of days off, etc. In addition, 
it  is  difficult  for  the  EGTC  to  find  bilingual  staff  who  are  qualified  and 
willing to accept the working conditions. 

information 

l’avenir  des  jeunes  dans 

€ 1,150,000 
4 projects under Interreg VA Grande Région: 
1) Centre d'aide à la mobilitée transfrontalière (Increasing youth 
employability) – total project budget € 2,732,675.1 8 (of which 60% co-
funded by EU), € 150,000 implemented by the EGTC; 
langues, 
2)  Des  clefs  pour 
interculturalité, 
et  orientation  professionnelle  via 
l’éducation  (Increasing  youth  employability)  –  total  project  budget  € 
7,280,064.27  (of  which  60%  co-funded  by  EU),  €  90,0 00  implemented  by 
the EGTC; 
3) Ticketing Sarre-Moselle (cross-border-ticketing-system for buses) – total 
project  budget  €  3,135,000  (of  which  60%  co-funded  by  EU),  €  144,050 
implemented by the EGTC; 
4)  COSANGR  (cooperation  in  health  sector)  –  total  project  budget  € 
implemented  by  the 
1,366,500 (of  which  60% co-funded  by  EU),  €  40,000 
EGTC. 
1 directly hired during 2016; 5.25 employed indirectly 

la  GR: 

40 

 
 
 
 
 
4.1.16 ABAÚJ - ABAÚJBAN European Grouping of Territorial 

Co-operation Ltd* 

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 

Countries involved 

Tasks 

Challenges or issues 

HU: ABAÚJ - ABAÚJBAN Korlátolt Felelősségű Európai Területi 
Együttműködési Közhasznú Csoportosulás 
SK: Európske zoskupenie územnej spolupráce ABOV v ABOVE s 
ručením obmedzeným 
EN: ABAÚJ - ABAÚJBAN European Grouping of Territorial Co-
operation Ltd (ABAÚJ - ABAÚJBAN EGTC) 
Hungary and Slovakia 
The  EGTC  represents  an  added  value  to  the  European  Union's  cohesion 
policy  objectives  as  it  defines  development  targets  and  objectives  in  the 
region. In this context it provides knowledge on local specificities and trends 
including, for example, employment development. 

In relation to ETC, the EGTC has drawn up a development plan for the target 
area. The plan deals with several economic sectors and includes the regional 
growth  objectives  through  fostering  economic  development  and  social 
cohesion.  However,  the  plan  is  not  yet  implemented  but  it  is  seen  as 
providing added value to the broader region (macro-regional strategy). 

During the current programming period, the EGTC’s main task is to provide 
as much funding as possible to its members' development ideas. There are no 
obstacles  for  the  EGTC  to  access  and  to  implement  ETC  projects  and 
programmes. 
In  the  development  plan,  the  EGTC  draws  up  a  new  institutional  network. 
The implementation of this modern, yet dynamic structure would represent a 
challenge.  

Budget 

HUF 3 million (approximately € 9,630). 

Staff (in FTE) 

Not  relevant  as  the  statutes  of  the  EGTC  specify  that  the  relevant 
administrative  tasks  are  carried  out  by  a  contracted  non-profit  organisation. 
This  includes  the  preparation  and  the  implementation  of  decisions.  During 
2016,  the  mandated  body  was  the  Public  Youth  Foundation  (Ifjúságért 
Közhasznú Alapítvány). 

*The EGTC has the same director as EGTC BODROGKÖZI EGTC Ltd., which 
explains the similar information in the field ‘Tasks’. 

41 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4.1.17 Pons Danubii EGTC  

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 
Countries involved 

Tasks 

Budget 

EU-funded projects 
and programmes in 
phase of imple-
mentation in 2016 

Staff (in FTE) 

Pons Danubii EGTC 

Slovakia and Hungary 
The EGTC implements projects of territorial cooperation with or without the 
financial  contribution  of  the  EU  in  the  following  fields:  entrepreneurship, 
tourism,  environment,  and  accessibility.  Specific  support  aims  to  create 
interconnections between urban and rural areas. 

Within  the  framework  of  ETC,  the  EGTC  organises  workshops  together  in 
Slovakia  and  Hungary  every  third  month,  where  the  stakeholders  discuss 
current problems and grant opportunities. 

During  the  remaining  programming  period,  the  EGTC  would  like  to 
implement  SK-HU  projects  that  will  have  an  impact  on  tourism,  transport 
and urban development of its member towns. 

The  EGTC  aims  to  develop  joint  strategies  for  economic  growth,  social 
cohesion  and  sustainability.  It  has  determined  common  development 
strategies  and  priorities  with  its  member  towns  and  will  be  supported  by 
CESCI (consultancy) in the development of the strategy. 
About  €  300,000  through  annual  membership  fees  of  m unicipalities,  based 
on € 0.5 per inhabitant per member  

Sustainable  heritage  management  of  WAterway  REgions  (SWARE)  / 
Interreg Europe Programme – total project budget € 1,365,338;  
€ 153,732 implemented by EGTC (of which 85% co-fund ed by EU). 

3 persons were employed: 1 director, 1 financial and stakeholder manager,  
1 thematic manager who is also in charge of administrative tasks 

42 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4.1.18 Bánát - Triplex Confinium Limited Liability EGTC  

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 
Countries involved 

Tasks 

Challenges or issues 

Banat-Triplex Confinium European Grouping of Territorial 
Cooperation Limited (BTC EGTC) 
Hungary, Romania and Serbia (the latter as observing member) 
The main goal of the EGTC is the facilitation of harmonious development of 
the  Banat  region  to  strengthen  economic,  social  and  territorial  cohesion 
through a triple (HU-RO-RS) cross-border cooperation.  

In  relation  to  ETC,  the  EGTC  has  prepared  partnerships  and  project 
proposals  related  to  Interreg-IPA  CBC  Hungary-Serbia,  Interreg  VA 
Romania-Hungary  and  to  the  Danube  Transnational  Programme.  The  main 
topics  for  the  current  period  are  water  management,  agriculture,  renewable 
energy, climate change, culture and tourism and the development of SMEs. 

Although the EGTC has not contributed directly to the implementation of the 
Europe  2020  strategy,  it  has  contributed  indirectly  by  preparing  project 
proposals  that  are  adapted  to  the  strategy  for  2017.  The  EGTC’s  joint 
regional strategy includes actions to foster economic growth, social cohesion 
and  sustainability,  especially  in  the  fields  of  employment,  R&D,  climate 
protection, sustainable energy management and education. 

An aim of the EGTC is to include the Serbian observer as a full member of 
the EGTC after ratification of the signed Madrid Framework Convention by 
the Serbian government. 
In  the  implementation  of  cross-border  cooperation  programmes,  the  EGTC 
has encountered some legal obstacles. 
The  EGTC  needs  further  development  in  terms  of  new  partners  from  EU 
Member States. 

Budget 

€ 120,000  

EU-funded projects 
and programmes in 
phase of imple-
mentation in 2016 
Staff (in FTE) 

In  2016  BTC  EGTC  implemented,  managed  and  coordinated  4  EU-funded 
projects (EEA Grants-Climate change, Europe for Citizens). 

3 

43 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4.1.19 Arrabona Korlátolt Felelősségű Európai Területi 
Együttműködési Közhasznú Csoportosulás  

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 
Countries involved 

Modification of 
membership 

Tasks 

Challenges or issues 

Budget 

EU-funded projects 
and programmes in 
phase of imple-
mentation in 2016 

Staff (in FTE) 

Arrabona Korlátolt Felelősségű Európai Területi Együttműködési 
Közhasznú Csoportosulás (Arrabona EGTC Ltd.) 
Hungary and Slovakia 
One Slovakian member left the EGTC: Nagymegyer (Veľký Meder)  
Now  the  EGTC  has  26  members  from  Hungary  and  four  members  from 
Slovakia. 
The Arrabona EGTC will implement projects to help its members and their 
settlements in the field of urban and territorial development/management. 
The  EGTC  encountered  legal/administrative  obstacles  on  the  Slovak  side 
on the establishment procedure, although the EGTC is seated in Hungary. 
Receipts amounted to € 250,318 and expenditures to 
€ 173,885. The budget 
is  composed  of  an  annual  membership  fee  paid  by  all  municipalities,  as 
well as external funding earned from tenders. 
During  2016,  there  were  no  EU-funded  projects  implemented  yet. 
However,  the  EGTC  envisages  participating  in  upcoming  calls.  The  first 
call  of  the  Interreg  Slovak  Republic  –  Hungary  cooperation  programme 
was opened only mid-summer 2016. 
Director,  5  project  managers  and  a  project  assistant  full-time,  all  from 
Hungary 

44 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4.1.20 "Linieland van Waas en Hulst" Europese Groepering voor 

Territoriale Samenwerking  

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 
Countries involved  Belgium and the Netherlands 

"Linieland van Waas en Hulst" Europese Groepering voor Territoriale 
Samenwerking (EGTC Linieland van Waas en Hulst) 

Modification of 
membership 

On  17  October  2016  Maatschappij  Linker  Scheldeoever  (MLSO)  joined  the 
EGTS  Linieland.  Since  1982  this  organisation  has  taken  care  of  the 
management of land and the land policy of the Waaslandport (left bank port of 
Antwerp - www.mlso.be). 
The added value of the EGTC consists in rolling out and implementing cross-
border projects by means of co-financing by different European Structural and 
Investment  Funds  (Interreg  Vlaanderen-Nederland,  LEADER,  PDPO).  The 
EGTC currently implements three EU projects as lead and co-partner. 

Tasks 

For the remaining 2014-2020 period, the EGTC plans to 
1) take the lead in the development of the project 'Grenspark Groot-Saeftinghe' 
(nature, biodiversity, agriculture, tourism); 
2)  represent  the  members  in  global  projects  such  as  Havenland  (Port  of 
Antwerp) and Geopark Schelde Delta; and 
3) take the lead in the improvement of the transnational labour market and the 
economic  development  by  organising 
the 
Bedrijvenavond (an event where local entrepreneurs can visit other companies 
in the region). 

job  fair  and 

the  annual 

Developing  joint  strategies  of  economic  growth,  social  cohesion  and 
sustainability  is  part  of  the  EGTC’s  agenda:  EGTC  Linieland  works  around 
the  four  themes  of  port  &  economy,  mobility,  nature,  recreation  &  cultural 
history  and  habitation  and  liveability.  The  EGTC  also  fulfils  the  role  of  a 
cross-border  organisation,  managing  public  services  by  acting  as  a  service 
provider for the members of the EGTC and acting as project secretariat. 
The EGTCs faces some issues in the long term. Additionally, there is a lack of 
a transnational statute for the EGTC’s staff. Furthermore, it does not encounter 
an  advantage  originating  from  the  status  of  an  EGTC  when  participating  in 
European programmes. 
€ 273,368.55. 
1)  Leadpartner  Grenspark  Groot  Saeftinghe  Interreg  Vlaanderen-
Nederland: Total project budget € 2,790,111.72; € 306 980 impl
emented by 
EGTC (of which 50% co-funded by EU); 
2) Co-partner Grensinfovoorziening Interreg Vlaanderen-Nederland: Total 
project budget € 2,519,275 (of which 50% co-funded  by EU), EGTC budget € 
36,200. 
3)  Leadpartner  Agrarische  Eigenheid  Waas  Toeristisch  Potentieel 
LEADER:  Total  project  budget  €  150,800  (of  which  65%  co-fun ded  by 
EAFRD), EGTC budget € 12,230. 
3  Full  time  equivalents.  This  is  complemented  by  the  cooperation  of  many 
people so it is difficult to quantify exactly. 

Challenges or issues 

Budget 

EU-funded projects 
and programmes in 
phase of imple-
mentation in 2016 

Staff (in FTE) 

45 

 
 
 
 
 
 
4.1.21 GECT Euregio Tirolo - Alto Adige – Trentino  

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 
Countries involved 

Tasks 

EVTZ Europaregion Tirol-Südtirol-Trentino / GECT Euregio Tirolo - 
Alto Adige - Trentino 
Italy and Austria 
The EGTC carries out mainly concrete cross-border projects in several fields 
covered  by  the  ETC  regulation.  A  specific  focus  is  on  research,  youth, 
education, culture, economic and social affairs, environment and mobility. 

The EGTC has  a yearly work programme with  20-25 projects financed  and 
managed  by  the  EGTC  itself.  The  EGTC  is  a  coordinating  point  for  more 
than  30  projects  of  the  EGTC  members.  Main  topics  in  2016  were  the 
Euregio  Science  Fund,  Euregio  Mobility  Fund  for  university  students  and 
teachers,  Euregio  Music  Camp,  Euregio  Summer  Camp  and  Euregio  Sport 
Camp  as  summer  weeks  for  adolescents  in  Euregio,  the  follow-up  of  the 
Euregio  Academy  that  was  held  in  the  course  of  the  European  Forum 
Alpbach,  a  congress  centre  co-financed  by  the  EGTC  that  was  inaugurated 
by  the  President  of  the  EC  Jean-Claude  Juncker  in  August  2016,  an  online 
calendar  for  cultural  highlights  in  the  whole  Euregio,  several  thematic 
conferences  in  the  field  of  labour  and  education,  retirement  homes, 
architecture and the task force profugees.  

In  the  Interreg  IT-AT  programme  the  EGTC  is  participating  as  associated, 
project  or lead partner. Already in May 2015 the  EGTC board had decided 
on a proper strategy for the EGTC's participation in Interreg IT-AT. A first 
project  with  the  EGTC  as  a  lead  partner  is  the  Project  "ALBINA"  that 
develops  a  system  for  a  unique  daily  avalanche  report  in  the  European 
Region  Tyrol-South  Tyrol-Trentino.  The  EGTC  is  associated  partner  of the 
Interreg project Start.eu, regarding a new platform for start-up companies. 

The EGTC is participating in the process of establishing the CLLD process 
in  the  European  Region  Tyrol-South  Tyrol-Trentino  under  the  Interreg  IT-
AT  Programme.  The  EGTC  is  organising  a  couple  of  conferences  and 
meetings  among  the  members'  political  leaders  and  administrative  experts 
(economic  and  social  affairs,  labour,  spatial  planning,  refugees,  sport  etc.) 
that lead to an exchange of best practices. 

The EGTC has established the Euregio Science Fund to finance exclusively 
cross-border research projects.  It provides funding for the three universities 
to finance the exchange of students and teachers. A first common service to 
citizens of the European Region Tyrol-South Tyrol-Trentino will be a daily 
avalanche bulletin, which is of high importance for the mountainous region. 

Regarding  the  EGTC’s  involvement  in  the  macro-region,  it  coordinates  the 
Action Group 4 "Mobility" within the EUSALP macro-regional strategy. 

46 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Challenges or issues 

Budget 

EU-funded projects 
and programmes in 
phase of imple-
mentation in 2016 

Staff 

Impact of changes of 
EGTC regulation on 
EGTC 

Not  in  terms  of  partners,  but  in  terms  of  structures,  management  processes 
and  financial  means.  A  main  challenge  is  to  some  degree  the  EGTC’s  own 
convention/statutes,  which  do  not  allow  having  EGTC  personnel  under 
Austrian law.  
€ 2,900,000 
1)  Interreg  IT-AT  project  was  established  in  2016  and  will  be  financed 
from 2017 to 2019; 
2) EUSALP Action group lead 4 "Mobility" includes € 100,000 financial 
means through the Interreg ALPINE SPACE programme that was requested 
directly  by  the  State  of  Tyrol  as  managing  partner  of  the  EGTC  in  this 
project. 
3) Start.eu (associated partner) 
4) ALBINA (lead partner, Interreg IT-AT) 
The EGTC has no personnel of its own. The staff count is 9 persons of which 
8.5  are  FTE.  The  members  contribute  2  persons  per  member  to  the  EGTC; 
the  personnel  costs  for  4  employees  are  reimbursed  by  the  EGTC  to  the 
Autonomous Province of Bozen-Bolzano South Tyrol. 

Regarding earlier problems in relation to the employment of staff, the EGTC 
found a solution to the problem by changing the convention/statutes. 

47 

 
 
 
 
4.1.22 Territorio dei comuni: Comune di Gorizia (I), Mestna 

Občina Nova Gorica (Slo) e Občina Šempeter-Vrtojba (Slo) 

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 

Countries involved 

Tasks 

Territorio dei comuni: Comune di Gorizia (I), Mestna Občina Nova 
Gorica (Slo) e Občina Šempeter-Vrtojba (Slo) - Območje občin: Comune 
di Gorizia (I), Mestna občina Nova Gorica (Slo) in Občina Šempeter-
Vrtojba (Slo) (GECT GO / EZTS GO) 

Italy and Slovenia 
The  EGTC  represents  the  cooperative  structure  of  the  three  cities  Gorizia, 
Nova  Gorica  and  Sempeter-Vrtojba  to  deliver  concrete  results  towards 
delivering  joint  services  or  joint  management  of  natural  and  cultural 
resources.  The  EGTC  represents  the  only  tool  able  to  1)  implement  an 
integrated strategic approach for urban development, 2) represent the needs 
of  the  three  municipalities  by  means  of  a  representative  assembly,  which 
eliminates the threat of domination by any of the three cities 3) capitalise on 
past  cooperation  experiences,  4)  preserve  the  continuity  of  the  cooperation 
and  5)  act  in  the  whole  cross-border  area  without  the  border  limitations 
encountered  by  each  single  municipality.  Through  territorial  analysis  and 
discussions, three main pillars have been identified relating to EU Cohesion 
Policy: 
1) capitalisation of two European programming periods of the Interreg Italy-
Slovenia  programme,  in  order  to  maximise  the  effectiveness  and  efficiency 
of public investments; 
2)  revitalisation  of  the  "border  economy"  with  an  innovative  approach  to 
strengthen the area; 
3)  growth  of  joint  local  services  to  the  citizens  of  the  three  municipalities, 
enhancing the excellence of the territory. 
Thanks to the 2014-2020 regulatory framework, the EGTC was designated as 
intermediate  body  and  sole  beneficiary  to  perform  an  ITI  financed  by  the 
CBC Italy-Slovenia programme. 

the 

During the remaining programming period, the EGTC will take a strong role 
in 
through 
Italy-Slovenia  cross-border  cooperation  programme, 
implementing these actions: 
1) "Isonzo – Soča" pilot action that will develop an  integrated  cross-border 
network  of  cycling  and  walking,  linked  to  SO  3.1  of  the  CP  Italy-Slovenia 
"Conserving,  protecting,  restoring,  and  developing  natural  and  cultural 
heritage"; 
2) "Health" pilot action that intends to build a network of integrated services 
providing a joint use of the health systems, contributing to SO 4.1 of the CP 
Programme  "Strengthen  the  institutional  cooperation  capacity  through 
mobilizing  public  authorities  and  key  actors  of  the  Programme  area  for 
planning joint solutions to common challenges"; 
3) Another pilot project is envisaged for which the framework conditions are 
currently created. The project aims to launch new economic perspectives in 
the  field  of  transport  &  logistics  by  connecting  the  missing  railway  link 

48 

 
 
 
 
 
between  Italy  and  Slovenia  in  the  area  of  Gorizia-Nova  Gorica-Šempeter-
Vrtojba. 

During the long period of negotiation to set up the ITI operation, the EGTC 
clearly  realised  that  ETC  continues  to  be  based  on  the  principle  of 
territoriality of expenditures. The national management and control systems 
(both in Italy and Slovenia) were not yet ready to put in  practice the 2014-
2020 regulatory framework for EGTCs acting as sole beneficiary. The strict 
rules  set  up  by  Member  States  created  many  constraints  and  it  was  very 
difficult  to  create  a  new  management  model  based  on  the  principle  that  an 
EGTC acts as  single  contracting authority both in the Italian and Slovenian 
territories.  The  LP  principle  is  still  considered  the  only  methodology  to 
deliver project outputs although if it is not an asset to plan a real cross-border 
strategy. This principle would again imply a territorial separation both of the 
investments  and  of  the  human  resources  needed  to  implement  the  cross-
border  strategy  adopted  by  EGTC  GO  Assembly  in  an  innovative  way. 
Thanks  to  a  strong  commitment  both  of  the  MA  and  of  DG  Regio,  which 
helped  in  assessing  the  whole  procedure,  the  sole  beneficiary  model  was 
created.  Being  the  only  ITI  operation  managed  by  an  EGTC  as  sole 
beneficiary  in  Europe,  it  is  likely  that  framework  conditions  are  not  "in 
favour" of this type of operation. 

The  strategic  plan,  set  up  by  the  EGTC  contributes  to  the  Danube  macro-
region  with  the  pillars  "Mobility  rail  road  air"  Action  (4)  -  “To  ensure 
sustainable  metropolitan  transport  systems  and  mobility”  and  Action  (5)  - 
“To improve the regional/ local cross-border infrastructure and the access to 
rural  areas"  are  elements  of  the  EGTCs'  strategic  plan.  The  EGTC  also 
contributes to the Adriatic-Ionian macro-region through the ITI pilot project 
"Isonzo Soca" and to the EUSALP Strategy through the alignment of projects 
towards the strategic objectives. 
The  EGTC  needs  further  development  since  the  third  pillar  of  its  strategy 
related  to  launching  new  economic  perspectives  in  the  field  of  transport  & 
logistics  has  not  been  reached.  This  action  needs  a  very  strong  multilevel 
governance approach, since national, regional and local administrative levels 
are involved in the process. Despite a considerable amount of funding spent 
in  the  past  programming  period  of  the  CP  Italy-Slovenia  programme  to 
realise  feasibility  plans,  many  difficulties  have  been  met  in  the  negotiation 
process for the realisation of the railway infrastructure. In 2018, an updating 
of  the  EGTC’s  strategic  plan  is  planned,  taking  into  account  the  first 
outcomes of the EU Cohesion Policy. 

€ 40,000 
No  projects  were  implemented  during  2016.  An  ITI  operation  will  start  in 
2017.  The  two  pilot  projects  of  the  ITI  operation  have  been  financed  for  a 
total budget of € 10,000,000 - ERDF contribution € 
8,500,000. During 2017, 
the  EGTC  will  implement  the  project  "CycleWalk"  financed  by  the  second 
call of Interreg Europe Programme for a total budget of € 293,207  - ERDF 
contribution € 24,225.95. 
1  Director  appointed  directly  by  the  assembly  and  4  people  as  permanent 
staff  transferred  by  the  three  municipalities  on  the  basis  of  an  agreement 
signed by the three mayors (2 on full-time basis and 2 on part-time basis). 
According to the EGTC, the regulatory framework is sufficiently developed. 
Critical impacts have been met  in the implementation procedures,  since  the 
Member States’ application of the EGTC rules is too strict. 

49 

Challenges or issues 

Budget 

EU-funded projects 
and programmes in 
phase of imple-
mentation in 2016 

Staff (in FTE) 

Impact of changes of 
EGTC regulation on 
EGTC 

 
 
 
4.1.23 GECT Pirineus – Cerdanya  

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 
Countries involved 

Tasks 

Challenges or issues 

Budget 

Staff (in FTE) 

GECT Pirineus – Cerdanya - AECT Pirineus – Cerdanya 

France and Spain 
The added  value for European  Cohesion policy  provided by the creation of 
the EGTC is that it is possible to test the viability and effectiveness of this 
new  type  of  structure  to  promote  the  development  of cross-border  projects. 
For now, however, the EGTC structure is too small to truly allow the cross-
border development of the territory. The working practices on both sides of 
the  border  differ  and  the  problems  of  the  rural  territories  as  well  as  the 
financial difficulties of these territories on both sides of the border leave little 
time and means for a thorough cross-border cooperation, in spite of the legal 
structure of the EGTC that is dedicated to this end. 

The  EGTC  is  currently  a  cross-border  but  very  local  structure  (two 
intercommunalities  combined)  in  a  sparsely  populated  and  very  rural  area. 
As a result, the EGTC intends to intervene more on a case-by-case basis than 
to plan a real roadmap. It remains a tool to facilitate the emergence of cross-
border projects but at the moment does not constitute an active structure with 
missions to implement projects with dedicated staff. 
The EGTC suffered from a very  long process of establishment (about three 
years)  due  to  difficulties  in  translating  and  aligning  the  country  regulations 
and  the  fact  that  the  relevant  French  authorities  delayed  signing  of  the 
statutes. 
€ 15,000 
The EGTC does not yet employ its own staff but works with employees from 
the two members. 

50 

 
  
 
 
 
 
 
4.1.24 Agrupación Europea de Cooperación Territorial "Espacio 

Portalet"  

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 
Countries involved 

Tasks 

Challenges or issues 

Budget 

EU-funded projects 
and programmes in 
phase of imple-
mentation in 2016 

Agrupación Europea de Cooperación Territorial "Espacio Portalet" 
(EGTC Espacio Portalet / EGTC Espace Pourtalet) 
Spain and France 
The  EGTC  promotes  public-private  collaboration  in  the  tourism  sector 
through  a  strategy  of  sustainable  development  and  improvement  of  the 
quality  of  life  with  increased  security  against  natural  risks  on  the  cross-
border road that passes through El Portalet.  
In  the  framework  of  ETC,  the  EGTC  acts  as  a  link  between  public  and 
private  actors  on  both  sides,  fostering  the  promotion  of  projects  and 
cooperation  activities  at  local  and  regional  levels  in  the  fields  of  culture, 
tourism, infrastructure security and economic development. 
In  the  remaining  programming  period,  the  EGTC  will  implement  the 
INTURPYR  and  SECURUS  projects  within  the  Interreg  VA  POCTEFA 
programme.  INTURPYR,  which  is  led  by  the  EGTC,  is  a  tourist  project  to 
create  a  unique  tourist  destination  in  the  central  Pyrenees  based  on 
sustainable  development,  innovation  and  private  public  development. 
SECURUS,  in  which  the  EGTC  is  a  partner,  is  a  project  to  improve  the 
management  of  natural  risks  based  on  innovation  and  cooperation  between 
actors  on  both  sides.  The  EGTC  will  also  work  on  the  dynamisation  and 
management  of  different  cultural,  patrimonial  and  economic  development 
actions between public and private actors from both sides. 
In terms of  joint management of public services, the  EGTC is  coordinating 
the different administrations, but to date it does not carry out concrete joint 
work.  For  now  the  EGTC  does  not  develop  joint  strategies  but  its  projects 
and  specific  actions  go  in  the  direction  of  economic  development,  social 
cohesion and sustainability.  
During  2016, the  EGTC  continued  with the  maintenance  of  a  residence  for 
artists from both sides of the border in its second year. 
Limited recognition of the EGTC as official representative of two countries 
in  the  European  sector  programmes.  More  concrete  problems  linked  to  the 
functioning of the EGTC are the different existing regulations, different ways 
of  functioning  of  public  institutions  and  the  language  barriers  to  effective 
communication between some actors. 
€  886,241.93,  coming  from  a  proportional  allocation   of  funds  from  the 
members as well EU-funding. 
The  EGTC  was  implementing  2  Interreg  VA  POCTEFA  projects  in  2016:  
1)  INTURPYR/EFA  026/15  –  total  project  budget  €  2,941,307;  €  70,000 
implemented by the EGTC (of which 65% is co-funded by the EU); 
2) SECURUS/EFA 039/15 – total  project budget € 4,220,626.80; € 50,000 
implemented by the EGTC (of which 65% is co-funded by the EU). 

Staff (in FTE) 

1 EGTC Director, 1 tourism expert and employees from the two members. 

51 

 
 
 
 
4.1.25 Rába-Duna-Vág European Grouping of Territorial 

Cooperation with Limited Liability  

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 

Countries involved 
Changes in 
convention/statutes 

Tasks 

Challenges or issues 

Budget 

HU: Rába-Duna-Vág Korlátolt Felelősségű Európai Területi Társulás 
(RDV ETT)  
SK: Európske zoskupenie územnej spolupráce Raba-Dunaj-Váh s 
ručením obmedzeným (EZÚS RDV) 
EN: Rába-Duna-Vág European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation 
with Limited Liability (RDV EGTC) 
Hungary and Slovakia 
The  convention/statutes  were  changed  on  the  01.07.2016  because  the 
partnership was enlarged in 2015.  
The  EGTC  prepared  a  group  for  managing  the  SPF  within  the  CBC 
Programme  Interreg  VA  Slovak  Republic  –  Hungary  (PO  4  -  Promoting 
cross-border  cooperation  of  public  authorities  and  people  living  in  border 
areas;  Specific  Objective  4.2).  The  SPF  provides  opportunities  for  the 
designated  target  groups  to  receive  funding  for  implementation  of  micro-
projects with a budget between € 5,000 and 50,000 ( i.e. cultural exchanges, 
human 
studies,  economic  development, 
environmental protection, tourism, communication, other infrastructure). 

resources,  elaboration  of 

In the remaining programming period, the EGTC will be a partner in cross-
border  projects  and  coordinator  of  cross-border  strategies.  It  will  also 
manage some regional projects mainly in the field of cross-border industrial 
and silver economy, local products, tourism development and culture. 

The only obstacles for the EGTC in the implementation of ETC projects are 
difficulties in getting loans for pre-financing the projects.  
Long  process  of  establishment  due  to  a  lengthy  process  to  adopt  the 
Convention  and  Statutes  by  the  Slovak  Ministry  of Transport,  Construction 
and Regional Development. 
€  50,000  of  which  50%  are  members'  own  resources  an d  various  project 
funds and 50% EGTC operation support from the Hungarian national budget. 
The annual budget is approved every year by the council. 

Staff (in FTE) 

1  director  and  1  secretary,  both  from  Slovakia.  Both  are  employed  under 
Hungarian law. 

52 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4.1.26 GECT Eurorégion Nouvelle Aquitaine-Euskadi-Navarre  

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 
Countries involved 

Modification of 
membership 

Changes in 
convention/statutes 

Tasks 

Challenges or issues 

Budget 

EU-funded projects 
and programmes in 
phase of imple-
mentation in 2016 

Staff (in FTE) 

GECT Eurorégion Nouvelle Aquitaine-Euskadi-Navarre (the name was 
changed, 'Nouvelle’ and ‘Navarre' were added) 
France and Spain 
The  Spanish  region  of  Navarre  was  integrated  into  the  EGTC.  At  the 
beginning  of  2017,  the  Foral  Community  of  Navarre  joined  the  Eurorégion 
Aquitaine-Euskadi. 
Convention  and  Statutes  were  modified  in  2016  to  allow  Navarre's 
integration in the EGTC, and its normal running with three members. 
In  the  remaining  2014-2020  programming  period,  the  EGTC  intends  to 
implement a project that provides student training for public examinations to 
become teachers in bilingual schools.  

The Euroregional Strategic Plan for the 2014-2020 programming period is in 
line with the Europe 2020 Strategy. 

Regarding the joint management of public services, the EGTC  supports the 
structuring  of  Euroregional  value  chains  in  the  fields  of  marine  and  coastal 
resources, ENR, agriculture/agri-food and health-biohealth. 

The EGTC is co-organiser of a workshop in April 2017 under the umbrella 
of DG Mare on Blue  Growth in the framework of the Atlantic Action  Plan 
Support. 
A  challenge  was  the  adaptation  of  both  legal  systems  and  obtaining 
permission from both states. It was also important to find a French authority 
used to dealing with Spanish and French financial documents. 

€  1,650,000  financed  equally  by  the  Autonomous  Comm unity  of  Euskadi, 
Navarre and the Regional Council of Aquitaine, € 55 0,000 each partner. 

The EGTC is  currently  working on two  Interreg A projects: "Crossborder 
Employment" and "Crossborder Transport". 

1  Director,  1  Administration  and  Finance  Coordinator,  3  staff  members 
responsible for projects and cooperation 

53 

 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
4.1.27 Európa-kapu Korlátolt Felelösségü Európai Területi 

Együttmüködési Csoportosulás 

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 

Európa-kapu Korlátolt Felelösségü - Európai Területi Együttmüködési 
Csoportosulás (Európakapu ETT) - Gruparea Europeană de Cooperare 
Teritorială Poarta Europa cu Răspundere Limitata (Poarta Europa 
GECT) (EGTC Gate to Europe Ltd.) 

Countries involved  Hungary and Romania 

The EGTC’s activities and initiatives are in line with the Europe 2020 strategy 
because  it  is  working  on  the  creation  of  new  jobs  and  economic  and  social 
development.  In  2016, the  EGTC  developed  a  document  entitled  "Integrated 
development  of  the  Gate  to  Europe  EGTC",  which  is  an  assessment  on  the 
real development needs of the area.  

The Interreg VA Romania-Hungary programme was launched during the final 
days of 2016. The EGTC is now working on preparing a project in the field of 
natural  heritage  and  is  waiting  for  the  start  of  IP8.  Through  this,  the  EGTC 
wants  to  create  new  jobs,  promote  joint  local  products  and  brands  and 
organise joint cultural events and festivals. 

Tasks 

In May 2016 the General Assembly of the EGTC voted on the opening  of a 
branch office in Romania. The EGTC is now preparing the documents for the 
Romanian Ministry of Development. 

The  EGTC  developed  one  flagship  project  entitled  "Together  without 
borders", but it was rejected. The aim of the flagship was the  creation of an 
abattoir and a fruit-processing factory with the aim to sustain the  agriculture 
and farms, create new jobs and to produce natural, healthy products locally. 

The integrated development strategy for the EGTC was elaborated by CESCI 
(consultancy).  The  strategy  was  drawn  up  using  innovative  tools;  priorities 
were  defined  in  connection  with  the  real  needs  of  the  area.  It  is  based  on 
collected information from the local level. 
A main challenge is pre-financing and the problem of getting a bank loan. The 
EGTC  could  not  receive  loans  from  banks  because  it  does  not  own  its 
buildings. 
HUF 12.5 million (approximately € 40,000). 
The  EGTC  participated  as  partner  with  a  Romanian  association  in  an 
Erasmus+  project,  experience  exchange  in  the  field  of  youth  and  culinary 
habits.  The  EGTC  did  not  receive  funds  but  the  participants’  travel, 
accommodations and meals were reimbursed from the project. 
1 Director 

Challenges or issues 

Budget 
EU-funded projects 
and programmes in 
phase of imple-
mentation in 2016 
Staff (in FTE) 

54 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4.1.28 BODROGKÖZI Korlátolt Felelősségű Európai Területi 

Együttműködési Közhasznú Csoportosulás* 

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 

Countries involved 
Tasks 

Challenges or issues 

Budget 

Staff (in FTE) 

BODROGKÖZI Korlátolt Felelősségű Európai Területi 
Együttműködési Közhasznú Csoportosulás (BODROGKÖZI EGTC 
Ltd) (the name was changed by adding 'Közhasznú') 
Hungary and Slovakia 
The  EGTC  represents  an  added  value  to  the  European  Union's  cohesion 
policy  objectives  as  it  defines  development  targets  and  objectives  in  the 
region.  In  this  context,  it  provides  knowledge  on  local  specificities  and 
trends including, for example, employment development. 

In  relation  to  ETC,  the  EGTC  has  drawn  up  a  development  plan  for  the 
target area. The plan deals with several economic sectors and includes the 
regional  growth  objectives  through  fostering  economic  development  and 
social cohesion. However, the plan is not yet implemented but it is seen as 
providing an added value to the broader region (macro-regional strategy). 

During  the  current  programming  period,  the  EGTC’s  main  task  is  to 
provide  as  much  funding  as  possible  to  its  members'  development  ideas. 
There  are  no  obstacles  for  the  EGTC  to  access  and  to  implement  ETC 
projects and programmes. 
In the development plan, the EGTC draws up a new institutional network. 
The implementation of this modern, yet dynamic structure would represent 
a challenge.  
HUF 3 million (approximately € 9,630). 
Not  relevant  as  the  statutes  of  the  EGTC  specify  that  the  relevant 
administrative tasks are carried out by a contracted non-profit organisation. 
This includes the preparation and the implementation of decisions. During 
2016,  the  mandated  body  was  the  Public  Youth  Foundation  (Ifjúságért 
Közhasznú Alapítvány). 

