COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL AND THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT Boosting growth and cohesion in EU border regions
Date: 2017-09-20
Institutions: Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy, European Commission
Subjects: EFTA countries, EU Member State, EU programme, EU regional policy, European integration, cross-border cooperation, frontier region, internal border of the EU, regional development, regional disparity

EN 

   EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 20.9.2017  COM(2017) 534 final   COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL AND THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT Boosting growth and cohesion in EU border regions {SWD(2017) 307 final}  
 
 
1.  BORDER REGIONS MATTER IN THE EUROPEAN UNION 

The  European  Union  (EU)  and  its  immediate  neighbours  in  the  European  Free  Trade 
Association  (EFTA)  count  40  internal  land  borders1.  Over  the  past  decades,  the  European 
integration  process  has  helped  internal  border  regions  to  transform  from  mainly  peripheral 
areas into areas of growth and opportunities. The completion of the Single Market in 1992 has 
boosted  EU  productivity  and  reduced  costs  through  the  abolition  of  customs  formalities, 
harmonisation  or  mutual  recognition  of  technical  rules  and  lower  prices  as  a  result  of 
competition; intra EU trade has increased by 15% over 10 years; additional growth has been 
generated and around 2.5 million more jobs have been created. 

These  changes  have  had  both  a  positive  effect  (freedom  of  movement  has  increased  local 
cross-border  interaction)  and  a  negative  effect  (customs  administration  and  related  services 
employment  have  decreased)  on  border  regions2.  In  general,  there  have  been  more 
opportunities to develop joint services and activities locally. 

EU internal border regions… 

 
 
 
 

Cover 40% of the EU territory  
Account for 30% of the population – 150 million people 
Produce 30% of the EU's GDP 
Host almost 2 million cross-border commuters, 1,3 million of which are cross border 
workers  representing  0.6%  of  all  persons  employed  across  the  EU  (e.g.  450,000  in 
France, 270,000 in Germany, 140,000 in Poland and 135,000 in Slovakia)  

Article 174 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union recognises the challenges 
faced by border regions and stipulates that the Union should pay particular attention to these 
regions,  when  developing  and  pursuing  actions  leading  to  the  strengthening  of  the  Union’s 
economic, social and territorial cohesion. 

Since 1990, Interreg funding has  supported cross-border cooperation programmes along EU 
border  regions  including  those  with  EFTA  countries.  It  has  financed  thousands  of  projects3 
and  initiatives  that  have  helped  improve  European  integration.  The  main  achievements  of 
Interreg  programmes  include:  increased  trust,  higher  connectivity,  improved  environment, 
better health and economic growth4. From people-to-people projects, through to infrastructure 
investments and support to institutional  cooperation initiatives, Interreg has  made  a genuine 
difference to border regions and has contributed to their transformation. 

This work continues today, with just under EUR 6 billion from the EU budget earmarked for 
the  Interreg  2014-2020  cross-border  programmes.  These  are  implemented  on  all  borders, 
ensuring that further progress can be made on integration and that the full potential of border 
regions  can  be  realised.  Investments  to  improve  living  conditions  will  be  significant:  joint 
environmental  actions  and  joint  measures  to  mitigate  climate  change  effects  will  lead  to 

1 
2 

3 
4 

EFTA: Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Iceland only has maritime borders with the EU. See the map on p. 3. 
For statistical reasons, data and information is based on NUTS 3 regions under the European Nomenclature of territorial 
units for statistics: http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/nuts . 
Projects are listed in the KEEP database, which is financed by Interreg: www.keep.eu . 
The top five achievements were highlighted in 2015 during Interreg's 25th anniversary celebrations. 

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greater  protection  of  border  populations.  Joint  research  initiatives  and  facilities  will  further 
exploit  the  economic  and  innovative  potential  of  border  regions.    Smart  specialisation 
strategies  will  scale  up  regional  and  local  innovation,  including  across  borders5.  The 
Investment  Plan  for  Europe,  re-enforced  and  extended  in  2016,  will  also  contribute  to  the 
development of border regions. Its third pillar, which aims to remove barriers to investment, 
will provide a more favourable environment for cross-border investment projects6. 