*The  EGTC  has  the  same  director  as  EGTC  ABAÚJ  -  ABAÚJBAN  EGTC, 
which explains the similar information in the field ‘Tasks’. 

55 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4.1.29 Novohrad-Nógrád European Grouping of Territorial 

Cooperation with Limited Liability* 

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 

Countries involved 

Tasks (2015) 

Challenges or issues 
(2015) 
Budget 

Novohrad-Nógrád Korlátolt Felelősségű Európai Területi 
Együttműködési Csoportosulás (Novohrad-Nógrád ETT) - Európske 
zoskupenie územnej spolupráce Novohrad-Nógrád s ručením 
obmedzeným (EZÚS Novohrad-Nógrád) - Novohrad-Nógrád European 
Grouping of Territorial Cooperation with Limited Liability (Novohrad-
Nógrád EGTC) 
Hungary and Slovakia 
The  EGTC’s  target  is  to  promote  cooperation  beyond  borders,  reinforcing 
economic  and  social  cohesion.  This  should  be  achieved  through  decreasing 
that  focus  on  sustainable 
unemployment  with  comprehensive  plans 
development. 

The  EGTC  takes  care  of  short-term  tasks  on  infrastructure  and  business 
development, training, education and research, tourism, and protection of the 
environment. 
The EGTC operates in a very disadvantaged region. It is challenging to make 
the inhabitants aware of the potential of an EGTC. 
No support from the Hungarian national budget for 2016. 

Staff (in FTE) 

There is currently no staff hired. A search for a new director is underway. 

*All efforts to contact the official representatives of this EGTC failed during this 
year.  The  information  in  the  table  was  kindly  provided  by  Dr.  Patricia  Abaffy 
from the Department for Cross-border Development and Cooperation, Ministry 
of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary. Information not provided by her dates 
back to the EGTC Monitoring Report 2015, as indicated in the left column. 

56 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4.1.30 Pannon European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation 

Ltd. 

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 

Countries involved 

Modification of 
membership 

Tasks 

Pannon Korlátolt Felelősségű Európai Területi Társulás (Pannon ETT) - 
Panonsko Europsko Zdruzenje za Teritorialno Sodelovanje z Omejeno 
Odgovornostjo - (Pannon Panonsko ETZ) - Pannon European Grouping 
of Territorial Cooperation Ltd. (Pannon EGTC) 
Hungary, Slovenia and Croatia 
There  is  currently  one  authority  awaiting  approval,  the  Slovenian  local 
community  Moravske  Toplice.  Negotiations  are  ongoing  with 
the 
autonomous  province  of  Vojvodina,  Bosnia  and  Herzegovina,  Medimurje 
County (HR), Koprivnica-Križevci county (HR) and the city of Osijek (HR). 
The main task of the EGTC is to implement EU co-funded programmes and 
projects of territorial cooperation. Currently, further tasks and projects for the 
grouping  are  being  specified  based  on  the  programme  document  for  2014-
2020.  

The EGTC planned a bus service between Pécs and Osijek. The EGTC plans 
incorporate  the  Autonomous  Province  of  Vojvodina,  Bosnia  and 
to 
Herzegovina. 

Challenges or issues  A challenge is to provide an own contribution for the planned projects. 

Budget  

€  30,500  collected  through  a  membership  fee  of  HUF  1  (€  0.0034)  per 
inhabitant and Hungarian subsidies of about € 28,50 0. 

Staff (in FTE) 

1 person with part-time work assignment contract 

57 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4.1.31 EGTC EFXINI POLI - Network of European Cities for 

Sustainable Development 

EGTC EFXINI POLI - Network of European Cities for Sustainable 
Development (EGTC Efxini Poli - SolidarCity Network) 

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 
Countries involved  Greece, Cyprus and Bulgaria 
Modification of 
membership 

The  EGTC  has  started  entering  into  discussion  with  potential  new  members 
from Albania. 
In 2016, the EGTC has been a partner in two EU-funded projects, Europe for 
Citizens  and  ERASMUS+,  both  in  reference  to  the  circular  economy  and 
waste  prevention.  In  both  cases,  the  EGTC  has  been  the  bridge  for 
municipalities to increase knowledge capacity of their staff by having access 
to training and networking workshops organised by the projects on the topics 
of the circular economy and waste prevention. 

Tasks 

Challenges or issues 

Budget 
EU-funded projects 
and programmes in 
phase of imple-
mentation in 2016 

Staff (in FTE) 

The  EGTC  has  started  implementing  territorial  cooperation  projects  in  the 
field of green growth and climate change. In addition, the EGTC is involved 
in  H2020  projects, 
sustainable  urban 
development.  The  EGTC  implements  activities  for  economic  growth,  social 
cohesion and sustainability, which are incorporated in different projects. It is 
not  yet  feasible  to  implement  a  joint  strategy  due  to  the  lack  of  funding  for 
such an action. 

innovation-enabled 

regarding 

During  2016,  the  EGTC  submitted  a  proposal  to  the  ADRION  programme 
with partners from the Adriatic-Ionian macro-region in the field of sustainable 
tourism development. The EGTC EFXINI POLI has easy access to European 
projects  and  programmes  due  to  the  experience  accumulated  throughout  its 
years of existence. However, a big challenge is to have access to funding as an 
intermediate body (Managing Authority), to be able to implement a strategy of 
territorial cooperation and local development in its member areas. In Greece, 
where  the  seat  of  the  EGTC  is  located,  power  is  still  centralised,  which 
inhibits  the  deployment  and  implementation  of  a  unified  strategy  for  the 
EGTC members. 
The  EGTC  EFXINI  POLI  aspires  to  develop  a  Balkan  Mediterranean 
Macroregional  Strategy  and  for  this  reason  intends  to  identify  partners  from 
the Balkan area to join the partnership. 
€ 200,000 

Two EU-funded projects: 
1) CENSE - Europe For Citizens Programme, 
2) LAWPRET - ERASMUS+ Programme. 

5 permanent employees from the previous organisation:  
1 accountant; 2 project managers; 1 administrative staff;  
1 Managing Director 

58 

 
 
 
 
 
 
4.1.32 European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation European 

Urban Knowledge Network Limited 

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 

Countries involved 

Tasks 

Challenges or issues 

Budget 

Staff (in FTE) 

European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation European Urban 
Knowledge Network Limited (EUKN EGTC)  
Cyprus, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Luxembourg, 
the Netherlands. Supported by the EC, EUROCITIES Network, and 
URBACT. 
Through  the  exchange  of  knowledge  on  economic,  social  and  urban  issues 
between different European countries, the EUKN aims to integrate different 
regions,  promote  inter-territorial  cooperation  and  exchanges  to  minimise 
disparities. The EGTC provides knowledge support to the Urban Agenda for 
the EU and is part of the technical secretariat for the Urban Agenda for the 
EU, funded by DG REGIO. 

The EGTC cooperates closely with ETC programmes, mainly URBACT and 
ESPON,  on  events  and  projects.  In  2016,  the  EUKN  EGTC  and  URBACT 
have organised a seminar to support the Urban Poverty Partnership, which is 
part of the Urban agenda for the EU. 

The  grouping  contributed  indirectly  to  the  objectives  of  the  Europe  2020 
Strategy  by  providing  information  on  topics  that  are  important  for  the 
Strategy. 
It  took  a  long  period  (two  years)  to  constitute  the  EGTC  as  a  legal  entity. 
National institutional frameworks were not ready for EGTCs. The  grouping 
also  encountered  problems  regarding  the  fact  that  initially,  the  EGTC  was 
subjected to the normal national VAT system. 
€ 500,000, based on two forms of funding: membershi p fees proportional to 
the size of the country population to cover all member activities, and funding 
for  additional  activities,  e.g.  strategic  research  activities  (for  both  members 
and non-members).  

The  staff  is  either  employed  in  the  Dutch  national  urban  research  institute 
Platform that hosts the EUKN or hired as freelancers. The EUKN is currently 
exploring employment of own staff (4 FTE in 2016). 

59 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4.1.33 GECT "Euregio Senza Confini r.l." 

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 

GECT "Euregio Senza Confini r.l. – Euregio Ohne Grenzen 
mbH" (Euregio "Senza Confini") 

Countries involved 

Italy and Austria 

The EGTC Euregio Senza Confini was founded in order to encourage, 
facilitate  and  promote  cross-border,  transnational  and  interregional 
cooperation  between  its  members  for  the  strengthening  of  economic 
and  social  cohesion.  The  objectives  of  the  EGTC  focus  on  specific 
areas  of  intervention:  1)  energy,  environmental  resources  and  waste 
management;  2)  transport,  infrastructure  and  logistics;  3)  culture, 
sports,  education  and  high  level  training;  4)  social-health;  5)  civil 
protection;  6)  science,  research,  innovation  and  technology;  7) 
agriculture;  8)  tourism;  9)  productive  activities;  10)  communication 
infrastructure; 11) work, vocational training and trade. 

Tasks 

The  use  of  EGTCs  to  deliver  other  EU  policies,  not  only  ETC 
programmes,  should  also  be  encouraged.  Whether  in  the  fields  of 
transport, environmental improvement, health, research collaboration, 
education and culture or others, an EGTC may add to the value of EU 
policies  by  offering  a  more  structured  and  adaptable  mean  of 
implementation.  Particular 
transport 
infrastructure  and  logistic,  social-health,  tourism,  civil  protection, 
work, vocational training and trade, research and innovation.  

fields  of 

interest 

are 

The  EGTC  Euregio  Senza  Confini  is  an  observer  partner  in  some 
CBC  Programmes.  The  EGTC  also  participates  as  observer  to  the 
Steering  Committee  of  the  Italy-Austria  CBC  Programme.  In  the 
framework  of  the  Alpine  Convention,  for  2017-2018,  the  grouping 
will  have  the  presidency  of  the  transnational  Working  Groups 
"Mountain Forests" and "Sustainable Tourism".  

In  the  future,  the  EGTC  will  act  as  a  beneficiary  partner  in  cross-
border and transnational ETC programmes. 

Budget 

 € 405,000 through endowment fund and membership fe es. 

EU-funded projects 
and programmes in 
phase of imple-
mentation in 2016 

Staff (in FTE) 

In 2016 EGTC Euregio Senza Confini participated as observer to the 
following projects in the framework of the CBC Italy-Austria 
Programme: 
1) BIO-CRIME / BIO-WELFARE - budget of the project (ERDF 
approved): € 949,705; 
2) HEALTHNET - budget of the project (ERDF approved): € 
944,950.95. 
The  EGTC  does  not  yet  employ  its  own  staff  but  works  with  three 
employees from the three members, plus one Director. 

60 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4.1.34 European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation TRITIA 

limited 

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 

Countries involved 
Changes in 
convention/statutes 

Tasks 

Challenges or issues 

Budget 
Staff (in FTE) 

Europejskie Ugrupowanie Współpracy Terytorialnej TRITIA z 
ograniczoną odpowiedzialnością (EUWT TRITIA z o.o.) - Evropské 
seskupení pro územní spolupráci TRITIA s omezenou odpovědností 
(ESÚS TRITIA s o.o.) - Európske zoskupenie územnej spolupráce 
TRITIA s ručením obmedzeným – (EZÚS TRITIA s.r.o.) - European 
Grouping of Territorial Cooperation TRITIA limited 
Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland 
The EGTC added to the statutes the possibility for decision "per rollam" (by 
letter) by the EGTC’s organs. 
The EGTC conducts projects to implement cohesion policy. The EGTC plans 
to  implement  projects  from  Interreg  VA,  Interreg  Europe,  Interreg  Central 
Europe and Europe for Citizens in the remaining funding period. An example 
is a motel of freight transport within the territory TRITIA EGTC. 

The  EGTC  has  developed  joint  strategies  through  providing  analysis  and 
strategies  of  systematic  cooperation  among  the  EGTC  TRITIA  regions  for 
2014-2020. 
The  new  type  of  legal  entity  raises  many  questions.  The  future  role  of 
EGTCs in cohesion policy, etc. is not clarified yet. 
€ 88,000 made up of annual contributions from the m embers. 
4 positions: director, financial manager, 2 project managers. 

61 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4.1.35 Sajó - Rima / Slaná - Rimava European Grouping of 
Territorial Cooperation with Limited Liability 

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 

Countries involved 
Changes in 
convention/statutes 

Tasks 

Sajó - Rima Korlátolt Felelősségű Európai Területi Együttműködési 
Csoportosulás (Sajó-Rima ETT) - Európske zoskupenie üzemnej 
spolupráce Slána - Rimava s ručením obmedzeným (EZÚS Slaná-
Rimava) - Sajó - Rima / Slaná - Rimava European Grouping of 
Territorial Cooperation with Limited Liability (Sajó-Rima / Slaná-
Rimava EGTC) 
Hungary and Slovakia 
The  convention  of  the  EGTC  was  changed  in  2015.  The  positions  of 
chairman and director were joined. 
The relationship became stronger among the towns of the EGTC through the 
submission of an Interreg application. Before the application, there were joint 
consultations  where  the  EGTC  mapped  out  the  necessary  conditions  to 
strengthen  the  four  towns'  cooperation  and  their  cooperation  with  the  other 
towns  in  the  region  in  the  areas  of  employment,  economy,  culture, 
gastronomy and sport. 
The  grouping  submitted  an  Interreg  application  that  includes  cultural 
cooperation and the strengthening of cooperation between local governments 
and schools, cooperation of schools – meeting of partner towns' schools and 
heritage guarding groups in schools. Furthermore, in the future, there will be 
cooperation between leisure time centres, artisanal and craftsmanship shows 
and  organisations  of  other  traditional  programmes.  The  EGTC  also  fosters 
the cooperation of local governments of the four towns that take part in the 
EGTC.  It  now  plays  a  major  role  in  its  member  towns  –  Putnok  Járási 
Település, Ózd Járási Település, Tornalja and Rimaszombat Járási Település. 
In  the  strategy  of  the  EGTC,  economic  growth,  social  cohesion  and 
sustainability  are  important.  The  EGTC  intends  to  foster  development 
through public road development as a factor of the areas' cohesion with the 
existing  relationships.  Furthermore,  potential  of  renewable  energy  on  both 
sides  of  the  border,  mutual  intentions  of  catching  up,  mutual  brownfield 
opportunities,  good  practices  in  the  area  of  venture  development  and 
partnership building and artisanal and craftsmanship shows provide an asset. 
In  the  field  of  social  cohesion, there  is  the  opportunity  of  harmonisation of 
social,  health-related  and  educational  capacities  and  to  exchange  best 
practices  of  social  use  of  local  governments'  wealth  (public  works),  and 
opportunities  for  increasing  local  employment.  The  presence  of  cities  that 
can be regarded as employment centres is an asset. 

Challenges or issues 

The EGTC has a need for further development in order to reach its goals. 

Budget 

The  budget  of  the  Sajó-Rima  EGTC  is  HUF  3,330,000  (approximately  € 
14,670)  in  the  operational  application.  The  membership  fee  is  €  1,000  per 
year per town. 

Staff (in FTE) 

A  part-time  director  and  a  part-time  administrator  (the  director  resigned  in 
the second half of 2016). 

62 

 
 
 
 
 
4.1.36 European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation Via 

Carpatia Limited 

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 

Countries involved 

Tasks 

Challenges or issues 

Budget 

EU-funded projects 
and programmes in 
phase of imple-
mentation in 2016 

Staff (in FTE) 

European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation Via Carpatia Limited - 
Európske zoskupenie územnej spolupráce Via Carpatia s ručením 
obmedzeným - Via Carpatia Korlátolt Felelősségű Európai Területi 
Együttműködési - Csoportosulás 
Slovakia and Hungary 
The  EGTC  was  established 
to  facilitate  and  support  cross-border, 
transnational and  regional cooperation. Its goal is to enhance  economic and 
social  coherence,  especially  by  realising  cross-border  cooperation  projects 
and programmes. The main objective of these projects is to improve the level 
of  cross-border 
the 
inter-institutional  cooperation  and 
development of tourism. 

to  enhance 

During  2016,  the  EGTC  submitted  six  projects  within  the  first  call  for 
proposals of the Interreg VA SK-HU cooperation programme. In three cases 
the EGTC was in the role of project applicant and in three cases as the drafter 
of the proposal. For the remaining funding period, the Via Carpatia EGTC is 
planning  to  submit  a  project  within  the  Interreg  VA  SK-HU  cooperation 
programme  with  the  aim  to  support  local  products  and  the  local  economy. 
The  EGTC  gained  a  primary  role  in  the  SPF  of  the  Interreg  VA  SK-HU 
cooperation  programme.  It  is  a  tool  within  the  cooperation  programme  for 
organisations to implement projects with small total budgets.  

Among the objectives of the EGTC are the implementation of projects for the 
development  of  strategies  and  initiatives  leading  to  the  acquisition  of  the 
management of the EU-funded cross-border cooperation programme for the 
realisation of joint projects and development strategies. 
To be successful in the mentioned areas is the main challenge. In the future, 
the  EGTC  plans  to  strengthen  cooperation  with  municipalities,  educational 
institutions, regions, etc., to achieve the objectives more effectively. 
€ 40,000 through membership contributions. 
During 2016 the EGTC worked on the submission of 2 projects within other 
EU-funded programmes (outside ETC). Unfortunately, none of these projects 
were successful. 
1) "Be active! Be creative! Be cooperative! - 3B" (575836-CITIZ-1-2016-
1-SK-CITIZ-TT)  -  within  the  Europe  for  Citizens  Programme,  the  main 
objective  of  this  project  was  to  strengthen  the  cooperation  between  the 
municipalities,  towns  and  different  types  of  institutions  in  the  Košice  Self-
governing Region and in the Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County, 
2)  "Find  out  how  to  be  more  local  positive  –  Local  +"  -  within  the 
Visegrad Grant Programme. The main aim of the project was to support local 
products. 
1  director  and  1  director’s  assistant  (both  Slovak  nationality),  2  project 
managers and 1 project manager assistant. 

63 

 
 
 
 
 
 
4.1.37 Parc européen / Parco europeo Alpi Marittime – 

Mercantour  

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 
Countries involved 

Tasks 

Challenges or issues 

Budget 

Staff (in FTE) 

Parc européen / Parco europeo Alpi Marittime - Mercantour 

France and Italy 
The objective of the EGTC is the  facilitation and promotion of cooperation 
among its members in the protection, promotion, awareness and management 
of the natural, cultural and landscape heritage. Through its actions, the EGTC 
promotes  coordination  of  cohesion  policies  in  the  Southern  Alps  region.  In 
the  cross-border  cooperation  programme  ALCOTRA, 
is 
considered as a project partner and has no role in structuring and monitoring 
projects. 

the  EGTC 

In  the  remaining  programming  period,  the  grouping  will  participate  in  the 
elaboration  of  a  territorial  scope  project  (PITER)  in  the  ALCOTRA 
cooperation programme. 

Regarding the development of joint strategies, the EGTCs’  main purpose is 
to intervene in the field of joint sustainable management of natural areas of 
exceptional  character.  It  will  also  contribute  to  the  Alpine  macro-regional 
strategy as part of the PITER application.  
There  have  been  issues  since  the  EGTC  foundation  three  years  ago.  It  is 
currently  in  its  full  development  phase.  Another  issue  arises  from  the  fact 
that the EGTC is regarded as having to apply the law of the state where it has 
its headquarters (impact on controls and the rate of financing, for example). 
Approximately € 170,000. 
The EGTC has no direct employees, in the sense that no remuneration is paid 
by the EGTC. For its management, the EGTC created two jobs (director and 
deputy director), occupied free of charge by the directors of its two founding 
members. In administrative support and project setup / follow-up, the EGTC 
relies on 2 indirect FTEs, from its two founding members. 

64 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4.1.38 Gruppo Europeo di Cooperazione Territoriale (G.E.C.T) 

Parco Marino Internazionale delle Bocche di Bonifacio 
(P.M.I.B.B) 

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 

Countries involved 

Tasks 

Budget 

Staff (in FTE) 

Impact of changes of 
EGTC regulation on 
EGTC 

Gruppo Europeo di Cooperazione Territoriale (G.E.C.T) Parco Marino 
Internazionale delle Bocche di Bonifacio (P.M.I.B.B) - Groupement 
Européen de Coopération Territoriale (G.E.C.T) Parc Marin 
International des Bouches de Bonifacio (P.M.I.B.B.) 
Italy and France 
The  EGTC  constitutes  the  formal  framework  of  the  International  Marine 
Park  of  Bonifacio  Strait.  The  EGTC  promotes  protection,  management  and 
joint promotion of natural and cultural resources of Bonifacio Strait in order 
to implement a joint policy regarding sustainable development.  

The Assembly of the EGTC has not been established yet. This means that the 
EGTC  currently  has  no  director,  president  or  budget.  In  2011,  the 
Environment  Office  of  Corsica  (OEC)  created  the  "preparatory  mission  of 
the  EGTC-PMIBB",  a  team  of  two  individuals  (with  permanent  contracts) 
that is still functioning. This enables the Environment Office of Corsica and 
the  National  Park  of  La  Maddalena  Archipelago  to  work  together 
(participation in European programmes, studies, etc.) even if the EGTC does 
not function properly.  
The EGTC Assembly has not been established yet, so there is no budget for 
2016 so far. 
As  explained  above,  the  operational  structure  does  not  function  yet,  but  in 
2011,  the  OEC  created  the  "preparatory  mission  of  the  EGTC-PMIBB",  a 
team of two individuals that was  still functioning in 2016 and worked  on a 
daily basis with the PNALM team for the EGTC (participation in European 
programmes, studies, etc.).  
Not for the moment but in the future,  it will have to  be stated under which 
legislation EGTC staff will be hired, as the level of annual wages in Italy and 
France differs considerably. 

65 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4.1.39 GECT "Secrétariat du Sommet de la Grande Région"  

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 
Countries involved 

Tasks 

GECT "Secrétariat du Sommet de la Grande Région" - EVTZ 
"Gipfelsekretariat der Großregion" 
Germany, Belgium, France and Luxembourg 
The  EGTC  is  the  administrative  support  organ  of  the  institutional 
cooperation between its members. It follows and supports the activities of the 
summit  and  the  working  groups.  The  grouping  ensures  the  continuity 
between  each political  presidency  and is in charge of communication about 
the activities of the summit. 

This  EGTC  does  not  have  the  mission  to  lead  or  participate  in  European 
funding programmes. It has no operational budget. 

Regarding  the  development  of  joint  strategies,  the  working  groups  and 
working communities respond to a political mandate developed for a period 
of  two  years  in  the  political  "common  declaration".  On  this  basis,  the 
working groups develop their work programme, which pursues the exchange 
of best practices and if possible the definition of common strategies. 

The objectives of the Strategy Europe 2020 are part of the political strategy 
of cooperation.  

Budget 

 € 600,000  

Staff (in FTE) 

Staff  is  composed  of  a  manager,  a  project  officer,  an  interpreter/translator 
and  a  secretary.  The  EGTC  has  a  rotative  directorate,  which  follows  the 
political presidency of the Greater Region. 

66 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4.1.40 EGTC TATRY Ltd.  

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 

Countries involved 

Tasks 

institutional 

EUWT TATRY z ograniczoną odpowiedzialnością (EUWT TATRY z 
o.o.) - EZÚS TATRY s ručením obmedzeným (EZÚS TATRY s r.o.) – 
EGTC TATRY Ltd. 
Poland and Slovakia 
The EGTC allows cross-border partnerships to be implemented  on a higher 
the  natural 
formal,  organisational  and 
continuation  of  the  experiences  and  common  actions  of  Poles  and  Slovaks 
around the Tatra Mountains borderlands, which initially were the beginning 
of  Euroregion  TATRY.  The  creation  of  the  EGTC  TATRY  has  led  to  a 
significant  innovation  in  the  way  that  territorial  cooperation  is  carried  out. 
The EGTC can act as sole beneficiary of ETC projects, as it has already done 
in  a  micro-project.  As  the  sole  beneficiary,  the  EGTC  can  facilitate  the 
preparation  and  implementation  of  projects  and  simplify  the  coordination, 
management  and  accounting  of  common  cross-border  projects  for  the  local 
governments  from  Polish-Slovak  border.  Actual  performance  will  become 
evident in practice over the coming two to three years. 

level,  and 

is 

it 

The  EGTC  is  a  tool  for  the  use  of  local  authorities  of  the  Polish-Slovak 
borderland for the more effective and efficient implementation of projects in 
the Interreg VA PL-SK 2014-2020 programme. The local governments from 
Poland and Slovakia gained the opportunity to absorb EU funds to a greater 
extent  than  in  the  past.  It  is  an  effective  instrument  that  allows  them  to 
overcome the barriers and difficulties encountered by common Polish-Slovak 
projects  due  to,  inter  alia,  different  legal,  formal  or  administrative  systems 
and uneven access to EU funds in Poland and Slovakia. The EGTC offers the 
opportunities  to  create  sound  relations  and  cooperation  between  Polish  and 
Slovak  authorities  of  Małopolska,  Prešov  and  Žilina  Region  and  the 
cooperation  of  governance  structure  from  national  governments  of  both 
countries based on the principles of partnership and subsidiarity. 

For the remaining funding period, the EGTC plans to 1) use the opportunities 
provided by the Interreg VA Poland-Slovakia 2014-2020 Programme: as the 
sole beneficiary and as the partner in the projects and micro-projects, and by 
supporting  the  local  governments  in  the  preparation  and  implementation  of 
cross-border  projects,  2)  implement  the  flagship  project  "Cycling  route 
around  the  Tatra  Mountains  –  stage  II",  3)  carry  out  the  priorities  of  the 
Strategy  of  EGTC  TATRY,  4)  prepare,  carry  out  and  coordinate  the 
cooperation  projects  in  partnerships  with  other  EGTCs,  5)  increase  the 
participation  in  other  ETC  programmes  and  6)  prepare  for  the  new 
programming  period 
to  gain  the  possibility  of  participating  in  the 
management of a cooperation programme, or part thereof. 

The EGTC addresses the priorities and targets established in the Europe 2020 
strategy  in  the  projects  that  have  been  prepared  and  implemented.  The 
development  of  cycling  tourism  around  the  Tatra  Mountains  will  increase 
efficiency  in  the  use  of  resources  and  the  attractiveness  of  the  natural  and 

67 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
cultural  heritage  in  the  Polish-Slovak  border  region.  Local  communities 
obtain  an  attractive  tourist product  and  have  the  possibility  to  develop  new 
services  related  to  leisure  time  activities.  It  will  stimulate  the  local 
communities  to  take  up  and  pursue  economic  activities  linked  to  cycling 
tourism. This will be positive for the economic and social development of the 
Polish-Slovak  border  region.  This  flagship  project  also  promotes  greener 
modes  of  travel  by  bike.  The  implementation  of  the  micro-project  "Cross-
border specialist and vocational training in EGTC TATRY" will improve job 
opportunities in the area of intervention of EGTC TATRY. The professional 
skills  of  participants  in  the  cross-border  training  and  courses  will  increase, 
including the use of modern IT tools on the job. 

In  its  daily  operations,  the  EGTC  works  towards  the  aims  outlined  in  the 
EGTC  TATRY  STRATEGY  FOR  THE  YEARS  2014-2020  by 
implementing projects in the four strategic areas: 1) joint cultural and natural 
heritage,  2)  cross  border  education,  3)  cross  border  partnerships  and  4) 
freedom of movement and accessibility in the area around the Tatras. 

The  EGTC  has  noticed  that  the  experts  evaluating  and  scoring  proposals 
often do not understand that an individual EGTC complies with the 4 criteria 
in  cross-border  partnerships  such  as:  joint  preparation  of  the  project,  joint 
realisation, joint financing, joint staff, and should therefore obtain the highest 
assessment in the quality of cross-border partnerships.  
There is still too little applicable Polish experience and best practices in the 
functioning of EGTCs. There is no agreement on the management of the SPF 
in  the  Polish-Slovak  Interreg  VA  Programme  for  the  years  2014-2020 
because  of  the  opposition  of  the  Slovak  part  of  the  Programming  Group, 
particularly of the border regions of Prešov and Žilina. Due to that decision, 
the  EGTC  may  not  participate  in  the  implementation  programme  part  (in 
particular  Polish-Slovak  cross-border  micro-projects),  which  hampers  the 
achievement of the EGTC’s full potential. 

€ 50,000 
1) EGTC TATRY is the lead partner of the flagship project in the Interreg V-
A  Poland-Slovakia  2014-2020  Programme  in  the  partnership  with  9  Polish 
and Slovak local governments (project entitled "Cycling route around the 
Tatra  Mountains  –  stage  II")  budget  of  the  project €  5,892,204.48  -  total 
budget implemented by EGTC  TATRY - € 208,074.75 EUR  - co-financing 
value from ERDF € 4,885,762.93 
2) ECTC TATRY is the sole beneficiary of the micro-project in the area of 
education  entitled  "Cross-border  specialist  and  vocational  training  in 
EGTC TATRY" 
Additionally, the director of EGTC TATRY is a member of the Monitoring 
Committee  of  Interreg  VA  PL-SK  2014-2020  and  the  sole  beneficiary 
preparing  cross-border  projects  and  micro-projects  in  the  same  Interreg 
cooperation  programme.  The  EGTC  also  supports  local  governments  in  the 
preparation and implementation of cross-border projects. 
2.25 FTE = 3 persons: director and 2 project managers 

Challenges or issues 

Budget 

EU-funded projects 
and programmes in 
phase of imple-
mentation in 2016 

Staff (in FTE) 

68 

 
 
 
 
 
 
4.1.41 European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation Spoločný 

región limited  

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 

Countries involved 

Tasks 

Challenges or issues 

Budget 

Staff (in FTE) 

Európske zoskupenie územnej spolupráce Spoločný región s ručením 
obmedzeným - Evropské seskupení pro územní spolupráci Společný 
region s omezenou odpovědností - European Grouping of Territorial 
Cooperation Spoločný región limited 
Slovakia and Czech Republic 
The added value of the EGTC in the implementation of Cohesion Policy is 
the  deepening  of  institutional  cooperation  in  the  territory  of  the  Slovak 
Republic and the Czech Republic. During 2016, the EGTC was not involved 
in  the preparation and is not directly involved in the  implementation of the 
cross-border  cooperation  programme  Slovak  Republic  –  Czech  Republic 
2014-2020 either in the Slovak Republic, where its scope and the seat is, or 
in  the  Czech  Republic,  for  the  managing  authority  did  not  allow  it  to 
participate.  In  2016,  it  became  involved  in  the  call  of  the  Ministry  of 
Transport Construction and Regional Development of the Slovak Republic to 
support  the  creation  of  policy  documents  and  it  is  currently  developing  the 
concept  for  thematic  routes  for  the  territory  of  the  Slovak  part.  The  Czech 
part of the territory was not entitled. 

The managing authority did not consider the EGTC as a partner. This has not 
changed  since  the  establishment  of  the  EGTC  in  2012.  During  2016,  the 
EGTC  has,  however,  been  entitled  as  an  applicant  in  the  cross-border 
cooperation programme for the  programming period 2014-2020,  which was 
not the case in the previous period. 

Additionally,  EGTC  Spoločný  región  has  drafted  basic  common  strategic 
documents and gradually updates and expands them.  
Access to ETC funds was  expected to be easier  through the EGTC but one 
project  in  the  field  of  tourism  has  already  been  rejected  for  reasons  of 
legitimacy – thus the EGTC is facing the challenge of becoming a legitimate 
and  accepted  player  in  the  future  programme.  Later,  the  EGTC  became 
eligible  as  applicant,  but  it  has  not  been  involved  in  the  preparation  of 
programming  documents  either  in  the  Slovak  Republic  or  in  the  Czech 
involved 
Republic.  Thus 
the 
the  grouping  cannot  be  directly 
implementation  of  cross-border  programmes,  since 
the  management 
authorities do not consider the EGTC as a partner. 
In  2016  the  EGTC  received  support  for  the  project  Concept  for  Thematic 
Routes  from 
the  Ministry  of  Transport  Construction  and  Regional 
Development  of  the  Slovak  Republic  in  the  amount  of  €  14,200.  Other 
membership fees have not been levied. 
The director plus one person working as administrative support. 

in 

69 

 
 
 
 
 
 
4.1.42 Torysa European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation 

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 

Countries involved 
Modification of 
membership 

Tasks 

Challenges or issues 
Budget 

Torysa Korlátolt Felelősségű Európai Területi Együttműködési 
Csoportosulás (Torysa ETT) - Európskeho zoskupenia územnej 
spolupráce Torysa (Torysa EZÚS) - Torysa European Grouping of 
Territorial Cooperation (Torysa EGTC)  
Hungary and Slovak Republic 
The administration for enlargement is in process. At last one Hungarian town 
called Monostorpályi will join the grouping. 
The EGTC works on the implementation of a technology called TCG, which 
is unique in the EU. It is a waste recycling technology. 

So far, the EGTC has not implemented any ETC projects, as there were only 
engineering  works  in  progress  during  2016.  In  the  remaining  period,  the 
EGTC plans to implement projects in the field of energy and climate change, 
with  topics  regarding  technology  used  to  produce  synthetic  gas  from  waste 
with  zero  emissions.  The  power  plant  would  process  500  tons  of  waste  per 
day.  The  EGTC  will  help  the  countries  where  we  implement  these  power 
plants  in  economic  growth  and  with  handling  waste  problems.  Regarding 
technical  accomplishment,  the  EGTC  works  together  with  the  Hungarian 
firms MOL and NHKV. 
The EGTC has financial problems, which slow down the work. 

About € 3,333. 

Staff (in FTE) 

Director and 20-25 freelance social workers 

Impact of changes of 
EGTC regulation on 
EGTC 

The EGTC thinks that the revised EGTC regulation has no critical impact for 
the EGTC. 

70 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4.1.43 Svinka European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation 

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 

Countries involved 

Tasks (2015) 

Svinka Korlátolt Felelősségű Európai Területi Együttműködési 
Csoportosulás (Svinka ETT) - Europskeho Zoskupenia Uzemnej 
Spoluprace Svinka (Svinka EZÚS) - Svinka European Grouping of 
Territorial Cooperation (Svinka EGTC) 
Hungary and the Slovak Republic 
The  task  of  the  EGTC  is  to  develop  the  members'  territory  with  ecological 
and  sustainable  projects.  However,  the  EGTC  mentioned  that  it  should  not 
yet get involved in ETC. 

Implementation of ERDF and ESF projects: 
1) cooperation and know-how transfer between stakeholders in the fields of 
economy and environment; 
2) support of infrastructure; 
3) enhancement of the cooperation between research institutes; 
4) environmental protection; 
5)  development  and  implementation  of  projects  with  a  focus  on  the 
prevention of natural and technological risks. 

Challenges or issues 

The EGTC has to realise the first feasible competitive proposals. 

Budget 
Staff (in FTE) 
Impact of changes of 
EGTC regulation on 
EGTC 

€ 1,800. 
Director and 20-25 freelance social workers 

The EGTC thinks that the revised EGTC regulation has no critical impact for 
the EGTC. 