Border  regions  are  places  where  the  European  integration  process  should  be  felt  most 
positively - studying, training, working, caring and doing business across borders are all daily 
activities  that  should  be  possible  regardless  of  the  existence  of  an  administrative  national 
border. 

Map: Terrestrial border regions along internal EU28 and EFTA borders 

5 

6 

Communication from the European Commission 'Strengthening Innovation in Europe's Regions: strategies for resilient, 
inclusive and sustainable growth', COM(2017) 376 of 18 July 2017: 
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/en/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52017DC0376 . 
Investment plan: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/priorities/jobs-growth-and-investment/investment-plan_en . 

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However,  evidence  gathered  by  the  Commission  demonstrates  that  border  regions  generally 
perform less well economically than other regions within a Member State. Access to public 
services  such  as  hospitals  and  universities7  is  generally  lower  in  border  regions.  Navigating 
between  different  administrative  and  legal  systems  is  often  still  complex  and  costly8. 
Individuals,  businesses,  public  authorities  and  non-governmental  organisations  have  shared 
with the Commission their at times negative experiences of interaction across internal borders. 

Measures that go beyond European funding are needed as these ongoing difficulties cannot be 
addressed through financing and investments alone. This Communication highlights ways in 
which  the  EU  and  its  Member  States  can  reduce  the  complexity,  length  and  costs  of  cross-
border interaction and promote the pooling of services along internal borders. It looks at what 
needs  to  be  improved  to  ensure  that  border  citizens  can  take  full  advantage  of  the 
opportunities offered on both sides of the border. Thus, the EU can boost its border regions 
even further and help generate growth and jobs. 

This  Communication  aims  to  bring  the  EU  closer  to  its  citizens  and  to  ensure  that  the 
European  legislative  process  works  effectively  in  favour  of  individuals  and  businesses.  The 
White Paper on the Future of Europe9 and the subsequent reflection papers launched a wide-
ranging debate on how Europe should evolve in the future so it can best meet the aspirations 
of all Europeans. Territorial cooperation and cross-border cooperation in particular have been 
widely acknowledged as bringing genuine added-value to Europeans. 

This  Communication  also  contributes  to  this  reflection  process  by  proposing  measures  and 
issuing  recommendations  that  make  it  easier  for  internal  land  border  regions  to  cooperate, 
contribute to reducing hurdles and help border citizens and businesses use the full potential of 
these regions. 

2. 

PERSISTING DIFFICULTIES 

Following an online public consultation in all the EU languages and subsequent research and 
exchanges  with  stakeholders10,  the  Commission  has  uncovered  a  number  of  problematic 
issues  facing  border  businesses  and  individuals.  Although  not  always  specific  to  border 
regions, these issues are particularly acute in these regions because of the frequency and level 
of interaction across the border. 

Border life stories 
  A therapist working part-time as an employee in Belgium and part-time as a free-lancer 
in France had to wait eight months to receive reliable information on the applicable tax 
regime and therefore on her disposable income; 

7 

'Territories  with  specific  geographical  features',  European  Commission,  DG  REGIO  (2009),  Working  Paper 
No: 02/2009: http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/information/publications/working-papers/2009/territories-with-
specific-geographical-features . 

8  A border obstacle within the context of this Communication is not only a restriction on free movement as established by 
the European Court of Justice, but a law, rule or administrative practice that obstructs the inherent potential of a border 
region when interacting across the border. 
European Commission 'White Paper on the Future of Europe', COM(2017) 2025 of 1 March 2017. 
'Cross-Border Review':   
http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/policy/cooperation/european-territorial/cross-border/review/ . 