71 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4.1.44 GECT Alzette Belval  

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 
Countries involved 

Tasks 

Challenges or issues 

Budget 

EU-funded projects 
and programmes in 
phase of imple-
mentation in 2016 

Staff (in FTE) 

GECT Alzette Belval 

France and Luxembourg 
The EGTC was created to assure a common and complementary development, 
to develop a real cross-border urban agglomeration, to improve the quality of 
life of its inhabitants and to support the development and the implementation 
of  cross-border  projects,  by  supporting  a  common  and  complementary 
development on both sides of the border. The EGTC also invests in education 
with cross-border projects for FR/LU schools and youth. It is also acting for 
the development of urban and soft mobility. 
Since July 2016, the EGTC has been leading an Interreg VA Greater Region 
project  called  "Alzette  Belval,  vivons  ensemble!"  (Alzette  Belval  living 
together!), to develop the "feeling of belonging" of the same cross-border city. 
It  helps  the  actors  in  the  area  (administrations,  associations,  schools  /  high 
schools, inhabitants, etc.) to realise and succeed in their cross-border projects, 
in any field: sport, tourism, culture, agriculture, education, etc.  
The EGTC also created a territorial development strategy for the period 2014-
2016  called  "Alzette  Belval,  working  together  to  make  the  cross-border 
agglomeration" and is currently working on the second period (2017-2020). It 
has a bottom-up approach, made with and for the local actors in the working 
fields of the EGTC. 
With regard to the joint management of public services, the EGTC works with 
the managers of public services (mobility especially) to contribute to common 
development.  For  example,  the  EGTC  tries  to  find  an  agreement  for  the 
coordination of the bus timetables and to coordinate the joint development of 
bike  paths  on  both  sides  of  the  border.  In  the  remaining  period,  the  EGTC 
plans to implement the current Interreg project  and other projects, especially 
in  the  field  of  mobility.  The  EGTC  also  supports  local  actors  who  want  to 
develop Interreg projects. 
The EGTC is still young. There is much to do to achieve its initial objectives. 
The  main  obstacles  are  rooted  in  the  differences  between  FR/LU  laws.  For 
example, in the field of athletics competitions: in France, it is compulsory for 
the runners who are not members of an official French athletic (with a French 
athletics license) club to give a medical certificate to the organisations. Even 
though the French Athletics Federation (FFA) and the Luxembourg Athletics 
Federation  are  both  members  of  the  International  Association  of  Athletics 
Federation,  the  FFA  does  not  recognise  official  athletics  licenses  other  than 
French  ones.  This  is  an  example  of  obstacles  in  implementing  ETC  projects 
and programmes. 
€ 212,842.13 (€ 128,000 from the membership fees fo
transfer from 2015). 
1)  Interreg  project  "Alzette  Belval  vivons  ensemble!"  Total  budget:  € 
192,056.45 € - EGTC funding: € 76,822.58 - EU co-fu nding: € 115,233.87 
2) the EGTC is also "opérateur méthodologique" (methodological operator) of 
an Interreg project about the quality of water of the local river. Name of the 
project: "Alzette, objectif qualité". No budget indicated. 
No staff was indicated. 

r 2016 and € 84,842.13 

72 

 
 
 
 
4.1.45 Agrupación Europea de Cooperación Territorial Ciudades 

de la Cerámica, AECT limitada  

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 
Countries involved 

Modification of 
membership 

Changes in 
convention/statutes 

Tasks 

Agrupación Europea de Cooperación Territorial Ciudades de la 
Cerámica, AECT limitada (AEuCC, AECT limitada)  
Spain, Italy, France and Romania (observer cities from Austria and Poland)  
In some other countries, the EGTC has discussions in progress for the creation 
of further AEuCC (Austria, Switzerland, Hungary, Latvia, Slovenia). 
There  are  also  plans  to  incorporate  associations  of  Cities  of  Ceramics  (to  be 
created) in USA, Russia, Korea and China. 
However,  no  changes  of  the  statutes/convention  are  currently  in  preparation 
with (a) substantial changes (regarding new members, new city seat), (b) some 
formal changes (referring to the amended EGTC Regulation) (c) some smaller 
formal internal changes (d) some technical changes still depending on the new 
members  (number  of  representatives  in  the  assembly,  number  of  vice 
presidents, etc.) 
The EGTC is  a rare example  of an institutionalised interregional cooperation 
(rather  than  cross-border  or  transnational).  It is  deeply  involved  in  a  specific 
sector  (artistic  and  craft  ceramics  in  which  it  is  highly  specialised  and  has 
network relations. Its characteristics permit a strong achievement of cohesion 
results  (mainly  in  jobs  and  growth)  and  to  reach  out  to  a  large  number  of 
stakeholders. The EGTC is seen  as  a good example of how EGTCs could be 
developed and be effective for a wider area (interregional – EU level) in a very 
specialised sector.  

Given the interregional approach of the EGTC, it could play an important role 
in  ETC:  The  EGTC  could  enlarge  theoretically  to  27  or  more  members.  At 
present,  the  interregional  characteristics  of  EGTC  are  not  recognised  or 
supported  with  concrete  opportunities.  An  Interreg  Europe  project  (the  only 
possible Interreg programme for our geographic characteristics) was presented 
but rejected (because EGTCs are not recognised as a "development tool" and 
the EGTC did not manage any "policy"). 

The  EGTC  is  already  preparing  projects  to  be  presented  to  EU  programmes 
(mainly  Interreg  Europe,  MED,  Central  Europe,  Italy-Croatia,  IT-FR-
Maritime,  also  to  Erasmus+,  Creative  Europe,  Citizen  and  COSME).  Every 
project (as well the ones not related to ETC) contains many benefits related to 
EU cohesion policy. 

The  Europe  2020  Strategy  (together  with  Cohesion  Policy  and  ETC)  is 
embedded in the EGTC’s statutes, even if no approved project has yet enabled 
their  concrete  implementation.  The  openness  of  the  EGTC  to  new  members 
itself  represents  a  strong  message  to  Europe  in  times  of  crisis  (not  only  in 
economic terms). 

In  terms  of  joint  strategies,  the  EGTC’s  role  is  described  (and  concretely 
realised)  in  art.  5  of  its  statutes  (specific  target  and  functions):  territorial 
cooperation is a specific target of the EGTC, based on the ceramic sector, with 
the  aim  of  enhancing  economic  and  social  development  and  cohesion.  The 

73 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
functions of the AEuCC, linked to the specific target and in relation to art. 7.4 
of  the  EGTC  regulation,  are:  joint  projects  and  actions  of  territorial 
cooperation, promotion and protection of cultural heritage, tourist and cultural 
development  of  its  regions  and  cities,  improvement  of  ceramic  craft, 
promotion  of  vocational  training  and  competitiveness,  organisation  of 
international  events,  even  in  an  area  larger  than  the  EU,  improvement  of 
energy efficiency, pollution reduction, waste disposal, quality of life, analysis, 
research  and  study  on  employment, 
technologies, 
internationalisation, clusters, etc. 

innovation,  new 

New  national  associations  of  cities  of  ceramics  are  widening  the  territorial 
scope.  Overall,  the  EGTC  increases  the  sense  of  belonging  to  a  specific  and 
distinctive European identity founded on shared cultural and historical values 
and on cooperation between cities with an ancient ceramic tradition. 
At  this  moment,  it  only  needs  some  initial  grant  to  enhance  its  structure  at  a 
minimum level. 

Challenges or 
issues 

Budget 

€ 32,000 

EU-funded projects 
and programmes in 
phase of imple-
mentation in 2016 

Staff (in FTE) 

The  EGTC  submitted  some  projects  (Interreg  Europe,  Erasmus+  KA2)  but 
they were rejected. (Currently, the proposals are being amended). 

Direct  =  0,  Indirect  =  1  (50%  of  Italian  coordinator,  30%  of  Spanish 
coordinator, 10% of French and Romanian coordinator). AEuCC could plan to 
manage direct employees in case of success of at least one European project. 
(4 are in preparation). 

74 

 
  
 
 
4.1.46 European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation Eurocity of 

Chaves-Verín 

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 

Countries involved 

Tasks 

Agrupación Europea de Cooperación Territorial Eurocidade Chaves-
Verín (Eurocidade Chaves-Verín, AECT) - Agrupamento Europeu de 
Cooperação Territorial Eurocidade Chaves-Verín (Eurocidade Chaves-
Verín, AECT) - European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation Eurocity 
of Chaves-Verín (Eurocity of Chaves-Verín, EGTC) 
Spain and Portugal 
The added value of the EGTC lies in the implementation of cross-border actions, 
which  would  be  difficult  to  implement  separately,  in  creating  economies  of 
scale,  avoiding  duplication  of  efforts  and  resources  and  in  the  common 
management of European projects. 

In recent years, the EGTC has been carrying out a number of actions and cross-
border cooperation initiatives, within the scope of the operational programme for 
cross-border  cooperation  Spain-Portugal.  Examples  are  a  case  study  of 
cooperation  structure  of  proximity  (near  the  citizen)  or  a  living  laboratory  to 
implement initiatives that would overcome the  still-existing  "barriers" between 
Portugal and Spain and demonstrate that territorial cohesion at the border level is 
possible.  In this  sense, the  EGTC  has developed  several  actions in the  area of 
cross-border  health,  common  conservation  and  management  of  cross-border 
protected  areas,  common  equipment  management,  creation  of  cross-border 
tourist  products,  etc.  On  the  other  hand,  the  EGTC  collaborates  with  other 
European cross-border urban agglomerations and networks to share experience 
and transfer knowledge in solving common problems of a cross-border nature. 

In the remaining programming period the EGTC plans to: 1) develop actions to 
increase  citizen  participation  in  the  decision-making  of  the  EGTC;  2)  develop 
actions for active aging; 3) jointly organise cultural and sport events; 4) increase 
the provision of ICT in common public services; 5) create a cross-border public 
transport  service;  6)  manage  natural  areas  commonly;  7)  conserve  the  natural 
historical  heritage;  8)  consolidate  and  promote  the  cross-border  tourist 
destination  "Chaves-Verín"  and  the  network  of  tourist  information  points;  9) 
promote connectivity and virtual tourism; 10) consolidate the thermalism cluster; 
11) support the modernisation and internationalisation of SMEs in the Eurocity; 
12)  implement  a  cross-border  co-working  entrepreneurship  office  and  support 
the creation of start-ups; 13) create a cross-border online marketing platform for 
agricultural and traditional products; 14) create a cross-border brand of organic 
products  and  organise  fairs  jointly;  15) 
implement  a  cross-border  IP 
telecommunications  network;  16)  implement  a  cross-border  system  for  the 
collection  of  municipal  solid  waste;  17)  create  a  network  of  Atlantic  area 
Eurocities. 

The  EGTC  contributes  to  the  European  2020  Strategy,  especially:  1)  in 
improving the business sector of the tourism and thermal cluster, consolidating 
the  tourist  destination  "Chaves-Verín",  capable  of  competing  globally;  2)  in 
modernising  the  cross-border  labour  market,  through  specialised  training  or  in 

75 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
the  support  of  cross-border  labour  mobility  through  the  Citizens  Information 
Service;  and  3)  by  improving  the  efficiency  of  public  administration,  by  the 
common and innovative management of the municipal equipment’s of the two 
cross-border municipalities. 

The objectives of the EGTC to contribute to the objectives of the Europe 2020 
strategy  are  under  revision,  directing  them  towards  investment  in  growth  and 
jobs:  an  intelligent,  sustainable,  competitive  and  inclusive  Eurocity,  for 
economic growth and job creation in its territory. As strategic axes towards an 
economic  growth,  social  cohesion  and  sustainability,  the  following  common 
joint strategic objectives are defined in the strategic plan of the EGTC: 
1. An Intelligent Eurocity 
1.1.  Support  to  key  sectors  of  the  local  economy  in  research,  development 
and innovation (R & D & I) 
1.2. Investment in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) 
2. A Sustainable Eurocity 
2.1. Promoting sustainable, intelligent and inclusive urban development 
2.2. Conservation of the cultural and natural heritage of the Eurocity 
2.3. Promoting transport and sustainable mobility in the Eurocity 
3. A Competitive Eurocity 
3.1. Improving the competitiveness of SMEs 
3.2. Promoting training and job mobility in the Eurocity 
4. An Inclusive Eurocity 
4.1. Improve access to public services 
4.2. Strengthening the institutional capacity of the Eurocity 

The EGTC jointly manages several public services. Firstly, the EGTC offers 
a euro citizenship card, allowing residents of both cities access with the same 
conditions  and  fees  to  different  municipal  public  facilities  in  the  two  cities 
(libraries, sports and cultural facilities, etc.). At the cultural level, the EGTC 
publishes  a  cultural  agenda  on  a  monthly  basis.  In  terms  of  tourism,  the 
tourism  information  points  of  the  two  municipalities  work  together,  where 
several tourism products are created and promoted jointly. In terms of youth, 
the  Eurocity  has  a  rehearsal  room  and  a  youth  information  office.  The 
Eurocity  also  has  its  own  facilities,  and  as  well  as  providing  the  services 
mentioned  above,  it  has  an  information  service  for  citizens  on  cross-border 
issues (labour mobility, etc.), in addition to providing  this space for events, 
networking, cultural exhibitions, etc. 
Given that the area of influence of the cities of Chaves and Verín extends beyond 
their 
to  involve  supra-municipal 
administrations  in  the  implementation  of  cross-border  territorial  cooperation 
projects,  especially  in  the  area  of  management  of  supra-municipal  equipment, 
infrastructures,  transport,  civil  protection,  rural  development,  nature  areas  and 
tourism.  At  the  same  time,  the  slow  transfer  of  powers  by  the  municipalities 
hinders the proper development of the EGTC. 
There is  also  a lack of human resources  at  the EGTC.  Another obstacle is the 
need for a tax identification number for the other country, rather than only for the 
seat  country.  Also,  there  are  obstacles  in  the  national  competencies  in  solving 
CBC issues and different public administrative levels are in charge of the same 
issue in each Member State. 
€ 175,000 
No staff was indicated. 

is  necessary 

jurisdiction, 

territorial 

it 

76 

Challenges or issues 

Budget 
Staff (in FTE) 

 
 
 
 
 
4.1.47 European Common Future Building European Grouping of 

Territorial Cooperation with Limited Liability 

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 

Európai Közös Jövő Építő Korlátolt Felelősségű Európai Területi 
Együttműködési Csoportosulás (Európai Közös Jövő Építő ETT) - 
Gruparea Europeană de Cooperare Teritorială pentru Construcţia unui 
Viitor European Comuncu Răspundere limitată (GECT Construcţia unui 
Viitor European Comun) - European Common Future Building European 
Grouping of Territorial Cooperation with Limited Liability (European 
Common Future Building EGTC) 

Countries involved  Hungary and Romania 
Modification of 
membership 
Changes in 
convention/statutes 

The  EGTC  has  incorporated  four  new  members  during  2016:  Dorobanti, 
Macea (both RO), Tótkomlós and Battonya (both HU) 
Since  new  members  have  joined  the  grouping,  the  convention/statutes  were 
changed. 
The  general  goal  is  to  enhance  economic  and  social  cohesion  between  the 
EGTC members. Furthermore, common regional development plans have been 
elaborated. The EGTC develops and implements various projects and it puts in 
place  common  infrastructure  to  sustain  those  projects.  Its  activities  include 
common  product  development  cooperation,  common  marketing  activities, 
common touristic development and the improvement of disaster management.  

Tasks (2015) 

Budget 
EU-funded projects 
and programmes in 
phase of imple-
mentation in 2016 

Staff (in FTE) 

The task of the EGTC is to implement relevant projects, to ensure the personal 
and  material  conditions  to  the  operation,  to  validate  the  interest  of  this 
grouping. 
Approximately € 20,000. 

One project, financed by the Hungarian Government (it is not clear whether it 
was co-funded by the European Community). 

The  EGTC  has  2  employees  in  a  part  time  job,  1  director  and  1  financial 
manager. 

77 

 
 
 
 
 
 
4.1.48 Central European Transport Corridor Limited Liability 
European Grouping of Territorial Co-operation  

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 

Countries involved 

Modification of 
membership 

Changes in 
convention/statutes 

Tasks 

Central European Transport Corridor Limited Liability European 
Grouping of Territorial Co-operation (CETC-EGTC Ltd.)  
Sweden,  Poland  and  Hungary  and  Croatia.  Associated  members  with  an 
observer status from Poland. 
The  Croatian  associated  members  (Karlovačka  County,  Varaždin  County, 
Primorje-Gorski  Kotar  County)  changed  their  status  in  the  EGTC  from 
observing members to regular members. 
The  statutes  and  convention  were  amended  on  3  December  2015  in 
connection  with  the  change  of  status  of  the  Croatian  partners.  The  statutes 
will  also  be  amended  in  February  2017  in  connection  with  the  change  of 
status of the Polish partner (Lower Silesian Voivodeship). 
In  2016  the  EGTC  became  involved  (as  an  associated  partner)  in  the 
preparations to implement three transport projects funded as part of European 
Territorial  Cooperation.  Two  of  these  –  TENTacle  and  NSB  CoRe  –  were 
marked as central to the implementation of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea 
Region.  The  TalkNET  project  will  constitute  a  basis  for  developing 
cooperation with stakeholders in the southern part of the corridor. As part of 
the  cooperation  with  other  projects,  including  TENTacle,  NSB  CoRe, 
EMMA, TalkNET and the Baltic Sea – Black Sea, joint recommendations to 
revise the TEN-T network in 2023 will be prepared. The Strategic Centre of 
CETC-EGTC  Ltd.,  launched  in  December  2015  in  the  Zala  County 
(Hungary), began working on a coordinated investment sequence, which is to 
contribute  to  achieving  economic  and  social  cohesion  of  the  transnational 
territory  between  the  Baltic  and  the  Adriatic  Seas.  The  Strategic  Centre 
prepared  a  project  (CEE-GreenTrans)  for  which  the  final  confirmation  of 
funding decisions from the Interreg Central Europe Cooperation Programme 
is  pending.  The  EGTC  will  be  the  leader  of  the  project.  CETC-EGTC  Ltd. 
Director  is  also  a  regional  expert  in  the  Interreg  Baltic  Sea  Region  2014  – 
2020 and Interreg Central Europe 2014-2020 programme.  

In  the  Action  Plan,  adopted  in  2016,  the  partners  of  the  EGTC  plan  to 
prepare a development strategy for the EGTC, with a particular focus on the 
innovation strategy and a joint R&D strategy and/or programme. The EGTC 
supports projects and initiatives of macro-regional interest.  

In the remaining programming period, the EGTC is planning to implement a 
project  within  Interreg  Central  Europe  cooperation  programme.  The  EGTC 
points  towards  the  need  to  recognise  the  necessity  of  carrying  out  an 
international project involving the redevelopment of the Oder River to grade 
4  navigability  and  connecting  it  through  the  Danube  and  the  Elbe  to  the 
Black  Sea  and  the  western  and  northern  parts  of  Europe.  The  EGTC  also 
wants to take part in the new projects aiming at  sustainable  support for the 
development  of  the  regional  economies  involved  that  would  translate  into 
improvement  of  the  employment  indicators  and  the  quality  of  the  natural 
environment and the living conditions of those living there. 

78 

 
 
 
 
 
Challenges or issues 

Budget 

Challenges refer to the topics relevant for actions of the EGTC, which are co-
modality,  environment,  innovation  (smart  specialisation),  economic  growth 
and regional cohesion. 
€ 50,448.58 

EU-funded projects 
and programmes in 
phase of imple-
mentation in 2016 

In 2016 EGTC joined as an associated partner to two EU-funded projects 
(without receiving funding from the projects): 
1) TENTacle - Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme - € 3.5 mil lion; 
2) NSB Core - Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme - € 3.5 mi llion. 

Staff (in FTE) 

5 persons are employed indirectly. 

79 

 
 
 
4.1.49 Huesca Pirineos – Hautes Pyrénées 

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 
Countries involved 

Tasks 

Budget 

EU-funded projects 
and programmes in 
phase of imple-
mentation in 2016 

Staff (in FTE) 

Huesca Pirineos – Hautes Pyrénées (HP-HP) 

Spain and France 
The  EGTC  contributes  to  the  development  of  cross-border  cooperation 
policy. It also contributes to the objective of promoting a dynamic economic 
system  of  the  border  area  based  on  trade  of  services  and  goods  where 
relations  were  almost  non-existent.  Currently,  the  EGTC  implements  an 
Interreg  POCTEFA  project  in  the  field  of  agri-food  products,  gastronomy 
and  tourism.  One  of  the  main  obstacles  is  that  the  fact  of  having  a  project 
submitted  by  an  EGTC  (e.g.  a  stable  cooperation  agency  that  demonstrates 
the  ability  and  willingness  of  its  members  to  continue  to  cooperate  on  a 
permanent  basis)  is  not  a  differentiating  element  in  the  assessment  of 
projects. Setting  up an EGTC and ensuring its operation represents a  major 
challenge for members, which is not reflected in the project selection. 

In  the  mountain  areas,  the  economy  depends  increasingly  on  tourism.  This 
includes  both,  the  sectors  that  provide  direct  services  (accommodation, 
catering,  guides,  etc.)  as  well  as  traditional  sectors.  Without  potential 
customers  able  to  value  the  products,  livestock  rising  (cheese,  meat,  etc.) 
would not be possible. The same holds for construction, crafts, or private and 
tourism 
public  services.  Hence, 
diversification  strategies,  integrated  with  traditional  activities  (agri-food 
products)  and  new  forms  (gastronomy),  is  improving  the  capacity  for 
economic development and conveying a message of environmental respect.  

the  EGTC,  by  focusing  on  new 

The EGTC contributes to the Europe 2020 strategy through the development 
of  local  strategies.  The  EGTC  does  not  contribute  in  a  strict  sense  to  a 
macro-regional  strategy.  However,  the  grouping  is  engaged  in  exchanges 
with  the  other  EGTCs  in  the  area  and  with  the  public  administrations 
involved in the objectives to be aimed for in the central Pyrenees: a vision for 
economic development that converts the border into a local market, because 
of its proximity. 
implementation  of  the 
The  budget  for  2017  is  €  619,000,  derived  from  the 
project  POCTEFA  EFA  08/15  made  in  the  Pyrenees-Fait  in  Pyrénées 
(INSPYR). 

INSPYR  project  through  the  Interreg  POCTEFA  –  budget  allocated  to  the 
EGTC € 619,000. 

Currently, since the approval of the POCTEFA project, one person has been 
recruited for the functions of director. The tasks of the project management 
are contracted to service companies. 

80 

 
 
 
 
 
 
4.1.50 Agrupación Europea de Cooperación Territorial Faja 

Pirítica Ibérica 

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 
Countries involved 

Tasks 

Challenges or issues 

Budget 

Staff 
Impact of changes of 
EGTC regulation on 
EGTC 

Agrupación Europea de Cooperación Territorial Faja Pirítica Ibérica 
(AECT-FPI) (acronym was changed) 
Spain and Portugal 
The EGTC’s purpose is cooperation in the fields of cultural heritage, tourism 
and local development. The valorisation of the mining heritage is crucial, as 
it is part of the identity of the two areas.  

The EGTC has approved to draft strategic and action plans to put the EGTC 
into motion. The plan should serve as a roadmap. The EGTC envisages the 
implementation  of  the  Europe  2020  strategy  in  the  future.  This  dimension 
was included in the action plan; however, since it is not yet approved, there is 
no such action towards Europe 2020 strategy yet. 

The EGTC will identify potential obstacles in the future when it will become 
more involved in the subject. As long as the action plan is not yet approved, 
no impact could be evaluated. 

The grouping is not yet involved in ETC. It intends to cooperate with some 
mining companies that would be new members of private law. 
The involvement of the regional administration like Junta de Andalucía and 
CCDR  ALENTEJO  is  crucial  because  the  EGTC  FPI  lacks  economic  and 
staff resources, as it is composed of small local authorities. The EGTC finds 
itself currently in a critical state. 
No budget was indicated. 

The EGTC has no staff. 

No negative impact at all. The changes in the EGTC regulation were an 
improvement.  

81 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4.1.51 European Border Cities European Grouping of Territorial 

Cooperation Limited Liability 

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 
Countries involved 

European Border Cities European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation 
Limited Liability (European Border Cities EGTC) 
Hungary and Romania 
The  EGTC’s  general  aim  is  to  strengthen  economic  and  social  cohesion 
between its members in the framework of cross-border cooperation. 

Furthermore,  the  grouping  aims  to  elaborate  and  implement  common 
regional  development  programmes,  plans  and  cross-border  projects,  as  well 
as the development of tourism and its infrastructure and common marketing 
in its area. 

The EGTC wants to use the application possibilities of the Hungary-Romania 
cross-border  cooperation  programme  and  the  possibilities  of  the  Hungary-
Slovakia-Romania-Ukraine  cross-border  cooperation  programme  in  the 
remaining  2014-2020  programming  period  as  well.  The  EGTC  is  also 
investigating  possible  project  proposals  for  other  EU  programmes  (e.g.: 
Europe for citizens; ERASMUS+ etc.). 
The  Hungarian  Ministry  of  Foreign  Affairs  and  Trade  awarded  a  grant  of 
HUF  5,300,000  (approximately  €  17,061)  for  the  star t  of  the  technical 
programme. Additionally, the membership fees were added to the budget for 
the year 2016. 
In  2016,  no  calls  for  proposals  were  launched  in  the  framework  of  the 
Romania-Hungary CBC 2014-2020 and Hungary-Slovakia-Romania-Ukraine 
ENI  2014-2020  Programmes.  Calls  for  proposals  in  relevant  programmes 
will  be  launched  in  2017.  The  EGTC  will  submit  project  proposals  for 
relevant calls in 2017.  
5 

Tasks 

Budget 

EU-funded projects 
and programmes in 
phase of imple-
mentation in 2016 

Staff (in FTE) 

82 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4.1.52 ESPON EGTC – European Node for Territorial Evidence 

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 
Countries involved 

Tasks 

ESPON EGTC – European Node for Territorial Evidence (ESPON 
EGTC) 
Belgium and Luxembourg 
The purpose of the ESPON EGTC is to act as single beneficiary to implement 
and  deliver  the  content  envisaged  by  the  ESPON  2020  cooperation 
programme. The ESPON 2020 cooperation programme is designed to support 
the  reinforcement  of  the  effectiveness  of  EU  Cohesion  Policy  and  other 
sectorial  policies  and  programmes  under  European  Structural  Investment 
(ESI) funds as well as national and regional territorial development policies, 
through the production, dissemination and promotion of territorial evidence. 

The EGTC is the single beneficiary responsible for implementing the ESPON 
2020 cooperation programme that is set in the framework of cohesion policy 
and  is  one  of  the  territorial  cooperation  programmes  under  the  interregional 
strand. The objective of the programme is to promote the effectiveness of EU 
cohesion policy and other sector policies and programmes under ESIF as well 
as  national  and  regional  territorial  development  policies,  through  the 
production, dissemination and promotion of territorial evidence covering the 
entire  territory  of  the  28  EU  Members  States,  as  well  as  the  four  Partner 
States of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. The purpose is to 
contribute to a cohesion policy that has the maximum effect in supporting the 
Europe 2020 strategy, strengthening the capacity of the EU economy to grow, 
innovate  and  generate  employment,  and  to  deliver  a  positive  and  lasting 
impact in promoting territorial cohesion and harmonious development across 
EU regions and Member  States. Support to national and regional authorities 
in  contributing  to  the  Europe  2020  strategy  and  to  territorial  cohesion  is  an 
inherent part of the programme.  

The  ESPON  2020  Cooperation  Programme  is  an  ETC  programme  and 
therefore,  the  EGTC  as  the  single  beneficiary,  is  directly  involved  in 
implementing one of the ETC programmes under the interregional strand. The 
role of the EGTC in supporting other ETC programmes is related to providing 
relevant  evidence  that  programmes  might  use  for  their  monitoring  and 
evaluation proposes, for defining the thematic priorities of calls for proposals, 
the  EGTC 
developing  future  orientations  post  2020.  During  2016, 
commenced  a  range  of  research  activities  in  the  following  thematic  fields: 
inner  peripheries,  low-carbon  economy,  possible  territorial  futures,  SMEs, 
FDI flows, spatial planning and governance systems, employment dynamics.  

In  2016,  the  EGTC  launched  a  survey  aiming  ESIF  programmes  to  assess 
their  needs  for  territorial  evidence  support.  It  is  planned  during  2017  to 
launch  a  new  project  for  targeted  evidence  support  aimed  at  19  ESIF 
programmes, including ETC programmes. The objective of the project will be 
to  provide  tailored  evidence  support  or  programme  territories  and  for 
benchmarking their programme areas in its larger European territorial context 
including detailed analysis, maps, territorial indicators and datasets. This will 

83 

 
  
 
 
 
 
include practical workshops with stakeholders to identify key challenges and 
potentials in a European context and which in turn can support the setting of 
public investment priorities accompanied by tangible targets. 

The EGTC produces macro-regional monitoring tools. One tool for the Baltic 
Sea  Region  (BSR  -  TeMO)  has  been  successfully  produced  so  far  and  this 
will  be  further  developed  with  other  new  monitoring  tools  and  its  launch  is 
planned in 2017. 

Budget 

€ 12,736,494.20 

EU-funded projects 
and programmes in 
phase of imple-
mentation in 2016 
Staff (in FTE) 

Single beneficiary of the ESPON 2020 cooperation programme 

18 

84 

 
 
 
 
4.1.53 GECT Pays d'Art et d'Histoire Transfrontalier Les Vallées 

Catalanes du Tech et du Ter 

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 

Countries involved 
Modification of 
memberschip 

Tasks 

Budget 
EU-funded projects 
and programmes in 
phase of imple-
mentation in 2016 

Staff (in FTE) 

Impact of changes 
of EGTC regulation 
on EGTC 

GECT Pays d'Art et d'Histoire Transfrontalier Les Vallées Catalanes du 
Tech et du Ter - AECT País d'Art i d'Història Transfronterer Les Valls 
Catalanes del Tec i del Ter - AECT País de Arte e Historia 
Transfronterizo Los Valles Catalanes del Tec y del Ter (GECT PAHT) 
France and Spain 
The  EGTC  intends  to  incorporate  an  actor  of  private  law,  which  is  one 
association loi 1901 (France) as a member. 
The  EGTC  implemented  a  European  project  in  the  framework  of  Interreg 
POCTEFA:  Patrimc@t.  It  is  a  heritage  valuation  project  that  supported  a 
heritage  interpretation  centre,  a  digital  application,  publications  and  the 
rehabilitation of monuments. 

The  grouping  develops  joint  strategies  by  creating  jobs,  qualification  and 
tourism  as  an  economic  sector, 
professionalisation,  development  of 
maintenance  of  the  population  and  especially  families  on  both  sides  of  the 
border. 
n.a. 
Interreg  POCTEFA:  Patrimc@t.  Heritage  Valuation  Project:  Heritage 
interpretation  centre,  digital  application,  publications,  rehabilitation  of 
monuments. Total project budget € 4,488,217.38 – Bu dget implemented by the 
EGTC € 987,800 - Amount co-funded by the EU for the  EGTC € 519,220. 
The  EGTC  hired  2.3  FTE  directly  during  2016  and  0.5  FTE  indirectly 
(delegated staff). 
The  lack  of  a  European  status  for  the  staff  created  an  injustice  between 
employees  according  to  their  nationality  (social  rights,  pensions  located  in  a 
foreign country). 

85 

 
 
 
 
 
  
 
4.1.54 Interregional Alliance for the Rhine-Alpine Corridor 

EGTC 

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 
Countries involved  Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, France and Switzerland 

Interregional Alliance for the Rhine-Alpine Corridor EGTC 

Modification of 
membership 

Changes in 
convention/statutes 

Tasks 

Budget 
EU-funded projects 
and programmes in 
phase of imple-
mentation in 2016 
Staff (in FTE) 

The  number  of  members  has  grown  from  10  to  20.  This  includes  a  non-EU 
member,  which  is  the  Swiss  canton  of  Basel-Stadt.  A  21st  member  will  be 
included soon. 
The convention/statutes were changed since the EGTC received new members 
during 2016. 
The  main  objective  of  the  EGTC  is  to  facilitate  and  promote  territorial 
cooperation  among  its  members  and  to  jointly  strengthen  and  coordinate  the 
territorial  and  integrated  development  of  the  multimodal  Rhine-Alpine 
Corridor from the regional and local perspective. In this framework, the EGTC 
has developed a "Joint Strategy" for the Rhine-Alpine Corridor. 

Prospects of incorporating entities of private law only exist in the EGTC in the 
Advisory Board.  

€ 140,000 

The EGTC implemented one EU-funded project: RAIS-IT (CEF). 

n.a. 

86 

 
 
 
 
 
 
4.1.55 MASH European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation* 

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 

Countries involved 

Tasks 

Challenges or issues 

MASH Korlátolt Felelősségű Európai Terület Társulás - MASH 
European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation - MASH EZTS 
Evropskega Združenja za teritorialno sodelovanje (MASH ETT) 
Hungary and Slovenia 
The  EGTC  was  created  to  provide  a  platform  allowing  mayors  to  work 
together on common cross-border projects and programmes. The EGTC was 
involved in the development of joint strategies. 

The  EGTC  has  prepared  and  plans  to  prepare  more  projects  under  the 
Slovenia-Hungary Interreg VA programme, especially under TO 11. 
The  EGTC  encountered  some  challenges.  But  what  these  were  is  not 
mentioned. 

Budget 

n.a. 

1 director 

Staff (in FTE) 
*All efforts to contact the official representatives of this EGTC failed during this 
year.  The  information  in  the  table  was  kindly  provided  by  Dr.  Patricia  Abaffy 
from the Department for Cross-border Development and Cooperation, Ministry 
of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary. 

87 

 
 
 
 
 
4.1.56 European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation NOVUM 

Limited 

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 

Countries involved 

Tasks 

Europejskie Ugrupowanie Współpracy Terytorialnej Novum z 
Ograniczoną Odpowiedzialnością (EUWT NOVUM z o.o.) - Evropské 
seskupení pro územní spolupráci NOVUM, s ručením omezeným (ESUS 
NOVUM s.r.o.) - European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation 
NOVUM Limited (EGTC NOVUM Ltd.) 
Czech Republic and Poland 
The EGTC carries out the following tasks:  
1)  developing  cooperation,  extending  the  capacity  and  joint  use  of  human 
resources  and  infrastructure,  primarily  in  tourism,  culture,  education  and 
health care, and also for the needs of technology research and development; 
2) supporting the joint protection of natural and cultural resources and their 
joint management, and preventing natural and technological risks; 
3) reducing isolation through improved access to transport, information and 
communication  services  and  networks,  as  well  as  cross-border  systems  and 
facilities of water and energy supply and waste management; 
4) supporting entrepreneurship, primarily the development of SMEs, tourism, 
culture and cross-border trade; 
5) supporting research, technological development and innovation; 
6)  supporting  effective  and  coherent  cross-border  cooperation,  including 
legal and administrative cooperation; 
7) promoting the integration of cross-border job markets; 
8)  promoting  local  employment  initiatives,  gender  equality  and  equal 
opportunities, training and social integration; 
9) supporting relations between urban and rural areas; 
10) ensuring cooperation, dialogue and enhancing political and social debate; 
11)  facilitating  the  creation,  application  and  implementation  of  projects 
within the framework of a development strategy prepared jointly. 
In  2016,  in  collaboration  with  other  partners,  the  EGTC  prepared  two 
projects to be co-funded through Interreg Central Europe. It also prepared a 
project  to  the  Interreg  Programme  Poland-Czech  Republic.  The  topics  of 
these projects cover renewable energy sources and energy efficiency, which 
fall under the areas of the Europe 2020 Strategy.  
In  the  remaining  programming  period,  the  EGTC  plans  to  be  project 
coordinator and also project partner. The main topics are: renewable energy 
sources, energy efficiency, transport, spas, and education. In a project that is 
planned  to  be  co-funded  from  Horizon  2020, the  EGTC  has  a  partner  from 
the  Ukraine.  The  objective  of  the  project  is  to  support  an  energy  industry 
research centre.  

Budget 

€ 120,000 from annual contributions from the member s. 

EU-funded projects 
and programmes in 
phase of imple-
mentation in 2016 
Staff (in FTE) 

“Droga S3/D11 nasz wspólny priorytet", Interreg Czech Republic-Poland, 
total budget: € 8,692.16, co-funded by the EU: € 7, 388.35. 

3 positions: 1 director, 1 vice-director, 1 office assistant. 

88 

 
 
 
 
 
 
4.2 Factsheets for EGTCs founded since Autumn 2015 
This section describes the EGTCs founded since Autumn 2015 which were thus 
not  included  in  any  previous  monitoring  report.  This  includes  four  EGTCs 
founded  in  late  2015  as  well  as  the  five  EGTCs  constituted  during  2016.  The 
following  map  gives  an  overview  of  the  geographic  location  of  these  nine 
EGTCs. 

Map 2:  Territorial dimension and location of EGTCs founded since 

Autumn 2015 

89 

 
 
 
 
 
4.2.1  Mura Region European Grouping of Territorial 

Cooperation Limited Liability 

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 

Countries involved 

Summary 

History and current 
status 

Seat 

Members 

Key indicators 

Enlargement intents 

Duration 

Mura Régió Korlátolt Felelősségű Európai Területi Együttműködési 
Csoportosulás (Mura Régió ETT) - Regija Mura Europska grupacija 
za teritorijalnu suradnju s ograničenom odgovornošću (Regija Mura 
EGTS) - Mura Region European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation 
Limited Liability (Mura Region EGTC) 
Hungary and Croatia 
The association for nationalities and regional development along the river 
Mura (MNTT) is a regional governmental partnership established in 1993 
to  further  the  economic  development  of  its  member  villages,  and  to 
preserve Croatian national traditions. Over more than the past twenty years, 
a  significant  portion  of  the  projects  tendered  by  the  association  was 
implemented  cross-border  and  resulted  in  a  network of  personal  contacts, 
which  will  serve  as  collateral  for  the  future.  Based  on  this  previous 
experience,  "MURA  REGION  European  Grouping 
for  Territorial 
Cooperation" has been created in partnership with Muramenti Nemzetiségi 
Területfejlesztési Társulás. 
The  EU  accession  of  Croatia  in  2014  was  the  basis  for  the  foundation  of 
the EGTC. The EGTC agreement is the result of the HUHR CBC project 
and the decisions of local authorities.  
The EGTC was constituted by registration on 28 May 2015. 
Kossuth Street 83, Tótszerdahely, H-8864 
The EGTC has 16 members: 
Members in Hungary: Tótszerdahely Községi Önkormányzat, Eszteregnye 
Községi  Önkormányzat,  Fityeház  Községi  Önkormányzat,  Molnári 
Községi Önkormányzat, Murakeresztúr Községi Önkormányzat, Petrivente 
Községi  Önkormányzat,  Rigyác  Községi  Önkormányzat,  Semjénháza 
Önkormányzat, 
Szepetnek 
Községi 
Községi 
Önkormányzat, 
Tótszentmárton 
Önkormányzat; 
Members  in  Croatia:  Općina  Donja  Dubrava,  Općina  Donji  Kraljevec, 
Općina Donji Vidovec, Općina Goričan, Općina Kotoriba 
Number of inhabitants: 22,500 people 
Surface area: ca. 200 km2 
Number  of  municipalities 
municipalities (11 in Hungary, 9 in Croatia) 
Two municipalities in Hungary (Letenye, Bázakerettye), ca. 4,500 citizens, 
three  municipalities  in  Croatia  (Orehovica,  Legrad,  Sveta  Marija),  ca. 
7,000  citizens,  the  contribution  from  the  Croatian  government  is  under 
preparation. 
The EGTC is founded without termination. 

Önkormányzat, 
Községi 

the  respective  EGTC 

territory:  20 

Valkonya 

Községi 

in 

90 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Objectives 

Tasks 

Challenges or issues 

Budget 

The  objective  of  the  EGTC  is  to  strengthen  EU  economic,  social  and 
territorial  cohesion  among  its  members.  The  specific  objective  is  to  take 
advantage  of  the legal  personality  of  the  EGTC  by  co-financing  from  the 
EU, through the implementation of ETC projects. 
The  purpose  of  the  EGTC  is  first  and  foremost  cross-border  cooperation 
involving support for territorial cooperation and the removal of barriers to 
the internal market. The added-value of the EGTC in the implementation of 
cohesion  policy  is  the  support  to  the  development  of  the  economy  and 
employment in peripheral areas. 

The  EGTC  has  created  a  development  strategy  and  has  submitted  three 
project  proposals  for  the  HU-HR  Interreg  programme:  two  focussing  on 
water  and  bike 
tourism  development,  one  for  a  people-to-people 
programme.  In  cooperation  with  six  other  EGTCs,  the  grouping  is 
preparing a project to be submitted to the Interreg Europe programme. The 
EGTC is also involved in the development of a project to be submitted to 
the  second  call  of  the  SME  cooperation  under  the  HU-HR  Interreg 
programme. 

In the remaining period, the EGTC wants to realise the recommendations 
from  the  development  strategy  (Croatian  interpretation  of  the  strategy  is 
under development). The EGTC was founded and is operating in harmony 
with the Europe 2020 strategy. 
The EGTC needs further development regarding its management. 
€  28,909  (40%  members'  own  resources,  60%  EGTC  oper ation  support 
from the HU national budget). 

Staff (in FTE) 

1 director, 1 direct and 1 indirect employee. 

Law applicable 

Hungarian public law 

Governance organs 
and their main 
competencies 
Function of EGTC 
according to Art. 7 of 
the EGTC Regulation 
Public participation 
processes of the EGTC 
Mechanisms of 
political accountability 
Languages 

Decisions are made by the body of mayors. President and co-president. 

The EGTC shall facilitate and promote territorial cooperation to strengthen 
cohesion by making use of financial support from the EU. 

Website, Facebook page, regular meetings of mayors 

n.r. 

Croatian, Hungarian, English 

91 

 
 
 
4.2.2  Tisza European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation 

Limited Liability 

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 

Tisza Korlátolt Felelősségű Európai Területi Társulás (Tisza ETT) - 
Європейське об'єднання територіального співробітництва з 
обмеженою відповідальністю ТИСА (ЄOТС ТИСА) - Tisza European 
Grouping of Territorial Cooperation Limited Liability (Tisza EGTC) 

Countries involved  Hungary and Ukraine 

Summary 

History and current 
status 

Seat 

Members 

Key indicators 

The  EGTC  was  established  aiming  at  the  development  of  cross-border 
cooperation  of  Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg  County  with  the  Transcarpathian 
region  (Ukraine)  through  EU  tenders.  Building  connections  at  the  external 
border of the EU with a neighbouring third country is a challenge for the EU, 
Hungary and Ukraine. 
The EGTC was registered on 26 October 2015 with wide social and political 
support  on  both  sides  on  regional  and  county  levels.  It  is  a  unique  new 
organisation in the EU and the Ukraine.  
The seat is in Kisvárda, Hungary and there is an office in Uzhorod, Ukraine. 
Three founding members:  
from  Hungary:  Self-government  of  Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg  County  and 
Kisvárda City  
from Ukraine: Transcarpathia Country Council  
Number of inhabitants (2012): 1.825 million people (of which 1.258  million 
in the Ukraine and 0.577 million in Hungary)  
Surface area: 5,936 km² (in Hungary) and 12,777 km² (in Ukraine)  
Number of municipalities in the respective EGTC territory: 229 municipalities 
(in Hungary) and 609 (in Ukraine)  

Enlargement intents  None 

Duration 

The EGTC was founded for an unlimited duration. 

Objectives 

Tasks 

Improve  the  cooperation  and  social  cohesion  of  the  cross-border  region 
covering the territory of Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg and Transcarpathia County. 
Develop the infrastructure, business and tourist attractions on both sides of the 
borders using possible EU Funds and support. 
The purpose of the EGTC is to create a solid and stable cooperation and social 
cohesion across the EU external border area and to develop the infrastructure 
and  economy  of  the  area.  It  shall  adapt  EU  best  practices  in  different  fields 
and  support  the  Euro-Atlantic  integration  of  the  Ukraine.  The  EGTC 
represents added value for and by implementing EU cohesion policy through 
the development of the border crossing points and connecting infrastructure at 
the EU external border. 

In  2016,  the  grouping  created  the  framework  and  infrastructure  for  the 
functioning  of  the  EGTC.  As  it  was  newly  created,  the  EGTC  is  currently 
preparing,  for  example,  for  the  ENI  HUSHROUA  CBC  Programmes' 
application.  

92 

 
 
 
 
 
The  EGTC  has  just  finalised  drafting  the  Integrated  Territorial  Cohesion 
Strategy  for  the  Tisza  EGTC,  which  is  a  joint  strategy.  The  EGTC  also 
contributes to the Danube macro-regional strategy. 

In  the  remaining  funding  period,  the  EGTC  intends  to  generate  project 
proposals  and  to  coordinate  the  fund  sources  for  different  organisations  and 
own  projects  in  different  fields  such  as  infrastructure,  tourism,  health, 
education, and to support mobility across the external border area.  

Challenges or issues  The EGTC needs time to join ETC programmes and projects actively. 

Budget 

 € 40,000  

Staff (in FTE) 

2 staff members 

Law applicable 

 Hungarian law 

Governance organs 
and their main 
competencies 

Function of EGTC 
according to Art. 7 
of the EGTC 
Regulation 

Public participation 
processes of the 
EGTC 

Mechanisms of 
political 
accountability 

The structure of the EGTC is the following: the main decision making body is 
the  general  Assembly.  Additionally,  there  is  the  Supervisory  Board  and  two 
offices, with the main office located in Kisvára (Hungary) and the other office 
in Uzhorod (Ukraine). 

The EGTC shall facilitate and promote territorial cooperation to strengthen 
cohesion by making use of financial support from the EU. 

The  EGTC  permits  public  participation  through  multiple  channels.  Citizens 
can become involved through the EGTC’s website and a Facebook page. The 
EGTC also presents at different conferences and meetings and exchanges with 
other members of the Hungarian Forum for EGTCs. 
During  the preparation of the EGTC’s  strategy, it organised  and participated 
in  interviews  and  meetings  with  different  authorities,  self-governing  bodies, 
local  municipalities,  organisations,  institutions,  universities  and  NGOs.  The 
EGTC  was  consulted  on  reports  and  interviews  on  different  regional 
televisions.  It  is  currently  in  charge  to  prepare  presentation  forums  in 
Uzhhorod (Ukraine) on 27 May 2017, in Kisvárda (Hungary) and in Brussels 
soon. 
Tisza  EGTC  was  founded  by  official  bodies,  based  on  the  decisions  of  the 
general assemblies of Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg, Kisvárda City (both Hungary) 
and  the  Transcarpathian  County  Council  (Ukraine).  As  representatives  from 
the  countries  involved,  these  bodies  ensure  the  democratic  legitimacy  of  the 
EGTC. 
The main decision making body of Tisza EGTC is the General Assembly with 
the  founding  bodies  as  members.  In  the  meetings  of  the  General  Assembly, 
the  EGTC  usually  invites  external  guests  representing  the  relevant  foreign 
ministries, development ministries, and governing commissioners, ministerial 
commissioners,  general  consultants,  experts,  etc.  Before  the  meetings,  the 
supervisory  board  discusses  the  main  objectives,  such  as  the  budget  report, 
and  proposes  them  for  approval.  This  report  has  to  be  presented  to  the 
Hungarian  Ministry  of  Foreign  Affairs  and  Trade,  which  supervises  and 
coordinates all EGTCs in Hungary. 

Languages 

Hungarian and Ukrainian 

Impact of changes 
of EGTC regulation 
on EGTC 

The EGTC was created involving a third country (non-EU MS). 

93 

 
 
 
4.2.3  GECT-Autorité de gestion programme INTERREG V A 

Grande Région 

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 

Countries involved 
Summary 

History and current 
status 
Seat 
Members 

Key indicators 

GECT-Autorité de gestion programme INTERREG V A Grande Région 
(GECT-INTERREG Grande Région) 

Luxembourg and France 
Management of the Interreg Programme  INTERREG  V A Grande Région / 
Großregion  

GECT-INTERREG IV Programme Grande Région  

4, place de l'Europe, L-1499 Luxembourg  
Ministère  du  Développement  durable  et  des  Infrastructures  (LU);  Conseil 
régional Grand Est (FR) 
Inhabitants: 2,901,977 
Surface area: 26,133 km2 
Number of municipalities: 2,445 

Enlargement intents  No enlargement intents 
Duration 

Limited time (duration of the current Interreg Programme) 

Objectives 

Tasks 

Management of the Interreg Programme  INTERREG  V A Grande Région / 
Großregion  
The task  of the EGTC is to function as  a  centralised management structure 
for the Interreg programme, which can employ staff and work for the benefit 
of the whole programme area. 

The grouping implements the tasks of the MA according to article 125 of EU 
Regulation No. 1303/2013 and article 23 of EU Regulation No. 1299 /2013.  

Budget 

€ 959,877 

EU-funded projects 
and programmes in 
phase of imple-
mentation in 2016 
Staff (in FTE) 

Law applicable 

Governance organs 
and their main 
competencies 

INTERREG  VA  Grande  Région  /  Großregion  –  programme  budget:  € 
233,004,409 - budget implemented by the EGTC: € 8,9 05,451 - amount co-
funded by the EU: € 139,802,646 

Staff hired: 8 FTE, staff employed: 12 FTE 

Luxembourgish law 

Assembly of the EGTC. The director and the staff of the EGTC implement 
the decisions taken by the Assembly. 

94 

 
 
 
 
 
Function of EGTC 
according to Art. 7 of 
the EGTC 
Regulation 
Public participation 
processes of the 
EGTC 
Mechanisms of 
political 
accountability 
Languages 

The EGTC was founded to implement an ETC programme (INTERREG VA 
Grande Région). 

not relevant  

The EGTC is answerable to the Monitoring Committee of the Programme.  

French  

95 

 
 
 
 
4.2.4  Agrupación Europea de Cooperación Territorial León-

Bragança 

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 

Countries involved 

Summary 

History and current 
status 
Seat 

Members 

Key indicators 

Enlargement intents 

Duration 

Objectives 

Tasks 

Agrupación Europea de Cooperación Territorial León-Bragança - 
Agrupamento Europeu de Cooperação Territorial León-Bragança 
(AECT León-Bragança) 
Spain and Portugal 
The  territory  of  the  EGTC  has  a  low  population  density.  To  promote  the 
common development of the area, it aims at cooperation in fields beneficial 
to  attracting  people.  Cooperation  makes  use  of  territorial  cooperation  at 
cross-border and transnational levels.   
The common interests of the members are related to the (a) promotion of the 
agri-food sector, (b) battle against depopulation of territories, (c) creation of 
youth  employment,  (d)  promotion  of  tourism,  (e)  revitalisation  of  the 
economy,  especially  in  rural  areas  and  (f)  assistance  to  municipalities  with 
less than 20,000 inhabitants.  

Previously there was no working relationship. 

Province of León 
Two members: Diputación Provincial de Léon, Câmara Municipal de 
Bragança 
Number of inhabitants: 508,945 
Surface area: 16,755 km2 
Number of municipalities in the respective EGTC territory: 212 
No enlargement intents for the moment, but additional members could be 
included in the future.  
Undetermined duration 
The EGTC has the following objectives:  
1) develop the common  space  and promote territorial relations between  the 
members  of 
traditional  domains  of 
the  EGTC,  León-Bragança  and 
cooperation: environment, tourism, culture and local development; 
2) implement transnational territorial cooperation in the local policies of each 
of the members; 
3) collaborate with other EGTCs, with other regional and local authorities in 
the execution of cooperation projects; 
4)  promote  the  territory  of  the  León-Bragança  EGTC,  abroad  for  the 
valorisation of potential and own resources; 
5) settle inhabitants and generate synergies to attract new population into the 
territory. 
The  purpose  of  the  EGTC  is  to  promote  economic  and  social  cohesion  in 
both  territories.  The  added  value  for  the  cohesion  policy  consists  in  the 
increase in the number of inhabitants and the promotion of the territory. The 
EGTC  targets  the  attraction  of  new  population  into  its  rural  areas  and  the 
promotion of economic and social cohesion. 

The  EGTC  initiated  its  work  in  December  2015;  only  some  activities  of 

96 

 
 
 
 
 
promotion  in  both  territories  and  some  cooperation  activities  have  been 
implemented so far.  

The EGTC, in the scope of the competences, will carry out activities oriented 
to  rural  development,  economic  development,  sustainable  development, 
education,  training  and  employment,  equal  opportunities,  agriculture  and 
livestock. 

Budget 

 € 60,000 

EU-funded projects 
and programmes in 
phase of imple-
mentation in 2016 

2 Interreg POCTEP projects: 
1)  AGROINVEST  –  total  project  budget:  €  1,059,000  (of  which  75%  co-
funded  by 
€  87,5 00  
implemented  by 
2)  PLAN  ESTRATÉGICO  AECT  LEÓN-BRAGANÇA  –  total  project 
budget  €  250,000  (of  which  75%  co-funded  by  the  EU)   –  implemented  by 
the EGTC: € 62,500  

the  EU)  – 

the  EGTC: 

Staff (in FTE) 

No staff was indicated. 

Law applicable 

Governance organs 
and their main 
competencies 
Function of EGTC 
according to Art. 7 of 
the EGTC 
Regulation 
Public participation 
processes of the 
EGTC 
Mechanisms of 
political 
accountability 
Languages 

Reglamento  (CE)  1082/2006  del  Parlamento  y  del  Consejo,  Reglamento 
(UE) 1302/2013 del parlamento y del Conseju y el Real Decreto 23/2015, de 
23 de enero. The applicable legislation is the Spanish legislation by virtue of 
the "ius soli" of the registered office of the EGTC, which is located in León. 
A plenary assembly, consisting of a representative from each entity member 
of  the  EGTC,  three  of  each;  a  president  of  the  plenary  assembly,  a  vice-
president and a director. 

Promotion  of  territorial  cooperation  to  strengthen  economic,  social  and 
territorial cohesion of the European Union and overcoming existing obstacles 
in the internal market. 

n.a. 

The  control  of  the  funds  and  the  annual  budget  is  organised  by  the 
Diputacion of León, as required by article 6 of Regulation (EC) 1082/2006, 
of 5 July. 
Spanish and Portuguese 

97 

 
 
 
 
4.2.5  PONTIBUS European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation 

Limited Liability 

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 

PONTIBUS Korlátolt Felelősségű Európai Területi Társulás–
(PONTIBUS Korlátolt Felelősségű ETT) - Euórpske zoskupenie územnej 
spolupráce PONTIBUS s ručením obmedzeným – (EZÚS PONTIBUS s 
ručením obmedzeným) PONTIBUS European Grouping of Territorial 
Cooperation Limited Liability (PONTIBUS EGTC Limited Liability) 

Countries involved  Hungary and Slovak Republic 

Summary 

History and 
current status 

Seat 

Members 

Key indicators 

Enlargement 
intents 

Duration 

Objectives 

Purpose of the 
EGTC 

The general objective for which the EGTC was established is the development 
and  support  of  cross-border  and  interregional  cooperation  between  its 
members. The EGTC can carry out special activities of territorial cooperation 
in addition to fulfilling the objectives, with or without the financial support of 
the Union.  
The EGTC was founded by registration at the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs  and  Foreign  Trade  in  January  2016.  The  founding  of  the  EGTC  was 
preceded by an intense preparation of the founding members that lasted about 
one year.  
Hungary, 1052 Budapest, Városház u. 7 

Two members: Pest County and Nitra Self Governing Region. 
Number of inhabitants: 1,911,037 (of which 684,922 in Slovakia, 1,226,115 in 
Hungary)  
Surface  area:  12,737  km²  (of  which  6,344  km²  in  Slovakia,  6,393  km²  in 
Hungary)  
Number of municipalities: 541 (of which 354 in Slovakia, 187 in Hungary) 
There is an intention to include new members, but without increasing the area 
of the PONTIBUS EGTC.  

Indefinite period. The winding up of the EGTC is decided upon the unanimous 
voting of the Assembly.  

The objectives are specified within the following priorities:  
transport,  economy,  R&D,  energy  and  renewable  energy  sources,  human 
resources,  agriculture  and  food  industry,  environment,  tourism,  culture,  sport 
and health and social care. 
The general purpose for which the EGTC was established is the development 
and  support  of  cross-border  and  interregional  cooperation  between  its 
members, for strengthening economic and social cohesion through carrying out 
joint activities, and the implementation of projects and programmes of cross-
border cooperation. 

98 

 
 
 
 
In 2016 the EGTC acted as mediator and facilitator in the preparation process 
for  a  bridge  construction  over  the  river  Ipeľ  between  the  municipalities 
Chľaba-Ipolydamásd,  located  on  the  border  of  the  two  counties.  In  2017  the 
continuation  of  this  process  is  expected  as  well  as  the  submission  of  this 
project under the Interreg cross-border cooperation (CBC) V-A SK-HU. At the 
end of 2016, a project was prepared and submitted with the title "Convergence 
of regional development of Nitra County and Pest County" in the Interreg VA 
SK-HU  Programme.  The  project  is  aimed  to  strengthen  the  institutional 
cooperation  in  strategic  planning  and  regional  development.  The  EGTC  is  a 
partner of the project.  

In  the  programming  period  2014-2020,  the  grouping  will  seek  opportunities 
and  will  actively  participate  in  the  implementation  of  EU  programmes  and 
national  programmes  in  those  areas  that  are  defined  as  the  priority  areas  of 
cooperation in its statutes.  

The main problem area in the implementation of projects / programmes for the 
EGTC  is  the  lack  of  own  financial  resources  that  would  permit  the 
reimbursement system for projects over a longer period of time. The problem 
appears to be related to the employment of qualified human resources, which 
cannot  be  financed  by  the  EGTC,  since  it  is  only  financed  by  annual 
membership fees and subsidies granted by the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs and Foreign Trade.  

EGTC  PONTIBUS  has  not  yet  developed  a  joint  medium-term  strategy.  Its 
development  is  suggested  as  one  of  the  activities  of  the  submitted  project 
(Convergence of regional development Nitra region and Pest county), which is 
currently in the process of evaluation.  

The EGTC is very keen to contribute to the implementation of the EU Strategy 
for the Danube  Region, in those  areas that  are common and  compatible with 
the  priority  areas  of  the  grouping,  namely:  mobility,  energy,  environment, 
climate risks, and the socio-economic area.  
EGTC  is  fully  operational  in  order  to  fulfil  its  objectives  with  the  current 
member base, although from the perspective of effective cooperation, creating 
cooperative relations and partnerships is very important for its work.  

€ 23,000 of which € 6,000 come from membership fees
grant from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Hungary. 

 and € 17,000 from a 

The  EGTC  had  no  full-time  employees  in  2016.  Three  people  were  working 
for the EGTC on an agreement on the establishment terms as well as one non-
profit  company  executing  the  economic  agenda  also  on  an  agreement  on  the 
establishment terms.  
Hungarian law  
The bodies of the Grouping are as follows:  

-  Assembly is the supreme body of the EGTC and adopts its decisions 

in the form of resolutions on issues entrusted to its powers.  

-  Director  is  the  management  body  of  the  EGTC,  with  representative 
authority. The director manages the activities of the EGTC and acts in 
its name.  

-  Supervisory Board is the controlling body.  
-  Work Groups  
-  Secretariat  performs  the  administrative  tasks  and  is  managed  and 

controlled by the director.  

99 

Tasks 

Challenges or 
issues 

Budget 

Staff (in FTE) 

Law applicable 

Governance organs 
and their main 
competencies 

 
 
 
 
 
Function of EGTC 
according to Art. 7 
of the EGTC 
Regulation 

Public participation 
processes of the 
EGTC 

Mechanisms of 
political 
accountability 

The  EGTC  shall  facilitate  and  promote  territorial  cooperation  to  strengthen 
cohesion by making use of financial support from the EU. 

The  public  takes  part  in  the  activities  of  EGTC  indirectly  in  the  form  of 
receiving  and  sharing  of  published  information  about  the  EGTC  through 
readily  available  means  of  communication.  The  planned  establishment  of  a 
website  is  expected  to  streamline  the  process  of  public  participation  in  the 
EGTC.  

No mechanisms in place.  

Languages 

Hungarian, Slovak and English 

100 

 
 
 
4.2.6  Eucor The European Campus EGTC 

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 
Countries involved 

Summary 

History and 
current status 

Seat 

Members 

Key indicators 

Enlargement 
intents 

Duration 

Objectives 

Eucor The European Campus 

France, Germany and Switzerland 
By  acquiring  the  legal  status  of  an  EGTC,  the  Eucor  universities  wish  to 
promote cross-border cooperation between higher education institutions in the 
tri-national  Upper  Rhine  region.  The  EGTC  serves  as  an  instrument  for  the 
universities  to  raise  their  profile  and  enhance  their  standing  in  the  European 
and international competition for funding, students and researchers.  
The  agreement  out  of  which  the  alliance  between  the  universities  along  the 
Upper Rhine was born in 1989 specifies the shared goal of cooperating in the 
areas  of  teaching  and  research.  Regarding  the  first,  the  universities  have 
established  16  transnational  study  programs  in  the  Upper  Rhine  region.  In 
research,  roughly  50  projects  were  completed  within  the  framework  of  the 
Interreg Upper Rhine programmes III–IV and several  research networks have 
sprung  up  in  the  Upper  Rhine  region.  Although  at  the  beginning  of  this 
century, this collaboration was seen as the result of the successful creation of 
transnational networks in the Upper Rhine area, the idea also began to emerge 
that  the  teaching  and  research  potential  of  the  Upper  Rhine  was  not  being 
developed to the fullest. According to statistics, the Upper Rhine is, in fact, a 
highly  developed  research  region  with  an  extremely  high  number  of  higher 
education and research institutions. On these grounds, the university presidents 
and  rectors  of  Eucor  laid  the  cornerstone  of  a  new  form  of  alliance  when,  in 
December  2015,  they  signed  the  documents  to  found  an  EGTC  with 
headquarters in Freiburg, Germany, called Eucor – The European Campus. On 
February 24, 2016, the EGTC acquired a legal personality when the founding 
documents  were  published  in  the  Official  Journal  of  the  State  of  Baden-
Württemberg,  Germany.  It  thus  became  the  first  EGTC  to  consist  solely  of 
universities and the second EGTC seated in Germany. 
Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany 
Five  members:  University  of  Basel,  University  of  Freiburg,  University  of 
Haute-Alsace,  Karlsruhe  Institute  of  Technology  and  the  University  of 
Strasbourg. 
115,000  students,  15,000  researchers,  11,000  PhD  candidates,  total  budget  of 
the universities of 2.3 billion Euros 
Not  for  the  moment,  but  the  convention  allows  other  higher  education  or 
research  institutions  from  the  Upper  Rhine  area  to  become  members  of  the 
EGTC, if all founding members agree. 
Unlimited time 
The objectives of the EGTC are the following: 1) joint planning for strategy, 
structure  and  development;  2)  defining  a  shared  research  profile  and  shared 
procurement  of  funding;  3)  joint  appointment  of  high-ranking  academic 
personnel;  4)  further  development  and  marketing  of  study  programs;  5) 
developing innovative and internationally competitive pilot study programs; 6) 
improving  the  cross-border  transition  of  Eucor  university  graduates  to  the 
regional  employment  market;  7)  facilitating  the  mobility  of  students  and 
researchers  within  the  European  Campus;  8)  establishing  a  joint  corporate 
image of the European Campus. 

101 

 
 
 
 
The  EGTC  is  originally  an  instrument  to  commonly  manage  EU  structural 
funds. This function also applies to the EGTC Eucor - The European Campus, 
which aims to apply for European grants. However, the grants aimed at are not 
only ESIF (like Interreg), but also funds from other European public policies, 
i.e. research and education. The EGTC is thus not only an added value for the 
implementation  of  cohesion  policy  but  also  for  the  policies  targeting  the 
European Research Area. 
The EGTC may apply for further Interreg funds, in the Upper Rhine Program 
or  in  the  Interreg  Europe  program.  However,  since  the  EGTC  is  carried  by 
universities, the focus is clearly on European funds in the field of research and 
education.  
No  specific  obstacles  can  be  mentioned  so  far.  However,  for  funds  in  the 
Horizon  2020  programme,  the  EGTC  wants  to  overcome  the  three  member 
countries  rule.  In  fact,  since  the  EGTC  was  created  by  universities  coming 
from two member countries and from Switzerland, the EGTC could therefore 
cover three countries when applying for EU funds as a lead partner. However, 
if this rule did not apply, the attractivity of the EGTC instrument would suffer 
and research labs could eventually doubt the added value of an application for 
EU-funds through the EGTC.  
Through  the  Interreg-VA-Upper  Rhine  Project  "Eucor  -  The  European 
Campus",  the  EGTC  develops  a  common  strategic  development  plan  for  the 
European Campus. This will allow the strategic relevance of the cross-border 
perspective for each of the five member universities. In terms of sustainability, 
the  availability  of  highly  qualified  human  capital  on  a  cross-border  scale  can 
thus  be  assured  in  the  long  run  and  is  the  basis  for  economic  growth  for  the 
region. 
In the short run, the EGTC plans to develop joint calls for researchers in order 
to finance projects in the fields of research and education. In the long run, the 
EGTC  also  wishes  to  provide  common  research  infrastructures  for  all  five 
member universities.  
There is no specific implication of the EGTC in macro-regions. However, there 
are  contacts  to  other  cross-border  regions,  which  cooperate  in  the  field  of 
higher education and research, such as the Greater Region or the border region 
between France and Spain.  
The  EGTC  already  incorporates  the  University  of  Basel  (Switzerland).  Other 
higher  education  or  research  institutions  on  the  part  of  Switzerland,  which  is 
located in the Upper rhine region, can also join the EGTC, if the Assembly and 
the public authorities of the member universities approve.  
Several "business models" for the EGTC have to be developed. This will take 
place  within the  strategy  meeting  in  May  2017.  One  option  could be  to  offer 
joint higher education or training programmes through the EGTC, mainly those 
oriented  to  students  from  outside  the  EU.  Another  option  could  be  the 
development of a joint knowledge and technology transfer office for promoting 
research applications and supporting their viability on the market.  
€ 200,000 
No staff directly hired in 2016 

Tasks 

Challenges or 
issues 

Budget 
Staff (in FTE) 

Law applicable 

Landeshaushaltsordnung (LHO), Baden-Württemberg, Germany 

102 

 
The  Assembly  is  the  highest  governance  organ  of  the  EGTC.  It  includes  the 
presidents and rectors of the five member universities.  
The President is the legal representative of the EGTC. He/She is a member of 
the  Assembly  and  is  elected  by  the  Assembly  for  a  period  of  three  years. 
He/She has a representative who  is also member of the Assembly and is also 
elected for a period of three years.  
The Committee of the Vice-Presidents prepares the decisions of the Assembly 
and includes one member of the political level of each member university.  
The  Director  is the  person  responsible  for  the  operational  work  of  the  EGTC 
and  is  nominated  by  the  Assembly  for  three  years.  He/She  leads  the  office, 
based  in  Freiburg  and  Strasbourg.  The  Director  coordinates  cooperation  and 
prepares the topics that are dealt with in the Assembly and in the Committee of 
the Vice-Presidents.  

The EGTC shall make use of financial support from the EU especially in the 
fields of research. 

Governance organs 
and their main 
competencies 

Function of EGTC 
according to Art. 7 
of the EGTC 
Regulation 

Public participation 
processes of the 
EGTC 

No  specific  public  participation  processes  are  planned.  However,  the  EGTC 
seeks  cooperation  with  student  representative  organisations.  The  students’ 
representatives therefore participate as guests in the Assembly.  

Mechanisms of 
political 
accountability 

Languages 
Impact of changes 
of EGTC 
regulation on 
EGTC 

Political  accountability  works  mainly  through  the  necessary  approval  of  the 
annual  budget  by 
the  EGTC 
(Regierungspräsidium  Freiburg).  By  controlling  the  budget,  the  member 
universities  of  the  EGTC  are  held  accountable  for  the  achievement  of  their 
objectives.  

local  authority 

responsible 

the 

for 

German and French 

The  revised  EGTC  regulation  has  allowed  the  EGTC  to  incorporate  the 
University of Basel from Switzerland. 

103 

 
 
 
4.2.7  European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation "European 

Mycological Institute" 

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 

European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation "European Mycological 
Institute" - Agrupación Europea de Cooperación Territorial "Instituto 
Micológico Europeo" - (EMI) 

Countries involved 

Spain and France 

The initiative to create the European Institute of Mycology emerged from the 
territorial  cooperation  project  Interreg  IVB  SUDOE  www.micosylva.com 
and has among its main objectives: 
1) to consolidate a partnership created in 2008 within the framework of the 
European Interreg IVB SUDOE in order to stimulate and transfer an R&D&I 
leading  to:  a)  valuing  the  mycological  resource  in  our  territories  through 
mycotourism,  myco-gastronomy  and  agro-food  innovation;  b)  promoting 
innovative  forest  management  (called  myco-forestry) 
the 
persistence of forests and fungi in a context of climate change; 
2) working together to solve the needs of the mushrooms and truffles sector 
in  Europe,  in  particular:  a)  regulatory  and  fiscal  aspects  that  hinder  the 
development  of  commercialisation;  b)  joint  solutions  to  conflicts  of  use 
caused  by  commercial  collection,  recreational,  local,  foreign;  c)  joint 
solutions to the commercial threats of globalisation; 
3) transferring to the mycology sector the technological advances generated 
by universities and research centres; 
4)  raising  awareness  in  European  urban  and  rural  society  for  a  joint 
governance of the territories and their uses; 
5) coordinating the competitive European funds for the participating partners 
through the EGTC-EMI. 

to  ensure 

The  EGTC  "European  Mycological  Institute"  is  an  entity  of  the  European 
Union (BOE No.122 of May 20, 2016), composed of partners of prominent 
territories  either  for  their  mycological  production  and/or  the  degree  of 
valorisation and innovation generated from these forest resources. 
It  was  born  as  a  result  of  the  capitalisation  of  results  of  the  project 
www.micosylva.com  in  the  framework  of  the  Territorial  Cooperation 
Program INTERREG SUDOE.  

Summary 

History and current 
status 

Seat 

Campus Universitario Duques de Soria, 42004 Soria (Spain) 

Members 

Five members: Chambre d'Agriculture de la Dordogne, Centro Tecnológico 
Forestal  de  Cataluña,  la  Diputación  de  Ávila,  la  Fundación  Patrimonio 
Natural de Castilla y León and Région Occitanie 

Key indicators 

No information available 

Enlargement intents 

Countries  with  a  special  interest  in  managing  and  valorising  mycological 
resources.  The  next  partners  are:  Agro-Food  Research  and  Technology 

104 

 
 
 
 
Centre  of  Aragon  (Gobierno  de  Aragón),  Conselh  Val  d'Aran  and  the  City 
council of Soria. 
The EGTC plans to incorporate a member from Canada. 

Duration 

Long term 

Objectives 

Tasks 

Challenges or issues 

The EGTCs objectives are: 
A) to promote mycosylviculture and sustainable management of wild edible 
mushrooms; 
B) to promote in Europe the valuation of wild edible mushrooms; 
C) to serve as the interlocutor of the demands of the sector before the EU; 
D) to build R&D&I projects of interest to the sector. 
The  purpose  of  the  EGTC  is  to  carry  out  and  manage,  under  a  sustainable 
development  perspective,  projects  and  cooperation  actions  related  to  the 
management  and  valorisation  of  mycological  resources,  including  the 
following areas of work: 
• research, innovation and development in sectorial management; 
• evaluation and sectorial information; 
• training; 
• social awareness; 
• regulations: development and promotion; 
• provision of services.  

The  valorisation  of  mycological  resources  is  an  example  of  added  value  in 
rural  areas.  The  EGTC  is  currently  defining  its  strategic  plan.  It  is  fully 
aligned with the Europe 2020 strategy.  
The  EGTC  needs  further  development  (in  terms  of  partners  and  tasks)  in 
order to achieve its objectives. 