9 
10 

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  A person who suffered a work-related accident in Sweden could not receive rehabilitation 
care at home in Denmark because of incomplete mutual agreements in the social security 
systems of the two countries; 

  A  technical  school  pupil  carrying  out  studies  in  Belgium  could  not  perform  his 
apprenticeship close to home in France because of the incompatible status of apprentices 
in the two countries; 

  People in Northern Portugal interested in taking up employment just across the border in 
Spain may need to spend significant amounts on official translations of documents  and 
wait several months before their professional qualifications are recognised; 

  Firefighters can be made to wait at the border before being allowed to go and help their 
colleagues on the other side. In several Member States restrictions apply for ambulances 
to take patients across the border; 
It took 10 years to complete the extension of the Strasbourg tram line in France across the 
border to neighbouring Kehl in Germany, for example because of differing standards and 
complex pricing and ticketing issues; 

 

  Companies  doing  business  across  borders  spend  60%  more  than  businesses  operating 
domestically  to  carry  out  key  procedures  mainly  because  of  additional  translation  and 
certification costs11. 

These stories show that many aspects of border life are over-complicated and burdensome. At 
the same time, the public consultation and study have highlighted a number of very positive 
examples of European integration and opportunities offered by border regions. 

  Belgian  patients  who  had  to  travel  200  kilometres  three  times  per  week  to  receive 
dialysis treatment can now get it 3 km from home just across the border in France after 
the two Member States signed agreements to share health-care resources; 

  Some children in the border regions between Austria and the Czech Republic, Hungary 
and Slovakia attend bi-lingual, bi-national kindergartens where they learn to play in two 
languages and two cultures; 

  The Benelux countries and North-Rhine Westphalia in Germany are implementing new 
recommendations  that  will  facilitate  mutual  recognition  of  qualifications  through 
cooperation based on mutual trust in each other’s education systems; 
Individuals can also effectively organise themselves to represent their common interests 
as  demonstrated  by  the  Groupement  Transfrontalier  Européen12,  an  association 
representing over 30,000 commuters between Switzerland and France. 

 

Inspirational examples like these where opportunities linked to the presence of a border have 
been used to the benefit of border populations are too few and far between. 

11  Ecorys  Netherlands  in  association  with  Mazars,  'Study  about  administrative  formalities  of  important  procedures  and 
administrative  burdens  for  businesses',  European  Commission,  April  2017:  https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-
databases/newsroom/cf/itemdetail.cfm?item_id=9134&lang=en,  and  Staff  Working  Document  SWD(2017) 213  of 
2 May 2017: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?qid=1503565263778&uri=CELEX:52017SC0213 . 

12  Le Groupement Transfrontalier Européen: http://www.frontalier.org/ . 

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The  Commission  has  undertaken  analytical  work  exploring  the  cost  of  border  complexities 
and the duplication of services. A recent study13 on the economic impact of border obstacles 
on  GDP  and  employment  levels  in  internal  land  border  regions  suggests  that  these  regions 
could on average be potentially 8% richer if all current barriers were removed and a common 
language was used by all14. This scenario is neither attainable nor desirable as Europe is built 
on diversity and subsidiarity. However, if only 20% of the existing obstacles were removed, 
border  regions  would  still  gain  2%  in  GDP.  The  estimated  impact  on  jobs  is  equally 
important,  with  potential  for  over  1  million  jobs.  Border  barriers  currently  limit  the  use  of 
productive assets or make it difficult to achieve economies of scale. They also generate costs 
for individuals and businesses. This negative economic impact varies between Member States, 
but  is  clearly  higher  in  countries  where  border  regions  generate  a  significant  proportion  of 
national GDP. 

The evidence also shows that there are no easy fixes and that the emergence of border issues 
and  their  resolution  is  a  complex  process  that  involves  all  levels  of  government  and  public 
administrations.  As  many  stakeholders  reported,  border  difficulties  are  always  felt  locally, 
although  the  solutions  are  seldom  found  locally.  Overcoming  obstacles  or  reducing 
complexity requires that all levels of government and administration work hand in hand. 

3.  WHAT CAN BE DONE 

This  chapter  highlights  areas  identified  in  the  Commission's  preparatory  work  with 
stakeholders (study, consultation and workshops) as having great potentials to remove further 
hurdles. It outlines the role of the Commission in taking positive steps both in its own actions 
and in support of other key players. 