Budget 

€ 25,000 

Staff (in FTE) 
Law applicable 
Governance organs 
and their main 
competencies 
Function of EGTC 
according to Art. 7 of 
the EGTC 
Regulation 
Public participation 
processes of the 
EGTC 
Mechanisms of 
political 
accountability 

None at the moment, as the EGTC was just founded. 
Spanish law 

At the moment only the Assembly of all partners. 

 No information available 

None at the moment, as the EGTC was just founded. 

None at the moment, as the EGTC was just founded. 

Languages 

Spanish, French and English 

105 

 
 
 
4.2.8  Eisenbahnneubaustrecke Dresden Prag EVTZ 

Name of the 
EGTC 
(Acronym) 
Countries 
involved 

Summary 

History and 
current status 

Seat 

Members 

Key 
indicators 

Enlargement 
intents 

Duration 

Objectives 

Tasks 

Eisenbahnneubaustrecke Dresden Prag EVTZ / Nové železniční spojení 
Drážďany - Praha ESÚS (PROUD EGTC) 

Germany and Czech Republic 

The  EGTC  has  several  tasks.  It  focuses  on  political,  technical,  organisational  and 
communication  support  to national  authorities  and  decision-makers  responsible  for 
the implementation of the new railway line Dresden-Prague. The EGTC coordinates 
the preparatory and project work related to this project and develops public relations 
in order to obtain broad public support for the realisation of the project and promote 
cross-border cooperation. 
The Free State of Saxony and the Czech Republic have been cooperating to support 
the  idea  of  a  new  rail  line  outside  the  existing  line  for  removing  cross-border 
bottlenecks  between  Saxony  and  the  Czech  Republic  since  the  mid-1990s.  In 
summer 2014, both sides decided to establish a project company using the legal form 
of  an  EGTC.  In  April  2016,  the  necessary  documents  were  signed  in  Ústí  nad 
Labem. After publishing the constitution of the EGTC in September 2016, the first 
constitutional meeting took place in Dresden in November 2016.  
Dresden in the Free State of Saxony (Germany) 
The  EGTC  has  four  members:  the  Czech  Republic,  the  Free  State  of  Saxony,  Ústí 
nad Labem Region and the Saxon Switzerland-Ore Mountain County. 
The EGTC comprises a total area of 97,300 km² with 14.5 million inhabitants living 
in  267  municipalities.  The  area  that  is  directly  affected  by  the  new  rail  line  is 
smaller, though: it is an area of 6,988 km² with about 1.1 million inhabitants living 
in 37 municipalities.  
The enlargement of the EGTC depends on the future progress of the infrastructure 
project,  particularly  with  regard  to  the  infrastructure  managers.  The  decision  will 
however only be made in the next years. 
The EGTC duration is restricted to the time of the preparation and realisation of the 
project, i.e. until the new rail line has been put into operation. 
The main objective is to promote the rail project by means of coordinated activities 
on both sides of the border and a transparent public information system.  
The  purpose  of  the  EGTC  is  to  develop  and  coordinate  planning  activities, 
communicate  with  national  authorities,  the  European  Commission  and  the  general 
public from the very beginning and in a transparent way. It is furthermore supposed 
to obtain funding for the project. The EGTC is an indirect partner in a cross-border 
project of the Interreg VA programme and is going to become a project partner for 
an  application  in  autumn  2017  in  the  context  of  the  Interreg  VB  Central  Europe 
Programme.  By  developing  rail  transport  and  removing  bottlenecks  between 
Germany and the Czech Republic along the Orient/East-Med TEN-T Core Network 
Corridor,  the  project  is  expected  to  affect  economic  and  territorial  development  in 
the wider transnational area.  

106 

 
 
 
Challenges or 
issues 

The EGTC has only recently started. To what extent it will be necessary to expand 
the  EGTC  and  involve  more  partners  will  depend  on  further  development  of  the 
infrastructure project. For the time being, it is not envisaged.  

Budget 

€ 80,000 (plus additional contributions by the memb ers to future project activities) 

EU-funded 
projects and 
programmes 
in phase of 
imple-
mentation in 
2016 

Staff (in FTE) 

Law 
applicable 
Governance, 
organs and 
their main 
competencies 
Function of 
EGTC 
according to 
Art. 7 of the 
EGTC 
Regulation 
Public 
participation 
processes of 
the EGTC 
Mechanisms 
of political 
accountability 

Languages 

The EGTC is an indirect member in the Interreg VA project "Saxon-Czech Cross-
border cooperation for the development of rail transport". The project will start 
in 2017. The project budget of Saxony and the Czech Republic, which are partners 
in the project and members of the EGTC, is about €  957,000.  

So far, no staff has been hired by the EGTC. Staff employed by the EGTC members 
is working for the EGTC.  

German law 

There is a simple governance structure: 
(1)  The  Director  and  the  Deputy  Director,  respectively,  have  no  voting  rights.  
(2)  The  Assembly  consist  of  representatives  from  the  EGTC's  four  members.  All 
decisions have to be made unanimously.  

The  EGTC  does  not  function  as  a  programme  or  managing  authority  for  a 
programme or parts of a programme (ERDF, ESF or others) but aims at making use 
of financial support from the EU to develop the infrastructure. 

No specific public participation processes have been established yet. So far, the 
EGTC members promote the EGTC and the project in presentations, at fairs, 
meetings or events in the area. A homepage is under construction.  

The  EGTC  reports  to  the  respective  national  and  State  ministries  and  regional 
authorities.  

For  meetings  it  is  German  and  Czech,  in  daily  work  it  is  usually  English.  The 
website will be in German, Czech and English.  

107 

 
 
 
 
4.2.9  Groupement Européen de Coopération Territoriale 

Eurodistrict PAMINA 

Name of the EGTC 
(Acronym) 

Countries involved 

Summary 

History and current 
status 

Seat 

Members 

Key indicators 

Enlargement intents 

Europäischer Verbund für Territoriale Zusammenarbeit Eurodistrikt 
PAMINA - Groupement Européen de Coopération Territoriale 
Eurodistrict PAMINA (EVTZ Eurodistrikt PAMINA - GECT 
Eurodistrict PAMINA) 
France and Germany 
The  main  task  of  the  EGTC  is  to  facilitate  and  intensify  cooperation  in 
support of balanced and sustainable territorial development and, in this way, 
to improve the daily lives of citizens. The EGTC is a platform for collecting 
and exchanging  expertise and resources and it promotes territorial cohesion 
in the border area without any intention of replacing the existing competent 
authorities.  
1988:  Signing  of  the  Declaration  of  Intent  of  Wissembourg,  1991: 
Inauguration of the PAMINA office in the old customs office of Lauterbourg 
(France),  1997:  Signing  of  the  cooperation  agreement  of  the  informal 
political  association  PAMINA,  2003:  Signing  of  the  decree  and  inaugural 
meeting  of  the  LGCC  REGIO  PAMINA  in  Wissembourg  (France),  2008: 
Adoption  of  a  new  name:  EURODISTRICT  REGIO  PAMINA,  2014: 
Adoption  of  a  new  name:  Eurodistrict  PAMINA,  December  2016:  Signing 
and  publication  of  the  decree  creating  the  EGTC  Eurodistrict  PAMINA, 
January  2017:  inaugural  meeting  of  the  EGTC  Eurodistrict  PAMINA  in 
Haguenau (France) 

Ancienne  douane,  2  rue  du  Général  Mittelhauser  -  67630  Lauterbourg 
(France - Département du Bas-Rhin) 
15  members:  Région  Grand  Est,  Département  du  Bas-Rhin,  Ville  de 
Haguenau,  Regionalverband  Mittlerer  Oberrhein,  Stadtkreis  Karlsruhe, 
Stadtkreis  Baden-Baden,  Landkreis  Karlsruhe,  Landkreis  Rastatt,  Stadt 
Rastatt,  Verband  Region  Rhein-Neckar,  Kreisfreie  Stadt  Landau,  Landkreis 
Germersheim,  Landkreis  Südliche  Weinstraße,  Landkreis  Südwestpfalz, 
Stadt Germersheim   
The  EGTC  comprises  an  area  of  6,500  km²  with  1.7  million  inhabitants 
living in 502 municipalities (317 in France, 130 in Rhineland-Palatinate, 55 
in Baden-Württemberg).  
There are no intentions to enlarge the EGTC in terms of the area of coverage. 
However, the admission of new members within the area is in preparation.  

Duration 

Indefinite  period.  According  to  the  statutes  of  the  EGTC,  its  dissolution 
requires unanimity of all members.  

108 

 
 
 
The  overarching  objective  of  the  EGTC  is  to  facilitate  and  intensify 
cooperation  in  support  of  balanced  and  sustainable  territorial  development 
and, in this way, to improve the daily lives of citizens. For this purpose, the 
EGTC  may  develop  activities,  develop  and  implement  programmes  and 
projects  and  apply  for  funding.  The  EGTC  intends  to  inform  people  and 
support  cross-border  cooperation  between  both  public  and  private  players. 
For  this  purpose,  it  advises  citizens,  companies  and  associations,  regional 
and other authorities on all issues arising from cross-border cooperation.  
Cross-border cooperation, the main objective and purpose of the Eurodistrict 
PAMINA, allows and encourages people to exercise their right of freedom of 
movement beyond national borders. European as well as national legislation 
often disregards negative effects that new laws might have in border regions. 
The EGTC  aims to  attenuate these negative  effects  and to enable people to 
experience directly the benefits that result from the European Union.  

The  EGTC  is  involved  in  Interreg  VA  projects  as  lead  partner  as  well  as 
associated  or  co-financing  partner.  In  the  previous  funding  period,  the 
Eurodistrict  was  lead-partner  and  co-financing  partner  of  the  framework 
project  "Small-project  fund  PAMINA21"  (within  the  scope  of  the  Interreg 
IVA programme Upper Rhine). Thirty-two projects were implemented with a 
total budget of € 1.4m. However, the framework proj ect ended in 2013 and 
support  for  micro-projects  will  only  be  continued  in  2017  (with  new 
organisational arrangements within the scope of Interreg VA Upper Rhine). 
In  2016,  the  EGTC  was  not  involved  in  any  Interreg  project  due  to  the 
delayed  start  of  the  Interreg  VA  programme  Upper  Rhine.  In  addition,  the 
programme  authority  has  to  cope  with  an  increasing  administrative  burden 
that results from programme requirements. With regard to the small-scale or 
micro-projects,  the  impact  of  the  modified  funding  procedures  on  the 
EGTC's  activities  remains  to  be  seen.  In  2017,  the  EGTC  will,  however, 
launch  different  projects  in  the  framework  of  the  programme  Interreg  VA 
Upper  Rhine.  It  is  lead  partner  of  projects  in  the  field  of  education  (online 
game,  school  meetings,  new  media)  and  employment  (focus  on  older 
workers, care and health professions). It co-finances a project that deals with 
the  promotion  and  implementation  of  micro-scale  projects  for  the  civil 
society and general public. Furthermore, the EGTC is associated partner in a 
project  that  aims  at  promoting  cross-border  apprenticeships  and  will  be 
associated  partner  of  two  projects  in  the  fields  of  air  quality  and  civil 
protection, respectively.  
The  admission  of  new  members  within  the  given  area  (under  preparation) 
will  strengthen  the  local  ties  of  the  EGTC  and  thus  intensify  cross-border 
networking and cooperation at local and regional levels.  
€ 607,733.92 
So far, all staff members of the EGTC are employed indirectly, i.e. they are 
delegated  by  the  respective  EGTC  member.  The  team  consists  of  six 
employees, 5.6 FTE in total (incl. the Director).  
The  EGTC  Eurodistrict  PAMINA  is  governed  by  French  law,  namely  the 
Code général des collectivités territoriales (articles L.5721-1 et seq.)  

Objectives 

Tasks 

Challenges or issues 

Budget 

Staff (in FTE) 

Law applicable 

109 

 
 
(1) The Assembly decides on all matters in line with the EGTC's objectives 
according to its statutes. The Assembly may delegate part of its competences 
to the Managing Committee or the President. 
(2)  The  President,  supported  by  the  Vice-Presidents,  prepares  and  executes 
the  assembly's  decisions.  He/she  is  head  of  administration,  responsible  for 
on-going activities and affairs, and represents the EGTC in legal matters, at 
meetings  and  events.  She/he  settles  current  affairs  and  may  delegate  some 
tasks and duties to the Vice-Presidents. 
(3) The Managing Committee is the executive body of the EGTC. It prepares 
the budget and decides on the employment of staff. 
(4)  The  organs  are  supported  by  sectorial  committees  involving  political 
representatives  and  committed  experts  if  necessary.  Furthermore,  so-called 
"PAMINA  multipliers"  (PAMINA  women's  association,  PAMINA  seniors 
network,  PAMINA  adult  education  centre,  PAMINA  Business  Club, 
biosphere  reserve  Vosges  du  Nord/Pfälzerwald)  support  the  EGTC  to 
maintain strong ties to the civil society and different sectors. Besides this, the 
EGTC  coordinates  the  network  of  Eurodistricts  in  the  Upper  Rhine  area.  It 
cooperates with the Upper Rhine Conference, the Upper Rhine Council and 
other decision-makers and players in the area of the Upper Rhine tri-national 
metropolitan  region.  At  European  level,  the  EGTC  is  an  active  member  of 
the  Association  of  European  Border  Regions  (AEBR)  and  the  Mission 
Opérationelle Transfrontalière (MOT).  

The EGTC conducts Interreg A projects but does not function as programme 
or  managing  authority  for  a  programme  or  parts  of  a  programme  (ERDF, 
ESF or others). 

No  formalised  public  participation  processes  exist  for  the  time  being. 
Nevertheless,  the  EGTC  fosters  tight  links  with  the  organised  civil  society 
mainly  by  means  of  so-called  "multipliers"  (PAMINA  women,  PAMINA 
seniors, PAMINA Business Club etc.). 

Legally binding decisions are adopted by both the Managing Committee and 
the Assembly. 

Governance, organs 
and their main 
competencies 

Function of EGTC 
according to Art. 7 of 
the EGTC 
Regulation 

Public participation 
processes of the 
EGTC 

Mechanisms of 
political 
accountability 

Languages 

French and German  

110 

 
 
 
5  The Groupings in a nutshell – 

Implementing actions of European 
Territorial Cooperation 

This chapter assesses the activities of the EGTCs in terms of their contribution 
to implementing programmes and projects of European Territorial Cooperation 
(ETC).  Therefore,  this  chapter  provides  a  cross-analysis  of  the  EGTCs  by 
comparing them from different thematic perspectives, namely: 

  Section 5.1: Evolution of geography and partnership 
  Section 5.2: EGTCs’ staff, budget and projects 
  Section 5.3: Thematic focus of activities of the EGTCs  
  Section 5.4: Profile, achievements and obstacles of EGTCs in ETC 
  Section 5.5: Use of new instruments and smart specialisation strategies 

The  analysis  principally  includes  all  65  EGTCs  existing  at  the  end  of  2016. 
When  smaller  samples  were  used,  this  is  mentioned  in  the  text  and 
figures/tables.  Whenever  the  analysis  mentions  ‘newly’  constituted  EGTCs,  it 
refers to the five EGTCs founded during 2016. The four EGTCs founded late in 
2015  are  subsumed  under  the  previously  established  EGTCs.  The  analysis  of 
this chapter is complemented with information in Annexes 2 and 3.  

5.1 Evolution of geography and partnership 
The  following  gives  an  overview  of  the  number  of  EGTCs  founded  since  the 
introduction of the EGTC instrument. This overview includes information on the 
geography  of  new  EGTCs  and  of  changes  in  EGTC  partnerships  and  provides 
updates  on  the  occurrence  of  the  main  types  of  EGTCs  as  differentiated  in 
previous EGTC monitoring reports.  

During  2016,  five  new  EGTCs  were  registered  at  the  CoR.  Thus,  as  of 
December 2016, a total of 65 EGTCs exist. In comparison with previous years, 
the number of newly constituted EGTCs was relatively low (see Figure 1). 

Since the first EGTC foundations in 2008, some EGTCs have lost momentum or 
did  not  result  in  the  cross-border  cooperation  activities  they  intended  to 
facilitate.  These  EGTCs  seem  to  be  either  never  operational  (Karst-Bodva 
EGTC), or their tasks were time-limited (Grande Région EGTC) or they did not 
pass  audit  controls  and  hence  recommendations  were  issued  for  winding  up 

111 

 
 
 
 
  
(UTTS EGTC)12. This may imply  the first dissolving of EGTCs in the coming 
years.  

Figure 1: Number of EGTCs according to year of foundation 

d
e
d
n
u
o
f

s
C
T
G
E

f
o
r
e
b
m
u
N

12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012
Years

2013

2014

2015

2016

Source: Spatial Foresight, based on information from the official CoR EGTC register 

Geography 
The  number  of  EGTC  foundations  in  Central-Eastern  Europe  with  mostly 
Hungarian  involvement  has  decreased.  In  contrast  to  previous  years,  in  2016 
only one EGTC with Hungarian involvement (PONTIBUS EGTC) was founded, 
compared to two and three during 2015 and 2014 respectively. However, it has 
to be recognised that especially in Hungary, the territorial coverage of EGTCs is 
particularly  high.  Other  new  EGTC  foundations  are  EUCOR  The  European 
Campus  EGTC,  as  well  as  the  EGTC  Eurodistrict  PAMINA,  located  in  the 
French-German and Swiss border areas. Two more EGTCs have been created in 
other areas: one in the French-Spanish border area (EMI EGTC) and another on 
the German-Czech Republic border area (PROUD EGTC).  

EGTCs  can  be  differentiated  along  three  major  typologies;  i.e.  cross-border 
EGTCs that mainly address proximity aspects of local and regional importance, 
transnational  EGTCs  whose  territory  is  considerably  wider  than  that  of,  for 
example,  cross-border  cooperation  areas  and  network  EGTCs  having  as  a 
priority networking activities among their members who typically do not have a 
connected territory. So far, the cross-border EGTCs represent the majority with 
56 EGTCs. Only a few have a truly transnational or network character (Table 3). 

12 Hesz et al., 2016, p. 42 

112 

 
 
 
 
 
                                         
 
 
 
In addition to the Tisza EGTC, founded in 2015, three more EGTCs now have 
members from non-EU Member States: EUCOR The European Campus and the 
Interregional Alliance for the Rhine-Alpine Corridor EGTC, both with members 
from  Switzerland,  and  Amphictyony  with  a  member  from  Palestine.  This 
increase in members from non-EU countries is thus due to both the creation of 
new  EGTCs  during  2016  and  the  addition  of  new  partners  from  non-EU 
Members States in already existing EGTCs.  

Table 3:  Type and geography of existing and new EGTCs 
Geography of EGTC* 

Comments 

until 

No 
2015 

New 
EGTCS 

Cross-border Iberia & 
southern France 

Cross-border North-west 
Europe 

Cross-border Alpine area 

Cross-border area involving 
Germany, Poland and Czech 
Republic 
Cross-border areas 
involving Hungary & 
Slovakia 

Transnational 

Network 

14 

9 

4 

2 

23 

3 

5 

1 

2 

1 

1 

The  EGTC  EMI  is  located  in  a  cross-
border  context  but  is  open  to  wider 
cooperation  in  terms  of  a  network 
EGTC. 
The  EGTC  Eurodistrict  PAMINA  was 
founded  during  2016.  The  new  EGTC 
EUCOR  The  European  Campus  has  a 
non-EU member from Switzerland.** 

New EGTC in an area with no previous 
EGTCs: PROUD EGTC 

The  PONTIBUS  EGTC  was  founded 
during 2016. 

the 
The  Interregional  Alliance  for 
Rhine-Alpine  Corridor  EGTC  has 
enlarged  its  membership  considerably 
from  10  to  20  members  and  now 
includes also a Swiss member. 
The  network  EGTC  Amphictyony  has 
extended 
to  a  non-
European member (city of Ramallah in 
Palestine). 

its  geography 

* The  differentiation of the groups follows as much as possible the outlines of the different parts of 
Map 1.  
** This EGTC is depicted as ‘network’ EGTC in the map as it is constituted by universities rather than 
public authorities. Nevertheless, this network has a clear cross-border perspective, given the location 
of  the  members.  This  example  shows  that  the  assignment  of  EGTCs  to  certain  groups  is  sometimes 
ambivalent.  
Source: Based on EGTC monitoring report 2015 and adjusted by Spatial Foresight calculations and 
data from new EGTCs 

Partnership 
Eleven  EGTCs  indicated  that  their  members  have  changed.  Three  of  them 
reported  a  reduction  of  members  (Arrabona  EGTC,  EUKN  EGTC  and 
Amphictyony EGTC). The other EGTCs with membership changes reported an 
enlargement  compared  with  past  years.  While  it  is  mostly  administrative  units 

113 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
that joined these EGTCs, there are also other public players that joined existing 
EGTCs.  This  is  the  case  for  the  EGTC  Linieland  van  Waas  en  Hulst.  It  was 
originally an EGTC of only administrative authorities, and its newest member, 
the Maatschappij Linker Scheldeoever (MLSO), is an experienced player in land 
area  and  land  policy  management.  One  Network  EGTC  (Amphictyony)  has 
incorporated  a  new  member  from  a  non-European  country:  Ramallah  from 
Palestine joined the EGTC in 2016. 

The  most  dominant  type  of  partnership  is  the  cooperation  of  local  authorities 
with  small-  to  medium-scale  cooperation  structures  between  2  and  20 
municipalities  representing  the  most  frequently  encountered  form.  The  second 
most  prominent  type  of  partnership  among  the  EGTCs  is  cross-border 
cooperation  involving  regional  level  authorities.  One  of  the  new  EGTCs  falls 
also under this group (see Table 4). 

Table 4:  Type of partnerships of existing and newly founded EGTCs  
New 
Partnerships of EGTCs 
EGTCS 

Until 
2015 

Comments 

Cross-border: 
Local level: 
- 2-20 members 
- 21-100 members 
Local-regional level 

Regional level 
Regional-national level 
Local-regional-national 
level 

Transnational / Networks: 
Local-regional 
National 
Without territorial authorities: 
- Cross-border 

18 
6 

5 

16 
2 

4 

5 
2 

1 

2 

1 

1 

The  new  EGTCs  in  this  category  are  EMI  and 
Regio PAMINA 
The new EGTC is PONTIBUS  

PROUD EGTC represents the new EGTC in this 
category. 
The administrative reform in France has led to a 
reorganisation  of  regions  and  competences.  It 
remains  to  see  what  this  implies  in  terms  of 
involvement of the French state in EGTCs. 

1 

EUCOR  The  European  Campus  –  The  members 
of the EGTC consist of five universities. 

- Transnational/network 
Source: Based on EGTC monitoring report 2015 and adjusted by Spatial Foresight calculations and 
data from new EGTCs 

1 

31 EGTCs mentioned that they intend to enlarge their group of members in the 
short  or  longer  term.  These  intentions  range  from  vague  ideas  about  new 
members and first informal approaches to ongoing approval procedures for new 
members.  

114 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
5.2 EGTCs’ staff, budget and projects 
The role of EGTCs can be illustrated quantitatively through the development of 
their  staff,  budget  and  number  of  externally  financed  projects.  As  regards  the 
projects, a more qualitative assessment complements this analysis in Section 5.4 
for  assessing the role of  EGTCs particularly  in  European Cohesion Policy  and 
ETC. 

Staff 
Staff, hired directly or indirectly, ensures the sound functioning of EGTCs. For 
2016,  50  out  of  the  65  EGTCs  have  reported  staff  that  is  hired  directly  in  the 
majority of cases. Compared with the 180 persons hired by the EGTCs in 2015, 
the staff of EGTCs for 2016 has more than doubled. As reported by the EGTCs, 
approximately 460 persons were working at the EGTCs in 2016.  

This increase is partly explained by additional staff hired by the EGTC Hôpital 
de Cerdanya (EGTC HC). The grouping has hit the maximum threshold of 195 
full-time equivalents (FTE) on the one hand due to new recruitments and on the 
other  because  of  a  closure  of  a  nearby  hospital  whose  employees  were  taken 
over.  

If  the  EGTC-HC  staff  is  subtracted  from  the  total  staff  number  of  all  EGTCs, 
approximately  215  persons  (FTE)  worked  for  the  EGTCs  in  2016.13  This 
represents  an  increase  of  around  50%  compared  with  2015.  This  is  explained 
through the additional EGTCs created in 2016, the increase of staff hired and the 
fact  that  the  reply  rate  of  EGTCs  providing  information  for  2016  has  been 
higher. Excluding the EGTC  HC, the EGTCs  that  reported staff had  about  4.7 
FTE  on  average  in  2016.  This  is  about  the  same  level  of  the  FTE  per  EGTC 
reported in previous years (see Figure 2).  

13 The actual number of FTE may even be somewhat higher if e.g. freelance social workers (see EGTCs Torysa 

and Svinka in Annex 2) are included in the calculation. 

115 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                         
Figure 2: Average number of FTE per EGTC* between 2010 and 2016 

C
T
G
E
E
T
F

/

5

4

3

2

1

0

2010

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Year

*The  average  FTE/EGTC  was  calculated  including  only  those  EGTCs  that  reported  staff 
hired/employed. EGTC HC is excluded from the calculation. Thus, for 2016 the sample consists of 46 
EGTCs. 
Source: Spatial Foresight, based on information from EGTC monitoring report 2015 and data 
collected from EGTCs 

Budget 
Membership  fees  still  provide  the  primary  source  of  the  EGTCs’  budgets.  For 
2016, 26 EGTCs indicated that membership fees covered all or at least part of 
their  budget.  This  number  might  be  higher,  since  not  all  EGTCs  provided 
information on the detailed composition of the budget.  

Figure 3: Average budget per EGTC* in Euros between 2010 and 2016 

C
T
G
E
/
o
r
u
E

600000

500000

400000

300000

200000

100000

0

2010

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Year

*The average Euro/EGTC was calculated including only those EGTCs that reported at least a rough 
indication on their budget not equal to zero. EGTC HC is excluded from the calculation.  
Source: Spatial Foresight, based on information from EGTC monitoring report 2015 and data 
collected from EGTCs 

116 

 
 
 
 
 
Altogether,  61  EGTCs  indicated  their  budget.  Some  of  them  are  not  precise; 
thus,  no  exact  total  budget  of  the  EGTCs  can  be  calculated.  Nevertheless,  the 
amounts reported total about € 51 million. This sum  includes € 20 million from 
EGTC HC, which in terms of its staff plays an outstanding role compared with 
all  other  EGTCs,  given  that  it  is  the  only  EGTC  so  far  that  is  operating  an 
infrastructure.  Compared  with  2015,  the  total  budget  for  all  EGTCs  has 
increased  strongly  by  about  40%14.  This  is  due  to  three  reasons,  first  because 
new  EGTCs  have  been  founded,  second  because  more  EGTCs  provided 
information  in  2016  than  in  2015  and  third  because  the  budget  itself  has 
increased  in 2016 in numerous individual EGTCs. Those  EGTCs that reported 
their  budget,  and  again  excluding  the  EGTC  HC,  had  a  budget  of  about  € 
560,000  on  average  in  2016.  This  is  considerably  higher  than  the  average 
budgets reported in previous years (see Figure 3). 

Other  important  sources  of  funding  for  EGTCs  are  national  and  regional 
contributions from the respective Member States’ budget. For 2016, 15 EGTCs 
indicated that they benefitted from national and / or regional funds. It is worth 
noting  that  in  recently  funded  EGTCs  with  Hungarian  participation,  some 
EGTCs were supported quite substantially by the central Hungarian Ministry of 
Foreign  Affairs  and  Trade.  This  illustrates  that  there  is  a  national  interest  in 
promoting EGTCs at the Hungarian borders.  

Table 5:  Use of EU funds other than ERDF (2016) 
Fund/ Programme 
European  Agricultural 
Development (EAFRD) 
Horizon 2020 
LIFE 
CEF 

for  Rural 

Fund 

EGTCs 
EGTC  Linieland  van  Waas  en  Hulst,  EGTC  
Spoločný región 
ZASNET 
ZASNET 
Interregional  Alliance  for 
Corridor EGTC 
Amphictyony 

the  Rhine-Alpine 

Development  education  and  awareness  raising 
(DEAR) 
Creative Europe 
Erasmus+ 

Europe for Citizens 

EGTC Pyrénées-Méditerranée 
EGTC  Pyrénées-Méditerranée,  EGTC  Gate  to 
Europe, EGTC Efxini Poli - SolidarCity Network 
BTC  EGTC,  EGTC  Efxini  Poli  -  SolidarCity 
Network, EGTC Via Carpatia 

Source: Spatial Foresight, based on data collected from EGTCs 

Another  source  of  funding  is  the  contribution  from  EU  funds.  It  is  mainly 
provided  through  ESIF  (ERDF/ETC,  ESF,  EAFRD)  but  EGTCs  also  benefit 
from  LIFE  and  Horizon  2020  funding.  Altogether,  ten  EGTCs  have  indicated 
that they received EU programme funding outside ESIF (see Table 4). Twenty-

14  Including the budget of the EGTC HC. 

117 

 
 
 
                                         
two  EGTCs  have  implemented  European  projects,  mostly  through  ETC.15 
EGTCs voiced a general interest in diversifying their funding sources. Actually, 
the number of EGTCs using European funds may be even higher than reported 
here,  since  it  is  not  always  apparent  whether  regional  or  national  funding 
received by an EGTC might be co-financed by the EU. 

5.3 Thematic focus of activities of EGTCs 
Previous EGTC monitoring reports outlined the great diversity of topics covered 
by  EGTCs.  This  has  not  changed.  This  section  presents  the  EGTCs’  thematic 
fields  of  activities  that  relate  to  supporting  the  Europe  2020  strategy  and  its 
flagship  initiatives,  as  well  as  the  policy  areas  according  to  the  different 
Commissions  of  the  CoR.  Both  thematic  differentiations  are  based  on  the 
responses provided by the EGTCs for 2016. 

5.3.1  Europe 2020 flagship initiatives 
Europe  2020,  launched  in  2010,  is  the  overarching  EU  strategy  for  smart, 
sustainable and inclusive growth in the EU, which guides all EU policies such as 
Cohesion Policy. Seven flagship initiatives support the realisation of these three 
overall aims, as shown in the table below. 

Table 6:  Overview of the Europe 2020 flagship initiatives 

Smart growth 

Digital agenda for Europe 

Sustainable growth 
Resource efficient Europe 

Innovation Union 

Youth on the move 

An  industrial  policy  for  the 
globalisation era 

Inclusive growth 
An  agenda  for  new  skills  and 
jobs 
European 
poverty 

platform 

against 

Source: http://ec.europa.eu/europe2020/europe-2020-in-a-nutshell/flagship-initiatives/index_en.htm 

As outlined in the amended EGTC Regulation16 "EGTCs can have the potential 
… to contribute to meeting the objectives of the Europe 2020 strategy", and the 
strategy and its flagship initiatives are also relevant for the activities of EGTCs. 
This  holds  true  in  particular  for  those  EGTCs  that  implement  European 
programmes or projects, as outlined in Section 5.4, which can thus be assumed 
to contribute to the implementation of Europe 2020. This is, however, not made 
explicit as shown by the analysis below.  

Twenty-five EGTCs explained that they contribute to the implementation of the 
Europe  2020  strategy  either  directly  or  indirectly,  with  very  limited  links  to 
specific  flagship  activities.  Only  the  EGTC  GO  at  the  IT-SI  border  clearly 
mentioned that it contributes to the flagship initiatives. This is done through two 
ITI  pilot  projects.  The  first  contributes  to  the  initiative  "Resource  efficient 

15  For more details on the role of ETC for EGTCs see Section 5.4 below. 
16 Regulation (EU) No 1302/2013, Recital (4) 

118 

 
 
 
 
 
                                         
Europe" and the second to the "European platform against poverty". By  means 
of the pilot project "Isonzo-Soča" the EGTC aims to improve accessibility and 
attractiveness  of  the  area  of  the  EGTC  municipalities  through  a  series  of 
interventions,  new  infrastructure  or  rehabilitation  works  related  to  pedestrian 
and cycle mobility to reduce gas emissions. By means of the second pilot project 
"Health"  the  EGTC  intends  to  identify  and  connect  health  and  social  service 
offerings  existing  in  its  territory  by  establishing  a  healthcare  network  built  on 
both  the  existing  excellence  of  the  Italian  and  Slovenian  areas  and  on  the 
analysis  of  the  population's  health  needs,  contributing  to  healthcare  and  social 
inclusion  of  the  cross-border  population  in  a  period  when  spending  on 
healthcare services tends to be reduced. 

the  future, 

In 
initiatives  may  be 
complemented  by  the  EGTC  AECT-FPI  that  intends  to  include  Europe  2020 
flagship initiatives in its future strategic and action plans. 

this  direct  contribution 

to  flagship 

Most  EGTCs  contribute  to  the  Europe  2020  strategy  without  referring  to  the 
flagship initiatives, be it through projects, or through aligning their policies with 
the  overall  Europe  2020  objectives.  This  is  done  in  various  thematic  fields 
relevant for the Europe 2020 strategy. 

Smart and Inclusive growth 
EGTCs  contribute  to  the  implementation  of  the  Europe  2020  strategy  through 
activities  fostering employment. The  EGTC GNP,  for instance, has worked  on 
improving  employment  through  the  development  of  cross-border  Job  Days  in 
different fields of activities and by bringing key economic and business players 
at  regional  and  local  levels  together.  In  the  field  of  education,  the  EGTC  has 
fostered vocational learning through the ‘lacobus’ programme, which was a step 
towards  cross-border  innovation  and  R&D  projects.  The  EGTC  highlights  that 
all  its  actions  are  guided  by  the  Common  Investment  Plan  Galicia  North 
Portugal 2014-2020, which was elaborated following the Europe 2020 strategy, 
and indicates how the EGTC works in support of the strategy. Another example 
is  the  EGTC  TATRY,  which  implemented  the  micro-project  "Cross-border 
specialist  and  vocational  training  in  EGTC  TATRY"  that  aims  improve  job 
opportunities  in  the  area.  The  professional  skills  of  participants  of  the  cross-
border training and courses will increase, including the use of modern IT tools. 
The EGTC Strasbourg-Ortenau also works on activities supporting employment 
in the region. The EGTC HC, although not using EU funding programmes, also 
mentions  that  the  creation  of  the  cross-border  hospital  contributed  to  retaining 
and  attracting  young  professionals,  particularly  in  the  sectors  of  nursing  and 
healthcare.  Similarly  the  EGTC  Tirolo  –  Alto  Adige  –  Trentino  fosters  the 
creation of new knowledge  and new highly  qualified jobs through  the  Euregio 
Science  Fund.  Also,  the  EGTC  Chaves-Verín  has  worked  on  modernising  the 

119 

 
 
 
 
cross-border labour market, through specialised training and in support of cross-
border labour mobility.  

Sustainable growth 
Some EGTCs focus on activities related to energy and resource efficiency, as for 
example  the  EGTC  Eurodistrict  Strasbourg-Ortenau.  The  EGTC  NOVUM  has 
been involved in the preparation of two Interreg projects for the Interreg Central 
Europe  programme  that  focused  on  renewable  energy  sources  and  energy 
efficiency, as well as reasonable energy consumption.  

Europe 2020 in general 
Other  EGTCs  mentioned  that  they  are  fully  aligned  with  the  Europe  2020 
priorities, as for example the Mura Region EGTC, the EMI EGTC, the AEuCC, 
the 
EGTC,  EGTC  Eurorégion  Nouvelle  Aquitaine-Euskadi-Navarre  and 
ZASNET  EGTC.  Depending  on  the  variety  of  topics  covered,  they  may  thus 
contribute  to  more  than  one  Europe  2020  objective.  Other  EGTCs  highlighted 
that  they  contribute to the  Europe 2020  strategy  more  indirectly.  This  is done, 
for  instance,  by  providing  information  on  topics  that  are  important  for  the 
Europe 2020 strategy (EUKN EGTC) or by including the objectives of Europe 
2020 in the political strategy of cooperation (EGTC Secrétariat du Sommet de la 
Grande Région).  

EGTCs  also  contribute  to  the  overall  objectives  of  the  Europe  2020  strategy, 
through their projects. An example is the EGTC TATRY, which has worked on 
projects for promoting tourism activities. This stimulated the local communities 
to  take  up  and  pursue  economic  activities  linked  to  cycling  tourism,  which  in 
turn is expected to be positive for the economic and social development of the 
PL-SK  border  region.  This  project  also  promotes  ‘greener’  modes  of  transport 
by  bike,  thus  contributing  to  a  resource  efficient  Europe.  This  example 
illustrates  the  breadth  of  contributions  to  Europe  2020  by  EGTCs.  By 
implementing  or  supporting  several  Interreg  V  projects  and/  or  development 
strategies,  various  EGTCs  contribute  to  the  Europe  2020  strategy,  without 
directly  referring  to  flagship  initiatives.  Examples  are  the  EGTC  Flandre-
Dunkerque-Côte  d'Opale,  BTC  EGTC,  the  EGTC  HP-HP  and  the  EGTC 
Eurodistrict Strasbourg-Ortenau.   

5.3.2  Activities in CoR Commissions’ policy areas 
EGTCs activities are related to the policy areas of the six CoR Commissions, i.e. 
CIVEX, COTER, ECON, NAT, SEDEC and ENVE. There is a large diversity 
of thematic activities, ranging from culture and sports, transport, forestry, nature 
and  biodiversity, to human  rights,  civil  protection  and  youth  employment.  The 
table in Annex 3 displays in more detail the fields of activities per each EGTC. 

120 

 
 
 
 
 
Figure 4 summarises the activity fields of the EGTCs per CoR Commission. It 
differentiates  between  activities  in  which  EGTCs  are  already  active  (in  green) 
and  activities  for  which  the  EGTCs  have  shown  interest  in  taking  action  (in 
orange).  

As  in  2015,  tourism  took  first  place  in  EGTCs’  fields  of  interest  in  2016.  In 
total,  39  EGTCs  indicated  that  they  are  active  in  this  field.  Seven  EGTCs 
expressed  their  interest  in  tourism-related  actions.  Culture  and  sports  activities 
are  the  second  most  popular  EGTC  activities.  Thirty-five  EGTCs  already  take 
on culture and sports related actions, while five EGTCs indicated their interest 
in such activities. 

Figure 4: Fields of activity grouped according to CoR Commissions in 2016 

E
V
N
E

C
E
D
E
S

T
A
N

N
O
C
E

R
E
T
O
C

X
E
V
C

I

Environment
Climate change
Energy
Social affairs
Culture, sports
Education & training
Youth employment
Research
Tourism
Rural development
Forestry, nature, biodiversity
Health
Civil protection
Entrepreneurship
Start-up & strategy dev.
Transport, infrastructure
Spatial development
Macro regions

Active citizenship
Enl. & neighbourhood
Human rights
Other

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

Source: Spatial Foresight, based on data collected from EGTCs 

Effective ﬁeld

Interest

Transport activities take third position, unlike 2015 when transport was second. 
A  total  of  31  EGTCs  are  already  active  in  transport  activities,  while  seven 
express their interest.  

Environment is a new entry in the list of the most popular actions. Together with 
education and training activities, these activities are among the actions with the 
highest  concern.  Twenty-nine  EGTCs  indicated  that  they  work  on  actions  on 
environment  and/or on  education and training.  The interest in getting active in 
environmental actions and education and training is rather low. 

Among the fields with the lowest actions and interest are human rights and civil 
protection actions, but also enlargement and neighbourhood and research related 
actions.  Furthermore,  activities  related  to  macro-regions  are  not  among  the 

121 

 
 
 
 
 
 
actions  of  many  EGTCs,  which  may  partly  result  from  many  EGTCs  being 
located in areas not covered by macro-regions. However, even if they generally 
consider that they have activities in the fields of macro-regions, some EGTCs do 
not explicitly point out the kinds of actions within the macro-regional strategies. 
This may indicate that they work in the macro-regional fields of action but are 
often not directly involved in macro-regional strategy implementation. 

5.4 Profile, achievements and obstacles of EGTCs in ETC 
The  original  objective  of  implementing  the  EGTC  instrument  was  to  better 
facilitate ETC, both at programme and project level.17 Thus, the role of EGTCs 
in  ETC needs to  take  into account not only  their participation  in  ETC  projects 
but also in relation to programme implementation and their wider involvement 
in programming etc. (sub-section 5.4.1). This is complemented by indications of 
future expectations of  the  EGTCs to implement  ETC.  Although  a considerable 
number of EGTCs contribute to implementing ETC, in some cases they still face 
obstacles. These are reconsidered in sub-section 5.4.2.  

5.4.1  Role of EGTCs in ETC in 2016 and beyond 
There  are  still  only  two  EGTCs  that  implement  ETC  programmes.  One  is  the 
EGTC  INTERREG  Grande  Région,  acting  as  Managing  Authority  (MA)  that 
replaces  the  previous  EGTC  responsible  for  the  implementation  of  the  cross-
border Interreg programme of the Greater Region (EGTC Grande Région). The 
other example is the ESPON EGTC, which has a specific role, since it is the sole 
beneficiary  of  the  ESPON  programme  2014-2020  and  as  such  responsible  for 
implementing  the  programme’s  studies.  In  addition,  in  few  cases  EGTCs have 
been given the responsibility for implementing a Small Project Fund (SPF) (i.e. 
RDV EGTC). 

Participation  in  ETC  projects  is  much  more  common  among  EGTCs.  In  2016, 
17  EGTCs  that  replied  to  the  questionnaire  indicated  that  they  have  been 
involved  either  as  partner  or  as  lead  partner  in  ETC  projects.  They  indicated 
around 35 ETC projects, which is a very low number compared with the roughly 
70 ETC-projects that were reported for 201518. This decrease can be explained 
through the winding-up of the old programming period (2007-2013) and the fact 
that  the  new  programming  period  (2014-2020)  has  not  yet  been  fully 
operational.  This  may  also  be  a  reason  for  the  still  relatively  low  number  of 
Interreg V programmes with EGTCs as beneficiaries. 

17 See e.g. Zillmer et al., 2015, p. 19 
18 See Committee of the Regions, 2016, Annex 2 

122 

 
 
 
 
                                         
Table 7:  EGTCs in ETC in 2016 
ETC programme 
Interreg VA SK-HU 

RDV EGTC 

EGTCs involved 

Interreg VA IT-AT 

Interreg VA Grande 
Région 

EGTC Flandre-
Dunkerque-Côte d'Opale 
EGTC Linieland van 
Waas en Hulst 

Interreg VA FR-
Wallonie-Vlaanderen  
Interreg VA Flanders-
The Netherlands 
Interreg VA Upper Rhine  EGTC Eurodistrict 
Strasbourg-Ortenau 
EGTC SaarMoselle, 
EGTC Alzette Belval 
INTERREG Grande 
Région 
EGTC Euregio Tirolo - 
Alto Adige – Trentino, 
EGTC Euregio Senza 
Confini 
EGTC Espacio Portalet, 
EGTC Eurorégion 
Nouvelle Aquitaine-
Euskadi-Navarre, EGTC 
HP-HP, EGTC PAHT  
EGTC León-Bragança 
EGTC TATRY 
EGTC NOVUM 
EGTC Pyrénées-
Méditerranée 

Interreg VA POCTEP 
Interreg VA PL-SK 
Interreg VA CZ-PL 
Interreg VB SUDOE 

Interreg VA POCTEFA 

Role of EGTCs 
In charge of setting up a group managing 
the SPF 
Project implementation and associated 
partner 
Project implementation 

Project implementation 

Project implementation; managing 
partner; Managing Authority 

Project implementation; observer 

Project implementation 

Project implementation 
Project implementation 
Project implementation 
Project implementation 

Interreg VB Alpine Space  EGTC Euregio Tirolo - 

Managing partner  

Interreg VB Baltic Sea 
Region  
Interreg Europe  

Alto Adige - Trentino 
CETC-EGTC 

Associated partner 

Project implementation  

EGTC Pyrénées-
Méditerranée, Pons 
Danubii EGTC  
ESPON EGTC 

ESPON  
Source: Spatial Foresight, based on data collected from EGTCs 

Single beneficiary of programme 

Regarding  the  capabilities  of  getting  involved  in  ETC,  the  EGTCs  mentioned 
that the involvement could happen and is happening through multiple ways that 
go beyond those described above. EGTCs may therefore co-finance or facilitate 
ETC  projects,  or  be  institutions  in  charge  of  development  plans  for  the  ESIF 
programmes  etc.  The  following  list  gives  some  examples  for  different 
involvements of EGTCs:  

-  GNP EGTC through the development of the Common Investment Plan for 

2014-2015 for the Interreg VA Programme Spain-Portugal; 

-  ABAÚJ  –  ABAÚJBAN  EGTC  and  BODROGKÖZI  EGTC  by  drawing 

up a development plan for the respective EGTC area; 

123 

 
 
-  Pons  Danubii  EGTC  by  organising  workshops  to  discuss  problems  and 

grant opportunities; 

-  BTC EGTC by preparing the partnership and project objectives related to 
different  Interreg  V  programmes,  namely  Hungary-Serbia,  Romania-
Hungary and the transnational Danube Programme. 

-  EGTC  Euregio  Tirolo  –  Alto  Adige  –  Trentino  by  functioning  as 
coordination  point  for  more  than  30  projects  of  their  members  and  by 
providing a platform for numerous activities in the regions; 

-  EGTC GO by promoting organisational innovations to the MA for project 
implementation and preparing the future implementation of an ITI in the 
frame of the Interreg VA Italy-Slovenia programme; 

-  EGTC EFXINI POLI through serving as capacity building and exchange 

platform for the staff of their members; 

-  EUKN  EGTC  organised  cooperation  and  networking  events  with  other 

Programmes and EGTCs; 

-  EGTC  Euregio  Senza  Confini  by  participating  as  an  observer  partner  in 

- 

Interreg VA programmes; 
the  EGTC  TATRY  through  its  director  who  is  a  member  of  the 
Monitoring  Committee  of  the  Interreg  VA  Poland-Slovak  Republic 
programme  and  by  supporting  local  governments  in  the  preparation  and 
implementation of cross-border projects; 

-  EGTC Eurocidade Chavez-Verín through its involvement in a case study 

on the dimension and structure of institutional proximity;  

-  ESPON  EGTC  by  launching  a  survey  to  identify  the  needs  of  19  ESIF 
programmes including ETC programmes for territorial evidence support. 

Many  EGTCs  mentioned  that  they  have  submitted  concrete  project  proposals 
either alone or as (lead) partners in a joint proposal to the open call for projects 
of  the  Interreg  programmes.  Twenty-eight  EGTCs  have  explicitly  mentioned 
that they intend to apply for projects in the framework of calls for projects until 
the  end  of  the  2014-2020  programming  period,  when  all  Interreg  programmes 
will  be  operational.  Some  projects  are  planned  to  start  early  in  2017  already. 
Most  EGTCs  founded  more  recently  during  2016  do  not  yet  implement  ETC 
projects but intend to do so in the near future. In addition, a considerably larger 
number  of  EGTCs  will  apply  for  European  funds  without  a  link  to  ETC.  The 
EGTCs  therefore  aim  to  intensify  their  involvement  in  the  implementation  of 
EU Cohesion Policy and in ETC in particular.  

However, not all EGTCs aim to benefit from ETC funds. Fourteen EGTCs either 
did not provide any information on future intentions or explicitly excluded ETC 
involvement. By purpose, the EGTC Flandre-Dunkerque-Côte d'Opale does not 
participate  in  ETC  programmes,  as  the  members  of  the  EGTC  already  do  so 

124 

 
 
 
extensively. Another example is the EGTC HC, which by its objectives relies on 
different funding and used ETC only for developing the hospital.19  

5.4.2  Obstacles in involvement of EGTCs in ETC 
EGTCs still face some obstacles when involved in ETC. These obstacles are of 
different  natures  and  have  different  causes  that  are  not  necessarily  or  directly 
linked to shortcomings of the EGTCs. The obstacles can be grouped according 
to financial and legal aspects; partly they are due to a lack of recognition of the 
EGTCs in national legislations, strategic inconsistencies, and others (Table 8). 

Table 8:  Obstacles in the involvement of EGTCs in ETC 

Issue 

Obstacle 

No. of EGTCs 
reporting obstacles 

Finances 

Staff / Expenses 

Legal 

National 
inconsistencies 

Recognition 
challenges 

Structural 
challenges 

EGTCs in ETC 

Bankruptcy of members 
Challenges in financial agreements from both sides/ 
availability of support 
Missing experience / more capacity building needed 
Lack of stable financial framework for operational 
stability/ pre-financing of projects 
Difficulties to find qualified staff 
Varying wage / tax levels, national differences in labour 
law (timing and criteria), etc. 
Lengthy period of constitution because of difficulties 
related to implementing EGTC law in national law 
(incl. recognition of documents 

Different competences/ objectives/ strategic ideas of 
different level bodies on each side of the border 
Recognition of EGTCs as cross-border/transnational-
partners (ETC) or by MA (it should be easier to acquire 
funding) 
Furthering the involvement of EGTCs in ETC 

Programmes not yet fully operational, lack of calls for 
projects, lack of time 
Lack of lobbying/coordination towards higher levels 
(national/regional/EU) of interests 

Source: Spatial Foresight, based on data collected from EGTCs 

1 
2 

2 
3 

1 
4 

5 

2 

4 

2 

2 

3 

Several of the above mentioned obstacles are related to differences between MS, 
whether  it  regards  responsibilities,  strategic  orientations,  different  laws, 
recognition  of  documents  etc.  This  illustrates  the  influence  of  national  politics 
on the functioning of EGTCs, which may not be negligible at times of increasing 
nationalisation  trends.  At  the  same  time,  public  players  become  members  of 
EGTCs  to  stabilise  their  cross-border/transnational  activities,  as  was  outlined 
e.g. for EUCOR The European Campus.  

19 See e.g. Zillmer et al., 2015, p. 115 

125 

 
 
 
 
                                         
5.5 Use of new instruments and smart specialisation 

strategies 

New  instruments  such  as  Community-Led  Local  Development  (CLLD), 
Integrated Territorial Investments (ITI) and Joint Action Plans (JAP) as well as 
the implementation of  smart  specialisation strategies (RIS3)  are  at the heart  of 
the ESIF programming period 2014-2020. As part of Cohesion Policy they also 
provide potential fields of action for EGTCs. 

New instruments 
In 2016, the uptake of  these  new  instruments is higher  than it was  in  2015.  In 
total,  four  EGTCs  have  actually  used  at  least  one  of  the  three  instruments  in 
2016. The four EGTCs that used CLLD did not use either ITI or JAP. Table 9 
lists the EGTCs that considered the use of such instruments in 2015 and those 
that actually used them in 2016. Three of the four EGTCs that used ITI also used 
JAP.  

From  the  EGTCs  that  expressed  their  interest  in  these  new  instruments  during 
2015, two EGTCs actually used at least one instrument in 2016 (in italics in the 
left  column  of  the  table  below);  namely  the  EGTC  Spoločný  region  and  Ister-
Granum EGTC.  

Table 9:  Comparison of use of new instruments 2015 and 2016 
Instrument  Considerations 2015 
CLLD 

-  EGTC Spoločný región  
-  EGTC Euregio Tirolo - Alto Adige 

Actual activity 2016 
-  Arrabona EGTC 
-  European  Common  Future  Building 

- Trentino 

EGTC 

ITI 

JAP 

Ister-Granum EGTC 

- 
-  ABAÚJ - ABAÚJBAN EGTC  
-  EGTC GO 
-  EGTC Alzette Belval 

-  EGTC Spoločný región  
-  AEuCC EGTC  

-  PONTIBUS EGTC  
- 
Ister-Granum EGTC 
-  RDV EGTC  
-  EGTC GO* 
-  EGTC Gate to Europe  
-  EGTC Spoločný región  
- 
Ister-Granum EGTC 
-  Bánát - Triplex Confinium EGTC  
-  RDV EGTC  
-  EGTC Spoločný región  

* Preparation in 2016, actual start in 2017 
Source: Spatial Foresight, based on information from EGTC monitoring report 2015 and data 
collected from EGTCs 

In addition, more EGTCs consider the use of such instruments for the future: six 
EGTCs  consider  the  use  of  CLLD  in  future,  nine  the  use  of  ITI  and/or  JAP 
respectively.  Partially,  these  include  EGTCs  that  already  use  one  or  the  other 
new instrument; or EGTCs that are open to any of the three instruments without 
having used any of them so far (see Table 10).  

126 

 
 
 
 
 
Table 10: Intentions for future use of new instruments  

CLLD 
Ister-Granum EGTC 
EGTC Spoločný región 

ABAÚJ - ABAÚJBAN EGTC 
BODROGKÖZI EGTC 

ITI 
(cid:1) 
(cid:1) 

Bánát - Triplex Confinium 
EGTC 
EGTC SaarMoselle 
EGTC Parc européen Alpi 
Marittime – Mercantour 

JAP 
(cid:1) 
(cid:1) 

(cid:1) 

EGTC Amphictyony 
EGTC TRITIA 

AEuCC EGTC 

(cid:1) 

PONTIBUS EGTC 
EGTC Via Carpatia 

ZASNET EGTC 

European Border Cities EGTC 

Mura Region EGTC 

(cid:1) New instrument already used by the EGTC in the respective row 
Source: Spatial Foresight, based on data collected from EGTCs 

Smart Specialisation Strategies 
Two EGTCs have been involved in the implementation of Smart Specialisation 
Strategies  in  2016.  These  are  the  AEuCC  EGTC  and  the  CETC-EGTC.  The 
EGTC GNP at the PT-ES border highlights that some of its actions are directly 
related to the Galicia North Portugal Cross Border S3. The RIS3 is also one of 
the  key  documents  for  innovation,  e.g.  for  the  IACOBUS  Programme.  Even 
more, this EGTC collaborates in the development of the cross-border RIS3.  

The  Mura  Region  EGTC  shows  interest  in  being  involved  in  RIS3  and  the 
EGTC AECT-FPI is working on smart specialisation in view of the action plan. 
Similarly, the EGTC Espacio Portalet has been involved in RIS3 projects, such 
as  with  the  InturPYR  project  of  tourist  innovation  in  the  Pyrenees,  and  the 
Innovation  project  SECURUS  in  natural  risk  management  on  cross-border 
roads.  

Other  EGTCs  or  actions  of  EGTCs  have  been  indirectly  involved  in  the 
implementation  of  RIS3.  For  instance,  the  EGTC  GO  is  not  involved  or  in 
charge of any action connected with the RIS3 implementation, but its activities 
are aligned to the Slovenian and Italian RIS3 and refer to the Isonzo-Soca Pilot 
action.  In  addition,  the  RIS3  structures  the  programme  development  of  the 
EGTC  Eurorégion  Nouvelle  Aquitaine-Euskadi-Navarre 
the  field  of 
‘knowledge economy – innovation – competitiveness of enterprises’, while the 
EGTC Secrétariat du Sommet de la Grande Région is involved in the exchange 
of  information  to  further  develop  projects  (e.g.  working  group  ‘economic 
questions’).  

in 

127 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
6  EGTCs under construction 

This chapter reviews the development of EGTCs under constitution. Thereby it 
distinguishes  different  states  of  constitution  and  compares  the  development 
since the last monitoring report 2015. The list provided in Section 6.1 does not 
claim  to  be  complete  but  is  based  on  data  available  to  the  CoR  and  extensive 
desk  research  and  interviews  with  existing  EGTCs  and  other  relevant 
authorities.  

EGTCs under constitution repeatedly report delays in their constitution process 
and sometimes the process is even interrupted and not pursued further. Section 
6.2 is devoted to these obstacles and provides an overview. 

6.1 Overview of EGTCs under constitution 
Two prospective EGTCs that were reported during 2015 to await approval or be 
in  preparation,  respectively,  were  approved  in  2016.  These  are  namely  the 
EGTCs EUCOR The European Campus and Eurodistrict PAMINA. In addition, 
three  other  EGTCs  finalised  their  constitution  process  in  2016,  although  they 
were not reported in the previous monitoring report. These EGTCs are presented 
in Chapter 4 with extensive factsheets.  

The  following  table  lists  all  identified  EGTCs  under  constitution  at  the  end  of 
2016.  Overall,  23  EGTCs  could  be  identified.  The  number  of  constitution 
processes has increased considerably compared with previous years. Especially 
the number of EGTCs in preparation has grown.  

In  January  2017,  the  EGTC  IPOLY-VÖLGYE  (see  no.  1  in  table  below) 
received  its  approval.  Similarly,  the  foundation  of  the  EGTC  InterPal  -  Medio 
Tejo  has  been  recently  published  (no.  2  in  below  table).  Thus,  both  are 
established at the moment of drafting of this report. Only two of the nine EGTCs 
awaiting approval at the end of 2016 previously reported their intention for the 
monitoring report. For one prospective EGTC still under constitution the status 
reported  in  2015  could  not  be  verified  (Eurocidade  Valença  do  Minho  –  Tui). 
Nevertheless,  the  idea  to  found  this  EGTC  is  still  alive  and  currently,  an 
examination of which cooperation form will suit best the needs of the two cities 
is underway. Therefore, its status is now displayed as ‘idea’.  

All  EGTCs  awaiting  approval  expect  to  finalise  their  constitution  process  in 
2017, mostly in the first half of the year. For the European Campus of Studies 
and  Research,  the  approval  furthermore  depends  on  the  adoption  of  a  regional 
implementation  rule  in  Bavaria,  which  is  planned  but  not  yet  processed  (see 
Chapter 3).  

128 

 
 
 
 
 
Table 11: Overview of EGTCs under constitution according to status  
No.  Name 
1 

Awaiting approval  Hungary, Slovakia 

Status 2015 
not included 

Status 2016 

Countries 

not included 

Awaiting approval  Portugal, Spain 

IPOLY-VÖLGYE 
EGTC InterPal - 
Medio Tejo 

2 

3  EGTC Alpine Pearls 

In preparation  Awaiting approval 

Austria, Germany, Switzerland, 
Italy, Slovenia, France 

4  Cittaslow 
5  Rio Minho 

In preparation  Awaiting approval  Italy, Netherlands 
not included 

Awaiting approval  Spain, Portugal 

6 

7 

8 

9 

Eurociudad del 
Guadiana 
European Campus 
of Studies and 
Research 
ELIKAS AMKE / 
H.E.L.I.C.A.S. 
EGTC Ltd. 
INNOVATIVE 
EUROPE - INEU 

not included 

Awaiting approval  Spain, Portugal 

not included 

Awaiting approval  Germany, Austria 

not included 

Awaiting approval  Greece, Bulgaria  

not included 

Awaiting approval  Greece, Bulgaria 

10  Trans-Oderana 

In preparation 

In preparation  Germany, Poland 

Alto 
Adriatico/Severni 
Jadran/ Sjeverni 
Jadran 
EGTC Saint Martin 
Sint Maarteen 

11 

12 

In preparation 

In preparation 

Italy, Slovenia, Croatia 

In preparation 

In preparation* 

France, Netherlands  

13  Shrines of Europe 

not included 

In preparation 

14  Odra+Oder 

not included 

In preparation 

15 

Euro Contrôle Route 
(ECR) 

not included 

In preparation 

16  EGTC David 

not included 

In preparation 

Poland, Germany, France, 
Austria, Portugal 
Poland, Germany 
Belgium, Luxembourg, The 
Netherlands, France, Germany, 
Ireland, UK, Poland, Austria, 
Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, 
Lithuania, Croatia 
Slovenia, Austria 

18 

17 

Geopark Muskauer 
Faltenbogen 
Geopark 
Karawanken-
Karavanke 
19  EGTC Muraba 
20  DeltaMed 

21 

Sportzentrum 
Ralingen-Rosport 

22  EGTC Hercules 

23 

Eurocidade Valença 
do Minho - Tui 

not included 

In preparation 

Poland, Germany 

not included 

In preparation 

Slovenia, Austria 

not included 
not included 

In preparation* 
In preparation* 

Slovenia, Hungary 
Italy, Greece 

not included 

In preparation*  Germany, Luxembourg 

not included 
Awaiting 
approval 

In preparation*  UK, Spain 

Idea 

Portugal, Spain 

* Assessment not based on response from EGTC but other information such as approval authorities, 
news etc. 

129 

 
 
Some  EGTCs  currently  in  preparation  cannot  assess  when  their  constitution 
process  may  be  finalised.  However,  the  majority  of  these  EGTCs  under 
constitution expect to finalise their preparation during 2017 and to be approved 
either in 2017 or 2018.  

EGTCs  under  constitution  vary  widely  regarding  their  thematic  focus  and 
geographic  location.  As  in  the  past,  many  cross-border  EGTCs  under 
constitution  tend  to  have  a  cross-thematic  approach  focusing  on  territorial 
development  of  their  cities  or  regions.  However,  there  are  also  EGTCs  under 
constitution  with  a  specific  thematic  focus.  Examples  are  the  support  and 
marketing  of  environmentally  friendly  tourism  of  a  network  of  24  Alpine 
tourism  destinations  (Alpine  Pearls),  religious  touristic  places  (Shrines  of 
Europe);  improving  road  safety,  sustainability,  fair  competition  and  labour 
conditions  in  road  transport  (Euro  Contrôle  Route  -  ECR)  and  educational 
networks and collaboration (European Campus of Studies and Research). 

Many  local  and  regional  authorities  will  become  members  of  these  future 
EGTCs,  but  also  national  authorities  (ECR)  and  educational  institutions 
(European  Campus  of  Studies  and  Research)  are  among  them.  Similarly  the 
number of prospective members per EGTC varies from two to more than 20.  

Map  3  gives  a  tentative  overview  of  the  geographic  locations  of  the  EGTCs 
under constitution at the end of 2016. In contrast to the map on existing EGTCs, 
these  indications do  not  correspond  to  the  territory  covered  by  the  prospective 
members of the EGTCs. Many of the EGTCs under constitution will work in a 
cross-border context. But there are also some network EGTCs with transnational 
or interregional orientation (e.g. Shrines of  Europe and  ECR). The prospective 
EGTC  Cittaslow  provides  a  very  specific  example  in  terms  of  its  approach  to 
founding  the  EGTC,  since  it  has  a  network  character  but  has  started  its 
foundation with members from two countries that will be extended in the future.  

Overall, prospective EGTC members can be found all across the EU. Only one 
example includes members from non-EU countries (Alpine Pearls). However, a 
few prospective EGTCs plan to extend their membership; some of them want to 
include  members  from  non-EU  MS  (Cittaslow  &  H.E.L.I.C.A.S).  New  cross-
border  EGTCs  can  be  found  mainly  in  border  areas  with  previous  EGTC 
foundations  (east-central  Europe  and  Portugal-Spain,  Greater  Region).  In 
addition there are a few other foundation processes e.g. along the DE-PL border 
and in south-eastern Europe.  

Taking  these  observations  together,  the  variety  of  applications  of  the  EGTC 
instrument  is  likely  to  expand  further  with  the  foundation  of  EGTCs  currently 
under constitution.  

130 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Map 3:  Geographical distribution of EGTCs under constitution, February 

2017 

Source:  Spatial  Foresight,  based  on  data  collected  from  EGTCs,  national  authorities  and  EGTCs 
under constitution 

6.2 Obstacles encountered for delayed constitutions 
A few EGTCs reported as prospective in the previous monitoring report do not 
seem to be pursued further. In some cases, representatives explicitly mentioned 
that there is no intention to pursue the foundation of an EGTC any further (e.g. 
OPCC, ESIN) or that they interrupted the process for at least a few  years (e.g. 
Euroregion  Neiße-Nisa).  In  other  cases,  the  representatives  could  not  be 
contacted and updated information could not be gathered. This holds especially 
for  some  prospective  EGTCs  that  were  reported  with  unchanged  status  for 

131 

 
 
several years (e.g. Megidia – Silistra, The route of the Phocaeans) as well as the 
EGTC  initiative  made  by  the  Interreg  IVB  project  COASTGAP  that  was 
finalised in 2015 (see Table 12). 

Awaiting approval  Bulgaria, Romania 

Status 2015 

Table 12: Prospective EGTCs not pursued further 
Name 
Countries 
Medgidia - Silistra 
The route of the Phocaeans 
Euroregion Neiße-Nisa 
COASTGAP - Coastal 
Governance and Adaptation 
Policies in the 
Mediterranean  
OPCC - Pyrenees 
Observatory of Climate 
Change 

In preparation 
In preparation 

Idea 

Idea 

n.a. 
Poland, Germany 

France, Spain, Andorra 

Italy, France, Greece, Cyprus, Spain, 
Croatia, Germany 

European Small Islands 
Federation - ESIN 

Idea 

Denmark, Great Britain, Sweden, Italy, 
Ireland, Greece, Estonia, Croatia, 
Finland, France 

EGTCs frequently mention that decisions about the liability of the EGTC cause 
delays. Other lengthy decisions concern questions on seat decisions, budgets and 
staff. The time needed for these decisions varies considerably depending on the 
individual  EGTC’s  characteristics  and  past  cooperation  experience.20  Other 
effects  delaying  foundation  processes  are  linked  to  external  conditions,  e.g.  in 
the case of regional administrative reforms or if political representatives change 
during the foundation process, since this affects the ownership to further pursue 
the  EGTC  constitution.  This  occurs  especially  if  EGTCs  aim  to  be  of  limited 
liability  in  connection  with  the  different  implementation  rules  applying  in  the 
MS. This comes together with varying support by approval authorities. EGTCs 
under  constitution  sometimes  express  the  wish  for  better  support  and 
collaboration to speed up the foundation process. In a few cases, communication 
procedures  with  approval  authorities  for  obtaining  approval  are  lengthy  if 
additional documents or clarifications are requested. This often tends to be less 
critical if the approval authorities are consulted early in the constitution process. 
Delays are furthermore occurring in cases with members from several countries, 
especially including non-EU MS. In order to speed up the process, Cittaslow, for 
example, has decided to establish the EGTC with members from two countries 
for  a  start.  This  aims  at  reducing  the  complexity  to  complete  the  same 
procedures in parallel in several different countries. After successful foundation, 
it is envisaged that members from up to 18 additional EU MS and Turkey, that 
are part of the current cooperation structure,21 will join stepwise.  

20 See also Zillmer et al., 2014; Zillmer and Lüer, 2016; Zillmer and Toptsidou, 2014  
21 http://www.cittaslow.org/node/246  

132 

 
 
 
                                         
7  Conclusions 

This EGTC monitoring report highlights that the variation in tasks, partnership 
and territorial structures of EGTCs has further increased in 2016. The different 
examples  illustrate  that  EGTCs’  tasks  vary  from  soft  general  cooperation 
activities  to  very  concrete  subjects  that  are  impossible  to  tackle  without  cross-
border cooperation. Only five EGTCs were constituted during 2016, which is a 
relatively  low  number  compared  with  most  previous  years.  However,  the 
instrument  still  appears  to  be  attractive,  since  more  than  20  possible  EGTC 
establishments have been identified as under preparation or awaiting approval.  

New  cross-border  EGTCs  continuously  develop  in  particular  in  areas  that  are 
neighbouring to  other EGTCs.  This  indicates that positive experience  made  by 
some stakeholders is transferred to neighbouring regions. One amendment of the 
EGTC  regulation  in  2013  aimed  to  clarify  and  support  the  participation  of 
players  from  non-EU  MS  in  EGTCs  and  allows  for  different  procedures.  The 
uptake of this  amendment is rather  slow with  first  members from Switzerland, 
Ukraine  and  Palestine.  The  latter,  for  instance,  has  become  a  member  of  an 
EGTC  through  signature  and  ratification  of  the  statutes  and  the  convention  on 
the  basis  of  their  eligibility  within  the  Cross-Border  Cooperation  Programme 
ENI  CBC  “Mediterranean  Sea  Basin”.  There  is  still  no  EGTC  including 
Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT).  

A few EGTCs out of the total number of 65 EGTCs established up to the end of 
2016 are not active anymore or have never been operational. No EGTC is closed 
yet. The first EGTC expected to close is the EGTC Grande Région, after closure 
of  the  Interreg  IVA  programme  Grande  Région  for  which  the  EGTC  acted  as 
MA. This has been replaced by a new EGTC to improve the operability as MA.  

All  MS  fulfil  the  formal  requirement  of  having  adopted  the  EGTC  regulation. 
However, only a few MS have updated their implementation provisions after the 
amendment of the EGTC regulation in 2013. This is, however, not related to the 
actual occurrence of EGTCs in the territories of the MS. Many MS with several 
EGTC seats or members of EGTCs take action to support the implementation of 
the instrument, though with different intensity. 

Many  EGTCs  either  implement  projects  funded  under  ETC  or  contribute 
otherwise to European policy objectives as laid out in the Europe 2020 strategy. 
The  implementation  of  ETC  programmes  still  plays  a  minor  role,  though  this 
was  one  of  the  original  main  objectives  for  which  the  EGTC  instrument  was 
developed. The Schengen area crisis affects relatively few EGTCs. Only single 
EGTCs  see  effects  on  their  work.  More  EGTCs  are  concerned  in  case  of 
continuous challenges of the Schengen area. 

133 

 
 
 
 
 
 
8  Bibliography 

Data  and  information  from  EGTCs,  EGTCs  under  constitution  and  national 
authorities  collected  through  a  questionnaire  in  written  and  through  interviews 
provide the central source of information for the EGTC monitoring report 2016. 
The following sources give an overview of additional literature and reports used. 

Bertelsmann  Foundation,  2016.  Departure  from  the  Schengen  Agreement. 
Macroeconomic impacts on Germany and the countries of the European Union. 

Bruegel, 2016. The economic consequences of Schengen. 

Committee of the Regions, 2016. EGTC Monitoring Report 2015. Implementing 
the new territorial cooperation programmes. 

Committee of the Regions, 2015. EGTC monitoring report 2014. Implementing 
the Strategy Europe 2020. 

Committee of the Regions, 2014. EGTC Monitoring Report 2013. Towards the 
new Cohesion Policy. 

Committee of the Regions, 2013. EGTC Monitoring Report 2012. 

Committee of the Regions, 2012. EGTC Monitoring Report 2011. 

Committee of the Regions, 2011. EGTC Monitoring Report 2010. 

Europe  Economics,  2016.  The  Cost  of  Non-Schengen:  the  Impact  of  Border 
Controls within Schengen on the Single Market. 

European Commission, 2016a. Back to Schengen - A Roadmap. 

European Commission, 2016b. Collecting solid evidence to assess the needs to 
programmes 
Interreg 
be 
(2015CE160AT044). Final report. 

cross-border 

cooperation 

addressed 

by 

France Stratégie, 2016. The Economic Cost of Rolling Back Schengen. 

Hesz,  R.,  Jankai,  N.,  Haschitz,  M.,  Gangl,  É.,  2016.  Overview  of  the  EGTCs 
around Hungary. 

134 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Regulation (EC) No 1082/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council 
of 5 July 2006  on a European grouping of territorial cooperation  EGTC. OJ L 
210/19. 

Regulation (EU) No 1302/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council 
of 17 December 2013 amending Regulation (EC) No 1082/2006 on a European 
grouping  of  territorial  cooperation  (EGTC)  as  regards  the  clarification, 
simplification  and  improvement  of  the  establishement  and  functioning  of  such 
groupings. OJ L 347/303. 

Zillmer,  S.,  Böhme,  K.,  Lüer,  C.,  Stumm,  T.,  2014.  Guideline  for  the 
establishment of an EGTC for stakeholders of transnational cooperation, BMVI-
Special publications. Bundesministerium für Verkehr und digitale Infrastruktur, 
Berlin. 

Zillmer, S., Lüer, C., 2016. Experience from European Groupings of Territorial 
Cooperation (in preparation). BMVI, Berlin. 