Each section briefly describes the issues identified and uses examples and/or good practices to 
illustrate  them  (these  are  outlined  more  in  detail  in  the  accompanying  Staff  Working 
Document). It also offers a brief insight into ongoing measures by the Commission or national 
institutions  and  finally,  where  possible,  proposes  new  actions  by  the  Commission  or 
recommends actions for Member States and other stakeholders. 

The  implementation  of  the  10  actions  listed  below  will  be  facilitated  by  the  creation  of  a 
"Border Focal Point" within the Commission. The functions of the "Border Focal Point" will 
be to (1) ensure that key future actions by the Commission take due account of cross-border 
regional dimensions, (2) provide Member States and other key players with support to address 
legal  and  administrative  border  regional  issues,  notably  relating  to  the  transposition  of  EU 
directives or coordination requirements, (3) make sure that practical arrangements are in place 
for new actions stemming from this Communication, (4) share experiences and good practices 
effectively and widely with relevant stakeholders. 

13  Politecnico  di  Milano  (2017)  Quantification  of  the  effects  of  legal  and  administrative  border  obstacles  in  land  border 

regions. 

14  This calculation does not include the costs of removing the obstacles, for more information see footnote 13. 

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3.1.  Deepening cooperation and exchanges 

New  initiatives  by  the  Commission  will  not  have  the  full  desired  positive  impact  in  border 
regions  if  effective  mechanisms  for  cross-border  cooperation  are  not  deepened.  These 
mechanisms,  whether  institutionalised  or  not,  need  to  reflect  the  multi-level  government 
dimension  of  policy-making  in  the  EU.  A  number  of  such  cooperation  mechanisms  already 
exist. 

Good practice: At inter-governmental level, the Nordic Council of Ministers and the Benelux 
Union have established processes to identify and address bi-lateral border barriers. At regional 
level,  the  Upper  Rhine  Conference  or  the  Greater  Copenhagen  and  Skåne  Committee  have 
developed institutionalised ways to identify local obstacles and organise a response. 

The Commission calls upon Member States and regions to further develop regular dialogues 
on  border  issues.  Essential  European  integration  notions  such  as  mutual  recognition  or 
alignment  of  rules  and  processes  should  receive  more  attention  from  Member  States  and 
regions.  They  are  invited  to  take  full  advantage  of  existing  opportunities  to  conclude 
agreements  or  conventions.  For  example,  the  four  macro-regional  strategies15  could  provide 
an  appropriate  framework  for  cross-border  institutional  cooperation.  In  addition,  where 
cooperation is an explicit requirement of EU legislation, as is the case for instance in many 
environmental legal acts, this should be used to full effect. 

Action: To support this process and to ensure that good practices are shared, the Commission 
will  establish  an  EU-wide  online  professional  network  where  legal  and  administrative 
border issues and solutions can be presented and discussed between border stakeholders. This 
network will use Futurium - an already existing online platform created by the Commission - 
and will be moderated by the Commission via its Border Focal Point. 

Action: In addition, the Commission will launch an open call for pilot projects before the end 
of 2017. It will target public authorities wishing to resolve one or more border-specific legal 
or  administrative  problem(s).  Projects  could  for  example  be  focused  on  improving 
compatibility  of  administrative  systems,  facilitating  labour  mobility  through  enhanced 
opportunities  for  qualification  recognition  or  ensuring  harmonisation  of  legal  standards.  
These  projects  will  serve  as  a  basis  for  exploring  innovative  ways  to  address  border  issues. 
Their  results  will  be  summarised  in  a  final  compendium  that  will  be  widely  distributed  and 
used to foster greater awareness and capacity among key players.  The call will be open to any 
public  body  willing  to  engage  in  identifying  solutions  to  border  issues  within  their  area  of 
competence.  Up  to  20  pilot  projects  will  be  selected  for their  high  demonstration  value  and 
level of replicability. 

15  EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, The EU Strategy for the Danube Region, The EU Strategy for the 

Adriatic and Ionian Region and The EU Strategy for the Alpine Region. 

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3.2. 

Improving the legislative process 

For a considerable share of the border difficulties identified, root causes have been attributed 
to  the  existence  side  by  side  of  different  regulations  in  national  legal  and  administrative 
systems. Even where there is a European legal framework, Member States have a degree of 
flexibility and discretion in the way they transpose this legislation in their national systems. 
Often certain levels of standards stipulated in EU law are incorporated at varying degrees of 
stringency  in  various  Member  States.  As  a  result,  when  two  different  systems  meet  along 
internal  borders,  this  may  create  complexity - and  sometimes  even  legal  uncertainty - and 
generate additional costs. 

Example:  Directive  2014/24/EU  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  26 
February 2014 on public procurement contains 19 instances where minimum standards apply, 
for example on setting specific time limits. This creates 19 potential occasions where cross-
border public procurement can be particularly difficult, as certain Member States will apply 
longer deadlines than others. 

In its Better Regulation package adopted in 201516, the Commission has proposed measures to 
ensure  that  territorial  aspects  are  factored  into  policy  options.  This  happens  mainly  through 
the  implementation  of  robust  impact  assessments  of  legislation  that  include  territorial 
elements. 

Good  practice:  An  independent  body  (Institute  for  Transnational  and  Euregional  Cross-
Border  Cooperation  and  Mobility  of  Maastricht  University)  carries  out  cross-border  impact 
assessments  of  future  national  and  EU  legislation  based  on  a  work  programme  developed 
together  with  national,  regional  and  local  border  stakeholders  along  the  borders  of  the 
Netherlands with Germany and Belgium respectively17. 

Action:  The  Commission  will  make  further  efforts  to  identify  cross-border  impacts 
whenever significant through the application of the existing methods and tools. Via its Border 
Focal Point and the professional network described above, the Commission will seek greater 
involvement by border stakeholders in this process. 

Action:  To  support  Member  States  with  necessary  coordination  efforts  during  their  national 
transposition  process,  the  Commission's  Border  Focal  Point  will  organise  expertise  and 
advice  on  cross-border  regional  aspects.  This  will  build  among  others  on  the  results  of  the 
pilot projects mentioned above and on existing good practices. 

16  Communication  from  the  Commission  to  the  European  Parliament,  the  Council,  the  European  Economic  and  Social 
Committee  and  the  Committee  of  the  Regions  'Better  regulation  for  better  results - An  EU  agenda',  COM(2015) 215 
final of 19 May 2015. 
Institute for Transnational and Euregional Cross-Border Cooperation and Mobility of Maastricht University: 
https://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/research/institute-transnational-and-euregional-cross-border-cooperation-and-
mobility-item . 

17 

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3.3.  Enabling cross-border public administration 

EU Member States have different administrative cultures and systems. This diversity can be a 
constraint  when  different  systems  meet.  Most  administrative  procedures  tend  to  be  of  a 
national  nature  and  cross-border  procedures  are  less  widespread.  However,  border 
stakeholders  may  well  require  non-domestic  procedures  on  a  regular  basis.  The  lack  of 
common  approach  or  understanding,  and  the  limited  existence  of  mutually  recognised 
documents can lead to lengthy and costly procedures, even for key life events. 

For  example,  some  public  authorities  have  embraced  e-government  faster  than  others  –  this 
can lead to difficulties in border interaction especially when documents or forms are needed. 
Where  e-government  solutions  are  being  implemented,  these  apply  more  to  the  domestic 
context than to a cross-border perspective18. Interoperability of public authorities' e-systems is 
still limited. 

Example: Interaction between individuals and public authorities in Denmark is digitalised to a 
large extent. Getting the necessary identification and access rights can be complex for cross-
border commuters based in neighbouring countries. For example, tight deadlines for issuing 
the  tax  identification  number  (skattepersonnummer)  can  cause  delays  in  arranging 
employment  contracts  and  health  insurance.  Handling  certain  issues  outside  of  the  digital 
systems carries the risk of delays and missed deadlines. 

In its e-Government Action Plan 2016-202019, the Commission sets out a long-term vision for 
open,  efficient  and  inclusive  public  administrations,  providing  borderless,  personalised  end-
to-end digital public services. Although of a general nature, the plan proposes measures and 
tools  which  will  be  particularly  relevant  for  border  regions  such  as  the  once-only  principle 
(i.e. information is supplied to public authorities only once regardless of country of origin20) 
and an automated translation tool for public authorities21. 