Zillmer, S., Lüer, C., Toptsidou, M., Krzymuski, M., Dallhammer, E., Kintisch, 
M.,  Schuh,  B.,  Celotti,  P.,  Colin,  A.,  Preku,  A.,  Brignani,  N.,  Waterhout,  B., 
Zonneveld, W., Stead, D., 2015. European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation 
as an Instrument for Promotion and Improvement of Territorial Cooperation in 
Europe.  European  Parliament.  Policy  Department  B:  Structural  and  Cohesion 
Policies. 

Zillmer, S., Toptsidou, M., 2014. Potentials and limits of the EGTC instrument 
for  enhancing  integration  across  borders.  Spatial  Foresight  Brief  2014:5. 
Luxembourg. 

Online Sources  
http://ec.europa.eu/europe2020/europe-2020-in-a-nutshell/flagship-
initiatives/index_en.htm, 2012. "Flagship initiatives". (Last access 28.02.2017) 

https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/what-we-do/policies/borders-and-
visas/schengen_en, 2017. "Schengen Area". (Last access 28.02.2017) 

https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/what-we-do/policies/borders-and-
visas/schengen/reintroduction-border-control_en, "Temporary Reintroduction of 
Border Control". (Last access 28.02.2017) 

https://portal.cor.europa.eu/egtc/CoRActivities/Pages/welcome.aspx,  "Register 
of European Groupings of Territorial Cooperation". (Last access 28.02.2017) 

http://www.cittaslow.org/node/246, "Association". (Last access 28.02.2017) 

135 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Annex 1 – Legislation update 

Answer outstanding 

New provisions as compared with EGTC 
monitoring report 2015 

Minor adjustments & updates compared 
with EGTC monitoring report 2015 

MS 

EGTC National Provision 

AT - 
Burgenland 

Burgenländisches EVTZ-Gesetz - Bgld. 
EVTZG 

AT - 
Carinthia 

AT - Lower 
Austria 

Kärntner EVTZ-Gesetz - K-EVTZG 

Niederösterreich EVTZ-Gesetz 

AT - 
Salzburg 

Salzburger EVTZ- Anwendungsgesetz - 
S.EVTZ-G 

Date of adoption, incl. 
Regulation 1302/2013 
24 Feb 2011, Amendment 
1302/2013 adopted: Dec 
2014 
18 Dec 2008, Amendment 
1302/2013 adopted: Oct 
2014 
21 Jan 2010 Amendment 
1302/2013 adopted: Aug 
2015 
26 Sep 2009, Amendment 
1302/2013 adopted: Feb 
2015 

AT - Styria 

Steiermärkisches EVTZ- 
Anwendungsgesetz - StEVTZG 

17 Nov 2009, revised: Sep 
2013 

AT - Tyrol  Tiroler EVTZ- Gesetz 

3 Sep 2010, Amendment 
1302/2013 adopted: Oct 
2014 

AT - Upper 
Austria 

EVTZ-Anwendungsgesetz OÖ-
EVTZG. 

31 Mar 2011 

AT - Vienna  W-EVTZG 

24 Sep 2010, Amendment 
1302/2013 adopted: Apr 
2015 

136 

Competent authority 

General information 

Land Burgenland (Regional 
government – federal state of 
Burgenland) 
Land Kärnten (Regional 
government – federal state of 
Carinthia) 
Land Niederösterreich (Regional 
government – federal state of 
Lower Austria) 
Land Salzburg (Regional 
government – federal state of 
Salzburg) 
Land Steiermark (Regional 
government – federal state of 
Styria) 

Land Tirol (Regional government 
– federal state of Tyrol) 

Land Oberösterreich (Regional 
government – federal state of 
Upper Austria) 

Public or Private law 
with Limited or 
Unlimited Liability * 
Public or Private law 
with Limited or 
Unlimited Liability * 
Public or Private law 
with Limited or 
Unlimited Liability * 
Public or Private law 
with Limited or 
Unlimited Liability * 
Public or Private law 
with Limited or 
Unlimited Liability * 
Public or Private law 
with Limited or 
Unlimited Liability * 
Public or Private law 
with Limited or 
Unlimited Liability * 

Municipal Administration of the 
City of Vienna 

Public or Private law 
with Limited Liability 

 
 
MS 

EGTC National Provision 

AT - 
Vorarlberg 

EVTZ-Gesetz 

Date of adoption, incl. 
Regulation 1302/2013 
23 Apr 2009, Amendment 
1302/2013 adopted: Jun 
2015 

Competent authority 

General information 

Land Vorarlberg (Regional 
government - federal state of 
Vorarlberg) 

Public or Private law 
with Limited or 
Unlimited Liability * 

BE - 
Brussels 
Capital 

BE - 
Flanders 
Region 

BE - 
German-
Speaking 
Community 

BE - 
Walloon 
Region 

BG 

Ordonnance portant exécution du 
Règlement (CE) n° 1082/2006 du 
Parlement européen et du Conseil du 5 
juillet 2006 relatif à un Groupement 
européen de coopération territoriale 
(GECT) (1) 
Houdende uitvoering van de 
Verordening (EG) Nr. 1082/2006 van 
het Europees Parlement en de Raad van 
5 juli 2006 betreffende een Europese 
groepering voor territoriale 
samenwerking (EGTS) 
Dekret Über Die Zuständige Behörde 
Zur Ausführung Der Verordnung (Eg) 
Nr. 1082/2006 Über Den Europäischen 
Verbund Für Territoriale 
Zusammenarbeit 

14 May 2009 

Government of the Region of 
Brussels Capital 

Public Law 

6 Dec 2007 

Ministry for Regional 
Development 

n.a. 

23 Jun 2008 

Government of the German-
speaking Community 

Public Law 

C.R.I.C. N° 68 (2008-2009) 

10 Feb 2009 

Ministry of Internal Affairs 

n.a. 

Decree No. 199 of 29 August 2007 / 
Decree No. 24 of 10.02.2015 

4 Sep 2007, Amendment 
1302/2013 adopted: Feb 
2015 

Council of Ministers 

Public law with 
Unlimited Liability 

CY 

Απόφαση 67.446 µε ηµεροµηνία 
9/7/2008 (Decision of the Ministerial 
Council 67.446 as of 9/7/2008) 

Jul 2008 

Committee of representatives 
from the Ministry of the Interior, 
the Directorate General for 
European Programmes, 
Coordination and Development 
and the Department of registrar of 
companies and official receiver 

Private law, non-profit 

137 

 
MS 

EGTC National Provision 

Date of adoption, incl. 
Regulation 1302/2013 

Competent authority 

General information 

Zákon, kterým se mìní zákon è. 
248/2000 Sb., o podpoøe regionálního 
rozvoje, ve znìní pozdìjších pøedpisù, 
zákon è. 218/2000 Sb., o rozpoètových 
pravidlech a o zmìnì nìkterých 
souvisejících zákonù (rozpoètová 
pravidla), ve znìní pozdìjších pøedpisù, 
a zákon è. 89/1995 Sb., o státní 
statistické slubi, ve znìní pozdìjších 
pøedpisù (154/2009 Sb.) 
Verwaltungsvorschrift der Ministerien 
zur Ausführung der Verordnung des 
Europäischen Parlaments und des Rates 
über den EVTZ 
Art. 13 Gesetz über die Zuständigkeiten 
zum Vollzug wirtschaftsrechtlicher 
Vorschriften 

CZ 

DE - Baden-
Württemberg 

DE - Bavaria 

7 May 2009, Amendment 
1302/2013 adopted: Nov 
2015 

Thematic responsible Ministry 

Public law with Limited 
or Unlimited Liability 

18 Jun 2007, Amendment 
1302/2013 adopted: 25 Mar 
2015 

Regional Council of Freiburg (on 
behalf of the State of Baden-
Württemberg) 

Public law with 
Unlimited Liability ** 

20 Dec 2007 

DE - Berlin  Senatsbeschluss Nr. 200/2007 

20 Feb 2007 

DE - 
Brandenburg 

Brandenburgische EVTZ- 
Zuständigkeitsverordnung 

22 Nov 2007, revised 23 Jun 
2012 

DE - Bremen 

DE - 
Hamburg 

Landesinterne Organisationsanordnung 
(unpublished) 
Anordnung über Zuständigkeiten im 
Zusammenhang mit dem EVTZ 

n.a. 

17 Nov 2008, revised 29 Sep 
2015 

DE - Hesse 

Landesinterne Organisationsanordnung 
(unpublished) 

n.a. 

DE - 
Mecklenburg 
Western 

Landesverordnung zur Übertragung von 
Zuständigkeiten nach der Verordnung 
(EG) Nr. 1082/2006 im Land 

18 Jun 2007 

138 

Regional Council of Upper 
Palatinate (Oberpfalz) (on behalf 
of the Free State of Bavaria) 
Senate Department for 
Economics, Energy and Public 
Enterprises (Berlin) 
Ministry for the Interior and 
Municipality Affairs 
(Brandenburg) 
Municipal Administration of 
Bremerhaven 

Senatskanzlei (Hamburg) 

Hessian Ministry of Economics, 
Energy, Transport and Regional 
Planning (Hesse) 
Ministry for Economics, 
Employment and Health 
(Mecklenburg Western 

Public law with 
Unlimited Liability ** 

Public law with 
Unlimited Liability ** 

Public law with 
Unlimited Liability ** 

Public law with 
Unlimited Liability ** 
Public law with 
Unlimited Liability ** 

Public law with 
Unlimited Liability ** 

Public law with 
Unlimited Liability ** 

 
MS 

EGTC National Provision 

Pomerania  Mecklenburg- Vorpommern 

Date of adoption, incl. 
Regulation 1302/2013 

Competent authority 

General information 

Pomerania) 

10 Jul 2007 

State Chancellery (Lower 
Saxony) 

Public law with 
Unlimited Liability ** 

DE - Lower 
Saxony 

DE - North-
Rhine 
Westphalia 

DE - 
Rhineland-
Palatinate 

DE - 
Saarland 

Interner Beschluss der Landesregierung 
(unpublished) 
Verordnung zur Regelung von 
Zuständigkeiten nach der EG-
Verordnung über den Europäischen 
Verbund für territoriale 
Zusammenarbeit (Europäische 
Territorialverbundverordnung - ZV 
EVTZ) 
Landesverordnung über die zuständigen 
Behörden zur Ausführung der 
Verordnung (EG) Nr. 1082/2006 über 
den Europäischen Verbund für 
territoriale Zusammenarbeit 
Verordnung über die Zuständigkeit zur 
Ausführung der Verordnung (EG) Nr. 
1082/2006 

29 Apr 2008 

18 Jul 2007 

07 May 2008 

DE - Saxony  EVTZ-Zuständigkeitsverordnung 

02 Jan 2008 

Ministry for Economic Affairs, 
Energy, Industry and 
Craftmanship (North-Rhine 
Westphalia) 

Public law with 
Unlimited Liability ** 

Ministry of the Interior and Sport 
(Rhineland-Palatinate) 

Public law with 
Unlimited Liability ** 

Ministry for Economics, 
Employment, Energy and 
Transport (Saarland) 
Regional Council of Dresden and 
the Ministry of the Interior 
(Saxony) 

Public law with 
Unlimited Liability ** 

Public law with 
Unlimited Liability ** 

DE - 
Saxony-
Anhalt 

DE - 
Schleswig-
Holstein 

Beschluss der Landesregierung über die 
Benennung der zuständigen 
Stelle/Behörde in Sachsen-Anhalt im 
Wege eines Organisationerlasses im 
Rahmen der Verordnung (EG) Nr. 
1082/2006 
Gesetz- und Verordnungsblatt für 
Schleswig-Holstein, Buchstabe A, 
Ziffer 1  

24 July 2007 

Ministry for Economics, Science 
and Digitisation (Saxony-Anhalt) 

Public law with 
Unlimited Liability ** 

17 Dec 2009 

Ministry of Justice, Cultural and 
European Affairs (Schleswig-
Holstein) 

Public law with 
Unlimited Liability ** 

139 

 
MS 

EGTC National Provision 

DE - 
Thuringia 

Thüringer EVTZ- 
Zuständigkeitsverordnung 

Date of adoption, incl. 
Regulation 1302/2013 

23 July 2007 

DK 

EE 

EL 

ES 

FI 

FR 

Lov om administration af forordning 
om oprettelse af en europæisk 

1 Jun 2008, amendment 
adopted: 21 Feb 2014 

Euroopa Parlamendi ja noukogu 
määruse (EÜ) Nr 1082/2006 "ETKR 
kohta" rakendamise seadus 

5 Jun 2008 

Law No 3613 - Article 22 - EGTC (in 
English) 

30 Jun 2008 (adoption of the 
amendment envisaged for 
Jan / Feb 2017) 

18 Jan 2008, amendment 
adopted: Jan 2015 

24 Jul 2009, amendment 
adopted: 20 Nov 2015 

Real Decreto 37/2008 por el que se 
adoptan las medidas necesarias para la 
aplicación efectiva del Reglamento 
(CE) n° 1082/2006 / Real Decreto 
23/2015 

Act on a European Grouping of 
Territorial Cooperation (1340/2015) 
Loi n° 2008-352 visant à renforcer la 
coopération transfrontalière, 
transnationale et interrégionale par la 
mise en conformité du code général des 
collectivités territoriales avec le 
règlement communautaire relatif à un 
groupement européen de coopération 
territoriale 

Competent authority 

General information 

Thuringian Administration Office 
(on behalf of the Free State of 
Thuringia) 
Danish Commerce and Company 
Agency and approval of the 
request for participation from the 
Danish Enterprise and 
Construction authority 

Public law with 
Unlimited Liability ** 

Public law with Limited 
or Unlimited Liability 

Ministry of Home Affairs, 
Ministry of Finance 

Public law with Limited 
or Unlimited Liability 

Committee consisting of Minister 
of Interior and a representative of 
the Ministry of Economy and 
Finance 
An EGTC is notified to the 
Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores, 
which transmits all applications 
(and modifications) to the 
Ministerio de Administraciones 
Públicas 
Ministry of Employment and the 
Economy 

Public law with Limited 
or Unlimited Liability 

Public law with 
Unlimited Liability 

Public law with 
Unlimited Liability 

16 Apr 2008 

State Representative at the 
regional level: Préfectures de 
région 

Public law with Limited 
or Unlimited Liability 

140 

 
 
 
MS 

EGTC National Provision 

HR 

HU 

Zakon o provedbi uredbi Europske 
Unije o Europskoj Grupaciji za 
Teritorijalnu Suradnju  
Act XCIX of 2007 on the European 
Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (in 
English) 

Date of adoption, incl. 
Regulation 1302/2013 

Competent authority 

General information 

13 Jun 2014 

Ministry of Administration 

n.a. 

25 Jun 2007, amendment 
1302/2013 adopted: Dec 
2014 

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and 
Trade 

Public law with Limited 
Liability 

IE 

Statutory Instrument, S.I. No. 533 

16 Dec 2009 

Department of Finance 

Public or Private law 
with Limited Liability 

Disposizioni per l'adempimento di 
obblighi derivanti dall'appartenenza 
dell'Italia alle Comunità europee - Capo 
III - Attuazione del regolamento (CE) 
n. 1082/2006 
Lietuvos Respublikos Europos 
Terirotinio Bendradarbiavimo Grupiu I 
Statymas 
Loi portant diverses mesures 
d'application du règlement (CE) N. 
1082/2006 relatif à un GECT 

19 May 2009 

Eiropas teritoriālās sadarbības grupu 
likums 

20 Aug 2009 

IT 

LT 

LU 

LV 

23 Jun 2009 

General Secretariat of the Prime 
Minister 

Public law with Limited 
Liability 

3 Jun 2008 

Ministry of Internal Affairs 

Ministry of Sustainable 
Development and Infrastructure, 
Department for Spatial Planning 
Ministry of Regional 
Development and Local 
Government Affairs 

Ministry of the Interior and 
Kingdom Relations 

Ministry of Foreign Affairs 

Public law with Limited 
Liability 

Public law with Limited 
or Unlimited Liability 

Public law with Limited 
or Unlimited Liability 

Public or Private law 
with Limited or 
Unlimited Liability 
Public law with 
Unlimited Liability 

Public law with 
Unlimited Liability 

Ministry for the Environment, 
Territorial Planning and Regional 
Development 

Public law with Limited 
or Unlimited Liability 

MT 

L.N. 8 of 2011 

12 Jan 2011 

Ministry of Finance 

NL 

Uitvoeringswet EGTS-verordening 

26 Nov 2009 

PL 

PT 

Ustawa z dnia 7 listopada 2008 r. o 
europejskim ugrupowaniu współpracy 
terytorialnej 

Decree Law No. 376/2007, Decree Law 
No. 60/2015 

7 Nov 2008, amendment 
1302/2013 adopted: 11 Sep 
2015 
9 Nov 2007, amendment 
1302/2013 adopted: 22 Apr 
2015 

141 

 
MS 

EGTC National Provision 

Date of adoption, incl. 
Regulation 1302/2013 

Competent authority 

General information 

RO 

SE 

SI 

Emergency Ordinance regarding the 
European Grouping of Territorial 
Cooperation (no. 9/2015) 
Svensk författningssamling - Lag om 
europeiska grupperingar för territoriellt 
samarbete 
Uredbo o ustanavljanju evropskega 
zdruzenja za teritorialno sodelovanje 
(EZTS) 

SK 

Act No. 90/2008 Coll. on a EGTC 

UK 

Statutory Instrument - 2007 No. 1949, 
Guidance Note, Statutory Instrument 
2008 No. 718 

12 Nov 2007, amendment 
1302/2013 adopted: 2015 

Ministry of Regional 
Development and Tourism 

Public 

1 Aug 2009 

Companies Registration Office 

30 Mar 2008, amendment 
1302/2013 adopted: Apr 
2015 
15 Feb 2008, amendment 
1302/2013 adopted: 2015 
and 2016 

1 Aug 2007, revised 1 Apr 
2008 

Government Office for Local 
Self-Government and Regional 
Policy 

Ministry of Construction and 
Regional Development 

Public law with Limited 
or Unlimited Liability 

The Secretary of State 

Public or Private law 
with Unlimited 
Liability 

Public or Private law 
with Limited or 
Unlimited Liability 

Public law with 
Unlimited Liability 

Source: Spatial Foresight, based on data collected from national authorities. 

142 

 
 
Annex 2 – Overview of key characteristics of EGTCs 

C
T
G
E

r
a
e
y
n
o
i
t
a
d
n
u
o
F

t
a
e
S

s
e
i
r
t
n
u
o
c

r
e
h
t
O

p
i
h
s
r
e
n
t
r
a
P

1 

Lille-
Kortrijk-
Tournai 

2008 

FR 

BE 
(oper
ation
al 
seat) 

national, 
regional, CU, 
local (147 
municipali-
ties) 

2 

Ister-
Granum 

2008 

HU 

SK 

local 
functional 
area around 
the cities of 
Esztergom 
(HU) and 
Štúrovo (SK); 
intent to reach 
102 members 
(initial 
members of 
euroregion) 

s
r
e
n
t
r
a
p
f
o
o
N

19 

82 

)
6
1
0
2
(

e
s
o
p
r
u
P

C
T
E
g
n
i
o
g
n
O

6
1
0
2

s
t
c
e
j
o
r
p

Creating cooperation 
structures between the 
political and institutional 
representatives of its 
members and helps to 
concretise more quickly on 
what are the needs of the 
French-Belgium inhabitants 
of the territory 

Primary task: implement 
territorial cooperation 
programs and projects co-
financed by the European 
Union, Six more detailed 
sub-tasks:  

3 

GNP 

2008 

ES 

PT 

national (PT), 
regional (ES) 
- rather rural 
area 

2 

Promotion of interconnection 
for the Euroregion and 
fostering of cross-border 
cooperation 

4 

Amphic-
tyony 

2008 

GR 

CY, 
IT, 
FR, 
Pales
tine 

local 

46 

Cooperation among elected 
representatives and staff of 
municipalities; 
implementation of EU 
projects 

0 

0 

0 

0 

143 

Budget in   

Staff 
(from 2013 in FTE) 

0
1
0
2

0
0
0
,
0
0
5
,
1

0
0
4
,
8
1

,

0
0
0
0
5
3

,

0
0
0
0
0
5

2
1
0
2

0
0
0
,
0
0
5
,
1

0
0
0
,
4
7

,

0
0
0
0
7
2

,

0
0
0
5
3
1

3
1
0
2

0
0
0
,
0
0
9
,
1

0
0
0
,
4
5

,

0
0
0
0
7
2

,

0
0
0
0
0
1

4
1
0
2

0
0
0
,
0
0
9
,
1

0
0
0
,
4
5

,

0
0
0
0
0
4

,

0
0
0
0
0
1

5
1
0
2

0
0
0
,
7
0
4
,
1

0
0
0
,
5
2
1

,

0
0
0
0
0
4

,

0
0
0
0
0
1

6
1
0
2

0
1
0
2

2
1
0
2

3
1
0
2

4
1
0
2

5
1
0
2

6
1
0
2

0
0
0
,
0
0
6
,
1

0
0
0
,
5
2
1

,

0
0
0
0
5
4

,

0
0
0
0
2
1

8 

12 

12 

12 

10 

8 

4 

2 

2 

3 

4 

3 

7 

6 

6 

6 

6 

6 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
C
T
G
E

r
a
e
y
n
o
i
t
a
d
n
u
o
F

t
a
e
S

s
e
i
r
t
n
u
o
c

r
e
h
t
O

p
i
h
s
r
e
n
t
r
a
P

s
r
e
n
t
r
a
p
f
o
o
N

)
6
1
0
2
(

e
s
o
p
r
u
P

C
T
E
g
n
i
o
g
n
O

6
1
0
2
s
t
c
e
j
o
r
p

0
1
0
2

2
1
0
2

3
1
0
2

4
1
0
2

5
1
0
2

Budget in   

Staff 
(from 2013 in FTE) 

5 

UTTS 

2009 

HU 

SK 

local 

4 

Local development 

-

-

-

-

6 

7 

8 

9 

Karst-
Bodva 

2009 

SK 

HU 

Duero-
Douro 

2009 

ES 

PT 

Flandre-
Dunker 
que-Côte 
d'Opale 

2009 

FR 

Archi 
Med 

2011 

IT 

BE 
(oper
ation
al 
seat) 

ES, 
CY, 
GR 

local attempt 
to 
include 
micro- region 
has failed 

local plus 
associations 
of 
municipalities 

3 

0
0
2
~

Cross-border 
development strategy in a 
region with nature reserve 

Achieve territorial cohesion, 
solving common needs, 
through joint actions in rural 
areas from Spain and 
Portugal 

national, 
regional, local 

13 

Facilitate and promote 
efficient and coherent cross-
border cooperation in the 
region 

0 

3 

-

0
0
0
,
0
7
1

,

0
0
0
0
0
3

regional 

7 

Development and 
implementation of projects; 
valorisation of existing 
cooperation  

n.a. 

10 

Pyrénées-
Méditerra
née 

2009 

FR 

ES 

regional 

4 

Culture, Innovation, 
sustainable development, 
higher education, tourism 

1 

,

0
0
0
0
0
7

0
0
5

0
0
0
,
0
5
6

,

0
0
0
0
7
2

0
0
0
0
6

,

,

0
0
0
0
0
7

-

-

-

0
0
0
,
0
5
6

,

5
6
2
7
2
3

0
0
0
0
6

,

,

0
0
0
0
0
8

0
0
0
,
4
5
6

,

0
0
0
0
2
3

0
0
0
0
6

,

,

0
0
0
0
0
8

0
0
0
,
4
5
6

,

0
0
0
0
2
3

0
0
0
0
6

,

,

0
0
0
0
0
8

144 

6
1
0
2

.
a
.
n

.
a
.
n

2
3
9
,
2
2
0
,
1

,

4
1
6
6
7
3

.
a
.

n

0
1
0
2

2
1
0
2

3
1
0
2

4
1
0
2

5
1
0
2

6
1
0
2

0 

0 

0 

0 

n.a. 

0 

0 

0 

0 

n.a. 

7 

15 

7 

30 

30 

20 

2 

0 

0 

0 

0 

2 

1 

1 

1 

1 

n.a. 

-
0
0
0
0
0
8

,

,

0
0
0
0
0
9

8 

8 

8 

9 

9 

9 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
C
T
G
E

r
a
e
y
n
o
i
t
a
d
n
u
o
F

t
a
e
S

s
e
i
r
t
n
u
o
c

r
e
h
t
O

p
i
h
s
r
e
n
t
r
a
P

11 

Euro 
district 
Stras 
bourg-
Ortenau 

2010 

FR 

DE 

12  ZASNET 

2010 

PT 

ES 

local (cities/ 
municipali-
ties), CU de 
Strasbourg 

regions, 
associations 
of 
municipalities 

s
r
e
n
t
r
a
p
f
o
o
N

86 

6 

13 

HC 

2010 

ES 

FR 

national, 
regional, local 

4 

14 

Grande 
Région 

2010 

FR 

15 

Saar 
Moselle 

2010 

FR 

national, 
regional, local 

11 

RV, CU, local 

8 

DE, 
LU, 
BE 

DE 
(ope-
ratio
nal 
seat) 

)
6
1
0
2
(

e
s
o
p
r
u
P

Facilitation and 
implementation of cross-
border projects 

Promote cross-border 
relations between the 
members of the EGTC, 
ZASNET in the traditional 
fields of cooperation 

The building and subsequent 
joint management and 
operation of a cross-border 
Hospital  

Management (MA) of 
multilateral ETC CB 
programme 2007-2013, 
Currently, the EGTC is in 
charge of the closure of the 
programme 
Ensuring the sustainable 
development of the region by 
supporting the cross-border 
cooperation in two key areas: 
Support the development of 
the Eurodistrict territory and 
initiate, monitor and 
implement inter-communal 
cooperation projects 

C
T
E
g
n
i
o
g
n
O

6
1
0
2
s
t
c
e
j
o
r
p

1 

n.a. 

0 

n.r. 

0
1
0
2

0
0
0
,
0
5
8

0
0
0
,
0
4
2

0
0
0
,
0
4

,

0
0
0
0
0
5

4 

-

16 

ABAÚJ - 
ABAÚJB
AN 

2010 

HU 

SK 

local 

14 

Realise cross-border 
developments and implement 
the development plan  

0 

2
1
0
2

0
0
0
,
0
5
8

0
0
0
,
0
8
4

0
0
0
,
0
0
5
,
5
1

,

0
0
0
0
5
6

,

0
0
0
0
8
4

0
8
7
,
9
2

145 

Budget in   

Staff 
(from 2013 in FTE) 

3
1
0
2

0
0
0
,
0
5
8

2
2
0
,
8
4
5

0
0
0
,
0
0
0
,
0
2

,

7
2
2
9
1
5

4
1
0
2

0
0
0
,
0
5
8

9
1
2
,
2
3
4

0
0
0
,
0
0
0
,
0
2

,

7
2
2
9
1
5

5
1
0
2

0
0
0
,
0
5
8

9
4
8
,
4
5
1

0
0
0
,
0
0
0
,
0
2

6
1
0
2

0
0
0
,
0
5
8

9
4
8
,
4
5
1

0
0
0
,
0
0
0
,
0
2

-

0
1
0
2

2
1
0
2

3
1
0
2

4
1
0
2

5
1
0
2

6
1
0
2

4 

5 

5 

5 

6 

7 

0 

1 

1 

1 

3 

2 

4 

4 

4 

4 

4 

195 

2 

2 

3 

3 

4 

1 

,

0
0
0
0
0
5
2

,

,

0
0
0
0
0
6
1

,

,

0
0
0
0
0
6
1

,

,

0
0
0
0
5
1
1

,

0 

0 

4 

7 

6 

1
4
4
,
8
3

0
0
0
,
0
2

0
0
0
,
9
2

7
2
6
,
9

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
C
T
G
E

r
a
e
y
n
o
i
t
a
d
n
u
o
F

t
a
e
S

s
e
i
r
t
n
u
o
c

r
e
h
t
O

p
i
h
s
r
e
n
t
r
a
P

s
r
e
n
t
r
a
p
f
o
o
N

)
6
1
0
2
(

e
s
o
p
r
u
P

17 

Pons 
Danubii 

2010 

SK 

HU 

local (cities) 

7 

Strengthen cross-border 
cohesion on the whole 
territory; implementation of 
projects aimed at strategic 
development; improvement 
of everyday life of 
inhabitants 

18 

BTC 

2011 

HU 

RO, 
Ser-
bia 
(obse
rver) 

local 

80 

Implementation of Integrated 
Regional Strategy of EGTC  

19  Arrabona 

2011 

HU 

SK 

local  

30 

Supporting urban and 
territorial 
development/management 

2011 

BE 

NL 

local, 
intermunici-
pal, region 
(province) 

8 

Cross-border cooperation in 
the fields of port & economy, 
mobility, nature, recreation & 
cultural history, and 
habitation and liveability 

2011 

IT 

AT 

regions 

3 

20 

Linieland 
van Waas 
en Hulst 

21 

Euregio 
Tirolo - 
Alto 
Adige - 
Trentino 

Foster collaboration between 
the Members of the EGTC 
and establish visible and 
significant projects and 
cross-boarder services to the 
citizens 
 Encourage and support 
territorial cooperation in all 
areas relating to regional 
development and 
reinforcement of economic 
and social cohesion 

22 

GO 

2011 

IT 

SI 

local 

3 

Budget in   

Staff 
(from 2013 in FTE) 

2
1
0
2

0
0
0
,
5
4
1

0
0
0
,
4
3

0
0
0
,
0
0
1

,

0
0
0
5
1
1

,

0
0
0
0
5
2

0
0
0
0
4

,

3
1
0
2

0
0
0
,
3
4

3
6
6
,
2
3
1

,

0
0
0
5
1
1

,

0
0
0
0
5
7

0
0
0
0
4

,

4
1
0
2

0
0
0
,
0
0
1
,
2

0
0
0
,
0
0
1

2
2
7
,
3
2
1

,

0
0
0
5
1
1

,

0
0
0
0
5
7

0
0
0
0
4

,

5
1
0
2

0
0
0
,
0
0
1
,
2

0
0
0
,
0
0
1

6
6
4
,
4
3
2

,

0
0
0
5
1
1

,

0
0
0
0
5
7

0
0
0
0
4

,

0
1
0
2

2
1
0
2

3
1
0
2

4
1
0
2

5
1
0
2

6
1
0
2

1 

6 

3 

5 

4 

3 

2 

3 

3 

3 

3 

3 

4 

4 

6 

7 

2 

2 

2 

2 

3 

4 

4 

7 

10 

13 

6
1
0
2

0
0
0
,
0
0
3

0
0
0
,
0
2
1

8
1
3
,
0
5
2

,

9
6
2
3
7
2

,

0
0
0
0
0
9
2

,

0
0
0
0
4

,

0 

1 

1 

1 

4 

C
T
E
g
n
i
o
g
n
O

6
1
0
2
s
t
c
e
j
o
r
p

0
1
0
2

1 

-

0 

0 

2 

4 

0 

146 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
C
T
G
E

r
a
e
y
n
o
i
t
a
d
n
u
o
F

t
a
e
S

s
e
i
r
t
n
u
o
c

r
e
h
t
O

p
i
h
s
r
e
n
t
r
a
P

23 

Pirineus - 
Cerdanya 

2011 

FR 

ES 

local 
association of 
municipalities 

s
r
e
n
t
r
a
p
f
o
o
N

2 

24 

Espacio 
Portalet 

2011 

ES 

FR 

regional 

2 

25 

RDV 

2011 

HU 

SK 

regional 

3 

26 

Euro 
région 
Nouvelle 
Aquitaine
-Euskadi-
Navarre 

27 

Gate to 
Europe 

2011 

FR 

ES 

regional 

3 

2012 

HU 

RO 

local 

36 

28 

BODRO
GKÖZI 

2012 

HU 

SK 

local 

17 

)
6
1
0
2
(

e
s
o
p
r
u
P

C
T
E
g
n
i
o
g
n
O

6
1
0
2
s
t
c
e
j
o
r
p

0
1
0
2

2
1
0
2

Bringing together cross-
border actors within a single 
structure and bringing 
together shared financial 
resources 

Identification, promotion and 
implementation of 
programmes, projects and 
joint actions of territorial 
cooperation that are of 
interest to its members 

Its primary task is to 
implement territorial 
cooperation programs and 
projects co-financed by the 
European Union  

Develop and strengthen the 
cohesion between the three 
regional territories in an 
European perspective  

Support for improving 
economic and social 
development of the target 
area 

Implementation of cross-
border development, job 
creation, and economic 
growth in the region  

0 

-

2 

-

0 

2 

0 

0 

147 

0
0
0
,
2
4

,

0
0
0
0
2
7

0
0
0
4
5

,

0
8
7
9
2

,

Budget in   

Staff 
(from 2013 in FTE) 

3
1
0
2

0
0
0
,
5
1

9
1
6
,
8
3
7

1
6
5
,
6
5
4
1

,

0
0
0
0
6

,

1
4
4
8
3

,

4
1
0
2

0
0
0
,
5
1

9
1
6
,
8
3
7

0
0
0
,
0
0
1
1

,

0
0
0
0
6

,

1
4
4
8
3

,

5
1
0
2

0
0
0
,
5
1

4
6
6
,
4
2
7

0
0
5
,
1
4

0
0
0
,
0
0
1
1

,

0
0
0
0
6

,

0
0
0
9
2

,

6
1
0
2

0
0
0
,
5
1

2
4
2
,
6
8
8

0
0
0
,
0
5

0
0
0
,
0
5
6
1

,

0
0
0
0
4

,

7
2
6
9

,

0
1
0
2

2
1
0
2

3
1
0
2

4
1
0
2

5
1
0
2

6
1
0
2

0 

0 

0 

3 

n.a. 

1 

1 

2 

2 

2 

1 

2 

2 

2 

3 

4 

5 

5 

5 

3 

4 

4 

4 

1 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
C
T
G
E

r
a
e
y
n
o
i
t
a
d
n
u
o
F

t
a
e
S

s
e
i
r
t
n
u
o
c

r
e
h
t
O

p
i
h
s
r
e
n
t
r
a
P

s
r
e
n
t
r
a
p
f
o
o
N

)
6
1
0
2
(

e
s
o
p
r
u
P

C
T
E
g
n
i
o
g
n
O

6
1
0
2
s
t
c
e
j
o
r
p

0
1
0
2

29 

Novo 
hrad-
Nógrád 

2011 

HU 

SK 

local 

2 

Economic and social 
cohesion; twin cities, 
Geopark 

SI, 
HR 

local & 
university & 
national park  

62 

Implementation of EU co-
funded programmes and 
projects of territorial 
cooperation  

local, region, 
university, 
RDA 

24 

Apply territorial cooperation 
to ensure greener and more 
inclusive cities 

0 

0 

0 

national 

8 

Strategic knowledge support 
and networking  

n.a. 

30 

Pannon 

2012 

HU 

31 

Efxini 
Poli – 
Solidar 
City 
Network 

2012 

GR 

32 

EUKN 

2012 

NL 

CY, 
BG 

CY, 
BE, 
CZ, 
FR, 
DE, 
HU, 
LU 

33 

Euregio 
Senza 
Confini 

2012 

IT 

AT 

regional  

2 

Encourage, facilitate and 
promote cross-border, 
transnational and 
interregional cooperation 
between its members for 
strengthening economic and 
social cohesion 

34 

TRITIA 

2013 

PL 

SK, 
CZ 

regional  

4 

Support for implementation 
of cohesion policy 

2 

0 

148 

Budget in   

Staff 
(from 2013 in FTE) 

2
1
0
2

-

0
0
0
,
0
3

0
0
0
,
0
0
6

,

0
0
0
0
0
5

3
1
0
2

0
0
8
,
0
3

0
0
5
,
6

0
0
0
,
0
0
6

,

0
0
0
0
6
4

0
0
0
8
8

,

4
1
0
2

0
0
0
,
2
3

0
0
5
,
6

,

0
0
0
0
0
5

-

0
0
0
8
8

,

5
1
0
2

0
0
0
,
2
3

0
0
0
,
0
3

0
0
0
,
0
0
6

,

0
0
0
0
0
5

,

0
0
0
0
6
2

0
0
0
8
8

,

6
1
0
2

-

0
0
0
,
9
5

0
0
0
,
0
0
2

,

0
0
0
0
0
5

,

0
0
0
5
0
4

0
0
0
8
8

,

0
1
0
2

2
1
0
2

3
1
0
2

4
1
0
2

5
1
0
2

6
1
0
2

0 

3 

3 

0 

0 

0 

0 

1 

1 

5 

5 

5 

5 

5 

4 

4 

4 

0 

0 

4 

3 

3 

4 

4 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
C
T
G
E

r
a
e
y
n
o
i
t
a
d
n
u
o
F

t
a
e
S

s
e
i
r
t
n
u
o
c

r
e
h
t
O

p
i
h
s
r
e
n
t
r
a
P

s
r
e
n
t
r
a
p
f
o
o
N

)
6
1
0
2
(

e
s
o
p
r
u
P

C
T
E
g
n
i
o
g
n
O

6
1
0
2
s
t
c
e
j
o
r
p

0
1
0
2

2
1
0
2

Budget in   

Staff 
(from 2013 in FTE) 

35 

Sajó-
Rima / 
Slaná-
Rimava 

2013 

HU 

SK 

local 

4 

36 

Via 
Carpatia 

2013 

SK 

HU 

regional 

2 

37 

Parc 
européen 
Alpi 
Marit 
time – 
Mercan 
tour 

2013 

FR 

IT 

National 
parks 

38 

P.M.I.B.
B. 

2013 

IT 

FR 

National park 
(IT); 
Environment 
Office (FR) 

39 

Secréta 
riat du 
Sommet 
de la 
Grande 
Région 

2013 

LU 

FR, 
DE, 
BE 

regional, 
national 
(Länder, 
departments, 
LU, FR) 

2 

2 

Strengthen economic and 
social cohesion among 
members  

Strengthen and support the 
cross-border, transnational 
and inter-regional 
cooperation to promote 
economic and social 
cohesion especially through 
realisation of projects and 
programs of cross-border 
cooperation  
Facilitate and promote 
cooperation among its 
members in the protection, 
promotion, awareness and 
management of natural, 
cultural and landscape 
heritage 
Promote protection, 
management and joint 
promotion of natural and 
cultural resources of 
Bonifacio Strait to implement 
a joint policy regarding 
sustainable development  

0 

0 

0 

0 

3
1
0
2

0
0
0
,
5
3

0
0
0
,
0
4

4
1
0
2

0
0
0
,
6
3

0
0
0
,
0
4

5
1
0
2

0
0
0
,
6
3

0
0
0
,
0
4

-

-

-

-

6
1
0
2

8
6
6
,
4
1

0
0
0
,
0
4

0
0
0
,
0
7
1

r
o
f

t
e
g
d
u
b
o
N

r
a
f

o
s
6
1
0
2

,

0
0
0
0
0
6

0
1
0
2

2
1
0
2

3
1
0
2

4
1
0
2

5
1
0
2

6
1
0
2

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

3 

3 

5 

0 

0 

4 

0 

0 

2 

4 

4 

4 

4 

10 

Supports the activities of the 
Summit and its working  

,

0
0
0
0
0
6

,

0
0
0
0
0
6

,

0
0
0
0
0
6

149 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
)
6
1
0
2
(

e
s
o
p
r
u
P

C
T
E
g
n
i
o
g
n
O

6
1
0
2
s
t
c
e
j
o
r
p

0
1
0
2

2
1
0
2

s
r
e
n
t
r
a
p
f
o
o
N

2 

C
T
G
E

r
a
e
y
n
o
i
t
a
d
n
u
o
F

t
a
e
S

s
e
i
r
t
n
u
o
c

r
e
h
t
O

p
i
h
s
r
e
n
t
r
a
P

40 

TATRY 

2013 

PL 

SK 

41 

Spoločný 
región 

2013 

SK 

CZ 

local; 
associations 
of 
municipalities 

local (SK), 
micro-regions 
(CZ) covering 
area of 46 
municipalities 

Further develop, facilitate 
and promote Polish-Slovak 
cross-border cooperation to 
enhance social and economic 
cohesion of the  area  

22 

Implementation of cross-
border projects 

42 

Torysa 

2013 

HU 

SK 

local 

3 

of a waste recycling 
technology 

43 

Svinka 

2013 

HU 

SK 

local 

3 

44 

Alzette 
Belval 

2012 

FR 

LU 

FR: local, 
regional, 
national; LU: 
local, national 

10 

Developing the members’ 
territory with ecological and 
sustainable programmes 

Assure a common and 
complementary development, 
to develop a real cross-border 
urban agglomeration, 
improving the quality of life 
of its inhabitants, and to 
support the development and 
the implementation of cross-
border projects 

45 

AEuCC 

2014 

ES 

IT, 
FR, 
RO 

national 
associations 
of ceramic 
cities 

4 

Enhancing economic and 
social development and 
cohesion  

2 

0 

0 

0 

2 

0 

150 

Budget in   

Staff 
(from 2013 in FTE) 

3
1
0
2

-

0
0
0
,
0
3

4
1
0
2

0
0
0
,
3
1

0
0
0
,
0
1

0
0
5
,
6

0
0
5
6

,

0
0
0
0
8

,

0
0
0
,
2
3

5
1
0
2

0
0
0
,
8
3

0
0
0
,
0
1

0
0
5
,
6

,

8
8
5
7
8
1

0
0
0
,
2
3

6
1
0
2

0
0
0
,
0
5

0
0
2
,
4
1

3
3
3
,
3

0
0
8
1

,

,

2
4
8
2
1
2

0
0
0
,
2
3

0
1
0
2

2
1
0
2

3
1
0
2

4
1
0
2

5
1
0
2

6
1
0
2

0 

2 

2,25 

0 

0 

2 

2 

0 

1 

(21-
26) 

0 

1 

(21-
26) 

1 

2 

0 

0 

0 

1 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
C
T
G
E

r
a
e
y
n
o
i
t
a
d
n
u
o
F

t
a
e
S

s
e
i
r
t
n
u
o
c

r
e
h
t
O

p
i
h
s
r
e
n
t
r
a
P

s
r
e
n
t
r
a
p
f
o
o
N

)
6
1
0
2
(

e
s
o
p
r
u
P

C
T
E
g
n
i
o
g
n
O

6
1
0
2
s
t
c
e
j
o
r
p

46 

47 

Eurocity 
of 
Chaves-
Verín 

European 
Common 
Future 
Building 

2013 

ES 

PT 

local 

2 

2012 

HU 

RO 

local 

8 

48 

CETC-
EGTC 

2014 

PL 

SE, 
HU, 
HR 

regional 

8 

49 

HP-HP 

2014 

ES 

FR 

regional 

2 

Promote cross-border 
relations among its members, 
encouraging institutional, 
economic, social, cultural 
and environmental 
convergence between the 
cities  
Common product 
development cooperation, 
marketing activities, touristic 
development and the 
improvement of disaster 
management 
Ensure a harmonised 
stakeholder management 
approach among the regions 
to convert mobility boosting 
measures into sustainable 
socio-economic growth along 
the corridor  

Local development by 
promoting exchange of goods 
and services across the 
border 

50 

AECT-
FPI 

2014 

ES 

PT 

local 

11 

Cooperation in cultural 
heritage, tourism and local 
development 

51 

European 
Border 
Cities 

2014 

HU 

RO 

local 

2 

Strengthen the economic and 
social cohesion between its 
members in the framework of 
cross-border cooperation 

0 

0 

2 

1 

0 

0 

151 

Budget in   

Staff 
(from 2013 in FTE) 

0
1
0
2

2
1
0
2

3
1
0
2

4
1
0
2

0
0
0
,
1
2

5
1
0
2

0
0
0
,
5
4

-

-

-

-

-

-

0
0
0
0
5

,

0
0
0
1
1

,

0
0
0
0
5

,

0
5
7
2
1

,

6
1
0
2

0
0
0
,
5
7
1

0
0
0
,
0
2

9
8
4
,
0
5

,

0
0
0
9
1
6

-

2
6
0
7
1

,

0
1
0
2

2
1
0
2

3
1
0
2

4
1
0
2

5
1
0
2

6
1
0
2

4 

4 

0 

0 

0 

0 

1 

0 

0 

5 

0 

0 

1 

0 

0 

5 

5 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
C
T
G
E

r
a
e
y
n
o
i
t
a
d
n
u
o
F

t
a
e
S

s
e
i
r
t
n
u
o
c

r
e
h
t
O

p
i
h
s
r
e
n
t
r
a
P

s
r
e
n
t
r
a
p
f
o
o
N

)
6
1
0
2
(

e
s
o
p
r
u
P

52 

ESPON 

2015 

LU 

BE 

53 

PAHT 

2015 

FR 

ES 

Act as single beneficiary to 
implement and deliver the 
content envisaged by the 
ESPON 2020 Cooperation 
Programme  

11 

Label's administration "Villes 
et Pays d'Art et d'Histoire" 
(French Ministry of Culture) 

national, 
regional 

local 
(covering the 
area of 31 
municipali-
ties) 

54 

Inter-
regional 
Alliance 
for the 
Rhine-
Alpine 
Corridor 

2015 

DE 

IT, 
NL, 
BE, 
FR, 
CH 

local & 
regional, 
harbours & 
other public 
players 

20 

55  MASH 

2015 

HU 

SI 

local 

4 

56 

Mura 
Region 

2015 

HU 

HR 

 local 

16 

57 

Tisza 

2015 

HU 

UA 

local & 
regional 

3 

Facilitate and promote the 
territorial cooperation among 
its members and jointly 
strengthen and coordinate the 
territorial and integrated 
development of the 
multimodal Rhine-Alpine 
Corridor from the regional 
and local perspective 

Platform allowing mayors to 
work together on common 
cross-border projects and 
programmes 

Cross-border cooperation 
involving support for 
territorial cooperation and the 
removal of barriers to the 
internal market 

Create stable cooperation and 
social cohesion across the 
EU external border area and 
develop infrastructure and 
economy of the relevant area  

C
T
E
g
n
i
o
g
n
O

6
1
0
2
s
t
c
e
j
o
r
p

n.r. 

1 

0 

0 

0 

0 

152 

Budget in   

Staff 
(from 2013 in FTE) 

0
1
0
2

2
1
0
2

3
1
0
2

4
1
0
2

5
1
0
2

0
6
2
,
7
9
1
,
1

-

0
0
0
,
0
8

6
1
0
2

4
9
4
,
6
3
7
,
2
1

.
a
.
n

0
0
0
,
0
4
1

0
1
0
2

2
1
0
2

3
1
0
2

4
1
0
2

5
1
0
2

6
1
0
2

15 

18 

0 

3 

0 

n.a. 

.
a
.
n

.
a
.
n

2 

1 

9
0
9
8
2

,

0
0
0
,
0
4

3 

2 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
C
T
G
E

r
a
e
y
n
o
i
t
a
d
n
u
o
F

t
a
e
S

s
e
i
r
t
n
u
o
c

r
e
h
t
O

p
i
h
s
r
e
n
t
r
a
P

58 

INTER 
REG 
Grande 
Région 

2015 

LU 

 FR 

regional (FR) 
& national 
(LU) 

s
r
e
n
t
r
a
p
f
o
o
N

2 

59  NOVUM 

2015 

PL 

CZ 

regional  

9 

)
6
1
0
2
(

e
s
o
p
r
u
P

Management of the 
INTERREG Programme 
INTERREG V A Grande 
Région / Großregion  

Intensify, facilitate and 
promote Polish-Czech cross-
border cooperation aimed at 
strengthening economic and 
social cohesion of the area 
covered by the Grouping 
functioning 

60 

León-
Bragança 

2015 

ES 

PT 

regional (ES) 
& local (PT)  

2 

Promote economic and social 
cohesion in both territories 

61 

PONTI 
BUS 

2016 

HU 

SK 

 regional 

2 

62 

EUCOR 
The 
European 
Campus 

2016 

DE 

FR, 
CH 

universities  

5 

Development and support of 
cross-border and 
interregional cooperation 
between its members to 
strengthen economic and 
social cohesion 

Apply for joint research 
grants, establish joint 
professorships, and offer 
joint degree programmes  

63 

EMI 

2016 

ES 

FR 

regional & 
other public 
players  

5 

Carry out and manage 
projects and cooperation 
actions related to the 
management and valorisation 
of mycological resources 

C
T
E
g
n
i
o
g
n
O

6
1
0
2
s
t
c
e
j
o
r
p

n.r. 

1 

2 

0 

0 

0 

153 

Budget in   

Staff 
(from 2013 in FTE) 

0
1
0
2

2
1
0
2

3
1
0
2

4
1
0
2

5
1
0
2

0
0
0
,
0
2
1

6
1
0
2

7
7
8
,
9
5
9

0
0
0
,
0
2
1

0
0
0
,
0
6

0
0
0
3
2

,

,

0
0
0
0
0
2

0
0
0
5
2

,

0
1
0
2

2
1
0
2

3
1
0
2

4
1
0
2

5
1
0
2

6
1
0
2

20 

2 

3 

0 

3 

No 
di-
rect 
staff 

0 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
C
T
G
E

r
a
e
y
n
o
i
t
a
d
n
u
o
F

t
a
e
S

s
e
i
r
t
n
u
o
c

r
e
h
t
O

p
i
h
s
r
e
n
t
r
a
P

2016 

DE 

CZ 

national, 
regional & 
local  

64 

Eisen- 
Bahnneu- 
Bau- 
strecke 
Dresden 
Prag 

65 

Euro 
district 
PAMINA 

2016 

FR 

DE 

local & 
regional 

15 

s
r
e
n
t
r
a
p
f
o
o
N

4 

)
6
1
0
2
(

e
s
o
p
r
u
P

Creation and coordination of 
planning activities, 
communication with the 
national and EU authorities 
and broad public to obtain 
funds for financing the 
project  

Platform for pooling 
responsibilities, expertise and 
resources, and acting as agent 
for promoting territorial 
cohesion  

C
T
E
g
n
i
o
g
n
O

6
1
0
2
s
t
c
e
j
o
r
p

0 

0 

Budget in   

Staff 
(from 2013 in FTE) 

0
1
0
2

2
1
0
2

3
1
0
2

4
1
0
2

5
1
0
2

6
1
0
2

0
1
0
2

2
1
0
2

3
1
0
2

4
1
0
2

5
1
0
2

6
1
0
2

s
u
l
p

0
0
0
,
0
8

-
i
r
t
n
o
c

r
e
b
m
e
m

s
n
o
i
t
u
b

4
3
7
,
7
0
6

Dele
gated  

6 

Source: Spatial Foresight, based on data collected from EGTCs. The purposes highlighted in grey were taken from the previous monitoring report since the 
EGTC did not reply to the request for information or the fields were not filled in. 

154 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
 
Annex 3 – Policy areas of EGTCs 

CIVEX 

COTER 

ECON 

NAT 

SEDEC 

ENVE   

N
o 

EGTC  

Ister-Granum 

1  Lille-Kortrijk-Tournai 
2 
3  GNP 
4  Amphictyony 
5  UTTS 
6  Karst-Bodva 
7  Duero-Douro 
8  Flandre-Dunkerque-Côte d'Opale 
9  ArchiMed 
1  Pyrénées-Méditerranée 
11  Eurodistrict Strasbourg-Ortenau 
12  ZASNET 
13  HC 
14  Grande Région 
15  SaarMoselle 
16  ABAÚJ - ABAÚJBAN 
17  Pons Danubii 
18  BTC 

d
o
o
h
r
u
o
b
h
g
i
e
n
&

.
l

n
E

i

p
h
s
n
e
z
i
t
i
c

e
v
i
t
c
A

s
t
h
g
i
r
n
a
m
u
H

t
n
e
m
p
o
l
e
v
e
d

l
a
i
t
a
p
S

e
r
u
t
c
u
r
t
s
a
r
f
n

i

,
t
r
o
p
s
n
a
r
T

s
n
o
i
g
e
r

o
r
c
a
M

i

p
h
s
r
u
e
n
e
r
p
e
r
t
n
E

.
v
e
d
y
g
e
t
a
r
t
s

&
p
u
-
t
r
a
t
S

m

s
i
r
u
o
T

n
o
i
t
c
e
t
o
r
p

l
i
v
i
C

t
n
e
m
p
o
l
e
v
e
d

l
a
r
u
R

,
e
r
u
t
a
n

,
y
r
t
s
e
r
o
F

y
t
i
s
r
e
v
i
d
o
i
b

h
t
l
a
e
H

h
c
r
a
e
s
e
R

s
t
r
o
p
s

,
e
r
u
t
l
u
C

t
n
e
m
y
o
l

p
m
e
h
t
u
o
Y

g
n

i

n
i
a
r
t

&

.
c
u
d
E

s
r
i
a
f
f
a

l
a
i
c
o
S

e
g
n
a
h
c

e
t
a
m

i
l

C

y
g
r
e
n
E

t
n
e
m
n
o
r
i
v
n
E

r
e
h
t
O

   X  X 
   X 

   X 
   X 

   X 
   X 

   X 
X  X  X 

   X  X  X  X  X 
   X 

   X 
   X  X  X 
   X  X  X  X  X  X  X 
   X  X  X 

   X  X  X 
   X 
   X  X 
   X  X 

 X 

 X 

X  X  O 

   X 
   X 

   X 
   X 

   O  O  X  O  X  X  X  X  O  O  X  X  X  X  O  X  X 
   X 
   X 
   X 
   X 
   X 

   X  X 
   X  X  X  X 

   X 
   X  X  X  X 
   X  X 
   X  X  O  X  X  O 

   X  X 
   O 

   X 
   O 

   X 
   X 

   X 

   X  X 

   O  O 

X 
X  X 

   X  X 
   X 
   X  X  X  X  X  X 

   X 

   X 
   X  X  X  O 
   X  X  X  X  X  X 

   O  X 
   X 

   X 

   X 
   X  X 

   X  X  X 

   X 

   X  X  X 

   X  X 

   X 

   X 

155 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
N
o 

EGTC  

19  Arrabona 
20  Linieland van Waas en Hulst 
21  Euregio Tirolo - Alto Adige - Trentino 
22  GO 
23  Pirineus - Cerdanya 
24  Espacio Portalet 
25  RDV 

26 

Eurorégion  Nouvelle  Aquitaine-Euskadi-
Navarre 
27  Gate to Europe 
28  BODROGKÖZI 
29  Novohrad-Nógrád 
30  Pannon 
31  Efxini Poli – SolidarCity Network 
32  EUKN 
33  Euregio Senza Confini 
34  TRITIA 
35  Sajó-Rima / Slaná-Rimava 
36  Via Carpatia 
37  Parc européen Alpi Marittime – Mercantour 
38  P.M.I.B.B. 
39  Secrétariat du Sommet de la Grande Région 

CIVEX 

COTER 

ECON 

NAT 

SEDEC 

ENVE   

d
o
o
h
r
u
o
b
h
g
i
e
n
&

.
l

n
E

p

i

h
s
n
e
z
i
t
i
c

e
v
i
t
c
A

s
t
h
g
i
r
n
a
m
u
H

t
n
e
m
p
o
l
e
v
e
d

l
a
i
t
a
p
S

e
r
u
t
c
u
r
t
s
a
r
f
n

i

,
t
r
o
p
s
n
a
r
T

s
n
o
i
g
e
r

o
r
c
a
M

i

p
h
s
r
u
e
n
e
r
p
e
r
t
n
E

.
v
e
d
y
g
e
t
a
r
t
s

&
p
u
-
t
r
a
t
S

m

s
i
r
u
o
T

n
o
i
t
c
e
t
o
r
p

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   X  X 

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   X  X 

   X 

   X 
X  X 
X  X 
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   X 

   X 

   X  X  X  X  X  X  X  X 
   X  X  X  X  X  X 
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   O  O  O  O  O  O 
   X 
   X  X 

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   X  X  X  X  X  X 

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156 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
N
o 

EGTC  

40  TATRY 
41  Spoločný región 
42  Torysa 
43  Svinka 
44  Alzette Belval 
45  AEuCC 
46  Eurocity of Chaves-Verín 
47  European Common Future Building 
48  CETC-EGTC 
49  HP-HP 
50  AECT-FPI 
51  European Border Cities 
52  ESPON 
53  PAHT 

CIVEX 

COTER 

ECON 

NAT 

SEDEC 

ENVE   

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54 

Interregional Alliance for the Rhine-Alpine 
Corridor 

   X  X 

   X 

55  MASH 
56  Mura Region 
57  Tisza 
58 
59  NOVUM 
60  León-Bragança 

INTERREG Grande Région 

   X  X 

   X  X  X 

   X  X 

X  X  X  X  X  O  X  X  X  X  X  X  O 

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157 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
N
o 

EGTC  

61  PONTIBUS 
62  EUCOR The European Campus 
63  EMI 
64  PROUD 
65  Eurodistrict PAMINA 

Total active 
Total interest 

CIVEX 

COTER 

ECON 

NAT 

SEDEC 

ENVE   

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X   O  O  X  X  O  O  O  X  O  X  O  O  O  O  O  O  O  O  O  O  O 

   X 

   X 
   X  X  X  X 

   X 

   X 

   X  X 

   X 
   X  X 

   X 
13  16  2  28  31  1  25  18  39  9  23  19  18  14  35  26  29  18  16  16  29  18 
1 

   X  X  X  X  X  O  X 

   X  X  O  O  O 

   X 

6 

4 

8 

4 

3 

3 

7 

4 

3 

4 

7 

4 

3 

5 

4 

6 

5 

6 

4 

5 

X – Effective fields of activity; O – Interest in field of activity 
Source: Spatial Foresight, based on data collected from EGTCs. The fields of activity highlighted in grey were taken from previous monitoring report since 
the EGTC did not reply to the request for information or since the fields were not filled in. 

158 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Annex 4 – Contact details of EGTCs 

No 

Name of the 
EGTC 

Website 

Contact 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

Lille-Kortrijk-
Tournai 

www.eurometrop
olis.eu 

Ister-Granum 

www.istergranum
.eu 

GNP 

 www.gnpaect.eu 

Amphictyony 

www.amphictyon
y.gr 

UTTS 

Karst-Bodva  

Duero-Douro 

www.duero-
douro.com 

Flandre-
Dunkerque-Côte 
d'Opale 

www.gect-egts.eu 
/ www.egts-
gect.eu  

ArchiMed 

 www.gectarchim
ed.eu 

10 

Pyrénées-
Méditerranée  

www.euroregio.e
u  

11 

Eurodistrict 
Strasbourg-Ortenau  

www.eurodistrict.
eu  

12 

ZASNET 

Ira Keirsblick / Loïc Delhuvenne 
+32 56 23 11 00 
ira.keirsbilck@eurometropolis.eu / 
loic.delhuvenne@eurometropolis.eu / 
info@eurometropolis.eu 
Peter Nagy 
+42 190 87 80 126 
nagypeter@nagypeter.sk 

+ 34 986 13 51 26 
gnpaect@gnpaect.eu 
Gavrielis Vassilis Xenos 
+30 210 32 43 374 
amfiktio@otenet.gr 
Marosvölgyi Tibor 

utts.marosvolgyi@gmail.com 

+421 58 7884680 
eurokras@stonline.sk 
José Luís Pascual Criado 
+34 923 14 14 09 
duero-douro@duero-douro.com 
Stéphanie Verebeke / Katarina de Fruyt 
+33 6 77 27 58 18 / +32 477 50 30 23 
 stephanie.verbeke@cud.fr / 
k.defruyt@wvi.be 

gectarchimed@gmail.com 

+33 (0) 561 10 20 40 
info@euroregio.eu 

+49 07851 899 7510 
info@eurodistrict.eu 

+351 273098151 / +351 910934327 
helena.videira@zasnet-aect.eu / 
zasnet@zasnet-aect.eu 

Name 
Phone 

E-mail 

Name 
Phone 
E-mail 
Name 
Phone 
E-mail 
Name 
Phone 
E-mail 
Name 
Phone 
E-mail 
Name 
Phone 
E-mail 
Name 
Phone 
E-mail 
Name 
Phone 

E-mail 

Name 
Phone 
E-mail 
Name 
Phone 
E-mail 
Name 
Phone 
E-mail 
Name 
Phone 

E-mail 

159 

 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
No 

Name of the 
EGTC 

Website 

Contact 

13 

HC 

www.hcerdanya.e
u 

14 

Grande Région 

15 

SaarMoselle 

www.saarmoselle.
org  

16 

ABAÚJ - 
ABAÚJBAN  

http://abauj.info  

17 

Pons Danubii  

www.ponsdanubii
.eu 

18 

BTC  

 www.btc-egtc.eu 

19 

Arrabona  

www.arrabona.eu 

20 

Linieland van Waas 
en Hulst 

www.egtslinielan
d.eu 

21 

22 

23 

Euregio Tirolo - 
Alto Adige - 
Trentino 

www.europaregio
n.info 

GO 

www.euro-go.eu 

Pirineus – 
Cerdanya  

24 

Espacio Portalet 

www.espalet.eu 

Dr. Francesc Bonet / Francis Découcut / 
Cristina Ferrer 
+34 972 114 090 
fdecoucut@hcerdanya.eu / 
dir@hcerdanya.eu / 
cferrer@hcerdanya.eu / 
cbonet@hcerdanya.eu 

n.r. – under closure 

Isabelle Prianon 
+49 681 506 8010 
Isabelle.Prianon@saarmoselle.org 
Ferenc Szabó 

abaujegtc@upcmail.hu 
Zoltan Bara 
+421 905 828 898 
director@ponsdanubii.eu / 
office@ponsdanubii.eu 
Miklós Kószó / Ágnes Dr. Tóthné Gróf 
+36 622 81 219 / +366 228 12 19 
koszo.miklos@btc-egtc.eu / 
grofagi@btc-egtc.eu 

+36 96 515 630 
info@arrabona.eu 
Richard Meersschaert 
+323 727 17 04 
richard.meersschaert@egtslinieland.eu 

 +39 471 402026 
 info@europaregion.info 
Sandra Sodini 
+ 39 0481 597411 
info@euro-go.eu 

contact@pyrenees-cerdagne.com 
Santiago Fábregas Reigosa / Cristina 
García Gracia / Eva Lamothe  
+34 974 997 000 / +0034 630 02 99 42 / 
+34 976 71 66 54 / +33 05 59 11 45 07 
sfabregas@espalet.eu / 
cgarcia@transpirenaica.org / 
eva.lamothe@le64.fr 

Name 

Phone 

E-mail 

Name 
Phone 
E-mail 
Name 
Phone 
E-mail 
Name 
Phone 
E-mail 
Name 
Phone 

E-mail 

Name 
Phone 

E-mail 

Name 
Phone 
E-mail 
Name 
Phone 
E-mail 
Name 
Phone 
E-mail 
Name 
Phone 
E-mail 
Name 
Phone 
E-mail 

Name 

Phone 

E-mail 

160 

 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
No 

Name of the 
EGTC 

Website 

Contact 

25 

RDV  

www.rdvegtc.eu/h
u 

26 

Eurorégion 
Nouvelle 
Aquitaine-Euskadi-
Navarre 

www.aquitaine-
euskadi.eu  

27 

Gate to Europe  

 www.europakapu
.eu/ 

28 

BODROGKÖZI  

 www.bodrogkozi
ek.com 

29  Novohrad-Nógrád  

 http://nnegtc.eu 

30 

Pannon  

31 

Efxini Poli - 
SolidarCity 
Network 

www.pannonegtc.
eu; Facebook: 
https://www.faceb
ook.com/pannone
tt/  

www.efxini.gr 

32 

EUKN 

www.eukn.eu 

33 

Euregio Senza 
Confini  

www.euregio-
senzaconfini.eu 

34 

TRITIA  

www.egtctritia.eu 

35 

Sajó-Rima / Slaná-
Rimava 

www.sajorima.eu 

36 

Via Carpatia  

 www.viacarpatia.
eu 

Name 
Phone 

E-mail 

Name 
Phone 

E-mail 

Name 
Phone 
E-mail 
Name 
Phone 
E-mail 
Name 
Phone 
E-mail 
Name 
Phone 

Ema Vasiová / Attila Dolník 
+36 34 312 419 
secretary@rdvegtc.eu / 
emavasiova@gmail.com 
Marc Moulin 
+33 5 59 01 64 80 
marc.moulin@aquitaine-euskadi.eu / 
aquitaine-euskadi@aquitaine-euskadi.eu 
Kovács Apor 
+36 52 203692 
kovacsapor@gmail.com 
Szabóné Kémeri Klára 

bodrogkoziegtc@upcmail.hu 

+36 30 212 2215 

E-mail 

pannonegtc@ph.pecs.hu 

George Pappous / Maria Krimnianioti 
+30 210 248 60 415 
epolis@efxini.gr 
Mart Grisel 
+31 650 252 939 

Name 
Phone 
E-mail 
Name 
Phone 
E-mail  mart.grisel@eukn.eu 
Name 
Phone 

Carlo Fortuna / Francesca Cremasco 
+39 0403773547 
 relazioniinternazionali@regione.fvg.it 
/gecteuregiosenzaconfini@pec.it 
Arta Sláviková 
+421 915 834 506 
director@egtctritia.eu 
Tamás Barnabás / Krisztina Körtvely 
+36 48 530 030 / +36 48 530 010 
krisztinakortvely@putnok.hu / 
phivatal@putnok.hu 
Julianna Orbán Máté 
+421 918 804 427 
Julianna.orbanmate@vucke.sk 

E-mail 

Name 
Phone 
E-mail 
Name 
Phone 

E-mail 

Name 
Phone 
E-mail 

161 

 
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
Name of the 
EGTC 

Website 

Contact 

No 

37 

Parc européen Alpi 
Marittime - 
Mercantour 

http://en.marittim
emercantour.eu  

Name 
Phone 

E-mail 

Name 
Phone 

E-mail 

Name 
Phone 
E-mail 
Name 
Phone 
E-mail 
Name 
Phone 
E-mail 
Name 
Phone 
E-mail 
Name 
Phone 
E-mail 
Name 
Phone 
E-mail 
Name 
Phone 
E-mail 
Name 
Phone 
E-mail 
Name 
Phone 
E-mail 
Name 

Guiseppe Canavese / Christophe Viret 

giuseppe.canavese@parcoalpimarittime.
it / christophe.viret@mercantour-
parcnational.fr 
Gianluigi Cancemi / Laura Olivieri 
+04 95 50 99 49 / +39 0789 790 211 
g.cancemi@oec.fr / lietta@oec.fr / 
l.olivieri@lamaddalenapark.org 
Florence Jacquey 

florence.jacquey@granderegion.net 
Agnieszka Pyzowska 
+48 607 485 222 
info@euwt-tatry.eu 
Jaroslav Barcaj 
+421 34 651 62 59 / +421 903 342448 
barcaj@rras.sk www.rras.sk 
Peter Kacsik 
+36 706 719 888 
torysaegtc@gmail.com 
Peter Kacsik 
+36 706 719 888 
svinkaegtc@gmail.com 
Dorothée Habay-Lê 
+33 3 82 59 15 00 
gect.alzettebelval@gmail.com 
Giuseppe Olmeti 
+39 320 407 6432 
giuseppe.olmeti@comune.faenza.ra.it 
Gerardo Seoane Fidalgo 
+34 988 416 017 
director@eurocidadechavesverin.eu 
Krisztián Horváth 

ett.jovoepito@gmail.com 
Krzysztof Żarna 
 +48) 91 44 67 138 / +48 91 512 279 
737 
office@cetc.pl / office@cetc-egtc.eu 
Pedro Salas 
+34 974 29 41 82 
director@hp-hp.eu 

38 

P.M.I.B.B. 

39 

Secrétariat du 
Sommet de la 
Grande Région 

www.granderegio
n.net 

40 

TATRY  

http://www.euwt-
tatry.eu 

41 

Spoločný región  

www.spolocnyreg
ion.sk 

42 

Torysa  

www.facebook.co
m/torysaegtc/ 

43 

Svinka  

44 

Alzette Belval 

www.gectalzetteb
elval.eu 

45 

AEuCC 

www.aeucc.eu 

46 

Eurocity of 
Chaves-Verín 

www.eurocidadec
havesverin.eu 

47 

European Common 
Future Building 

www.europaitarsu
las.eu 

48 

CETC-EGTC  

www.cetc-egtc.eu 

Phone 

49 

HP-HP 

www.hp-hp.eu 

E-mail 
Name 
Phone 
E-mail 

162 

 
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
Website 

Contact 

No 

Name of the 
EGTC 

50 

AECT-FPI 

51 

European Border 
Cities 

52 

ESPON  

www.espon.eu 

53 

PAHT 

www.valleescatal
anes.org 

54 

Interregional 
Alliance for the 
Rhine-Alpine 
Corridor  

www.egtc-rhine-
alpine.eu  

55 

MASH 

http://mash-
egtc.weebly.com  

56 

Mura Region  

www.muraregion.
eu 

57 

Tisza 

www.tiszaett.hu 

58 

INTERREG 
Grande Région 

www.www.interr
eg-gr.eu 

www.euet-
novum.eu 

under 
construction 

59 

NOVUM 

60 

León-Bragança 

61 

PONTIBUS  

62 

EUCOR The 
European Campus 

www.eucor-
uni.org 

Name 
Phone 
E-mail 
Name 
Phone 
E-mail 
Name 
Phone 
E-mail 
Name 
Phone 

E-mail 

Name 
Phone 

Daniel Bendala Ruiz 
+34 605 237 381 
serviciosjuridicos@hotmail.com 
István Pató 
+36 42 524 547 

Ilona Raugze 
+ 352 206 002 8001 
ilona.raugze@espon.eu 
Aurélia Greiveldinger 
+33 4 68 83 99 49 
aurelia.greiveldinger@valleescatalanes.
org 
Jörg Saalbach 
+49 621 107 08 43 

E-mail 

joerg.saalbach@egtc-rhine-alpine.eu 

 mash.egtc@gmail.com 
Mario Moharic / István Tislér 
+36 935 830 32 
mario.moharic70@gmail.com / 
egtc@muraregion.eu 
Andrea Cap Szabóné 
+36 70 621 1463 
capandrea@tiszaett.hu 
Christiane Fortuin 
+352 2478 6915 
christiane.fortuin@mat.etat.lu 
Bartosz Bartniczak 
 +48 780 166 522 
bartosz.bartniczak@euwt-novum.eu 
Carmen Arribas Palomo / Joâo Cameira 
+ 33 987 292 149 / +351 273 304 275 
aect@dipuleon.es 
Dušan Guťan 
+421 37 6922904 
pontibus.egtc@gmail.com 
Janosch Nieden 
+33 3 68 85 82 93 
janosch.nieden@eucor-uni.org 

Name 
Phone 
E-mail 
Name 
Phone 

E-mail 

Name 
Phone 
E-mail 
Name 
Phone 
E-mail 
Name 
Phone 
E-mail 
Name 
Phone 
E-mail 
Name 
Phone 
E-mail 
Name 
Phone 
E-mail 

163 

 
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
No 

63 

Name of the 
EGTC 

EMI 

64 

PROUD 

Website 

www.cita-
aragon.es / 
www.micosylva.c
om 

65 

Eurodistrict 
PAMINA 

www.eurodistrict-
pamina.eu 

Name 
Phone 

E-mail 

Name 
Phone 
E-mail 
Name 
Phone 
E-mail 

Contact 

Fernando Martínez-Peña 
+34 976 71 69 78 

Patrice Harster 
+33 368 338 820 / +49 7277 899 9021 
info@eurodistrict-pamina.eu 

164