Action:  Member  States'  and  regional/local  authorities  need  to  rise  to  the  challenge  of  e-
government  and  take  concrete  steps  that  will  make  a  difference  to  border  citizens.  The 
Commission  will  support  this  process  by  actively  promoting  existing  e-solutions  among 
border  stakeholders  and  among  public  authorities  most  concerned  by  cross-border  data 
exchanges.  To  this  end,  the  Commission  will  urge  its  ongoing  and  future  e-government 
projects  to  engage  border  stakeholders  in  order  to  deliver  cross-border  public  services  that 
meet the needs of individuals and businesses. Successful on-going projects such as the mutual 

18  European Commission's 'EU eGovernment Report 2016' shows that online public services improved unevenly, Digital 
Single  Market,  News,  Digibytes,  3  October  2016:  https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/news/eu-egovernment-
report-2016-shows-online-public-services-improved-unevenly . 

19  European  Commission 

'EU  eGovernment  Action  Plan  2016-2020 - Accelerating  the  digital  transformation  of 

government', COM(2016) 179 of 19 April 2016: 
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?qid=1503566265012&uri=CELEX:52016DC0179 . 

20  European Commission 'The “Once-Only” Principle (TOOP) Project launched in January 2017', Digital Single Market, 
Project  News  and  Results,  26  of  January  2017:  https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/news/once-only-principle-
toop-project-launched-january-2017 . 

21  Machine 

translation 

for  public  administrations - MT@EC:  https://ec.europa.eu/info/resources-partners/machine-

translation-public-administrations-mtec_en . 

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recognition  of  eID  or  the  Electronic  Exchange  of  Social  Security  Information  (EESSI) 
provide a strong basis for this. 

3.4. 

Providing reliable and understandable information and assistance 

Resolving  border  obstacles  will  take  time  and  sustained  effort.  In  the  meantime,  access  to 
available and reliable information and problem-solving services on life or work on the other 
side of the border is vital. Preparatory work for this Communication has highlighted concerns 
by  individuals  and  businesses  at  the  lack  of  reliable  information  services  which  can  lead  to 
legal uncertainty that hampers cross-border interaction or makes the implementation of cross-
border projects longer and more costly. 

Good practice: Initially financed by Interreg, the Infobest22 network of one-stop-shops in the 
Upper  Rhine  tri-lateral  border  region  between  France,  Germany  and  Switzerland  currently 
provides  reliable  information  to  individuals  about  all  aspects  of  cross-border  life,  including 
employment  and  education  and  supports  cross-border  interface  with  the  different  public 
authorities. 

Europe-wide services and tools such as Your Europe, the Internal Market Information System 
and the SOLVIT network are useful in this context. 

Action: The Commission has recently proposed the "Single Digital Gateway" (SDG)23 draft 
regulation which once adopted will enable  individuals and companies to have easier access, 
through  a  single  digital  entry  point,  to  high  quality  information,  online  administrative 
procedures and assistance services. The SDG envisages the first application of the once-only 
principle  at  the  EU  level  by  enabling  the  exchange  of  evidence  directly  between  competent 
authorities from different Member States  for a set of key procedures. It will also  encourage 
feedback  from  its  users  to  constantly  evolve  to  meet  their  needs  and  to  collect  information 
about single market barriers. 

Action:  In  its  recently  adopted  Communication  "Action  plan  on  the  reinforcement  of 
SOLVIT:  bringing  the  benefits  of  the  Single  Market  to  citizens  and  businesses"24,  the 
Commission  commits  to  further  reinforce  SOLVIT  with  the  Member  States  so  that  more 
individuals and businesses have their cross-border issues addressed. 

Infobest: https://www.infobest.eu/ . 

22 
23  Proposal  for  a  Regulation  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  on  establishing  a  single  digital  gateway  to 
provide information, procedures, assistance and problem solving services and amending Regulation (EU) No 1024/2012 
of 2 May 2017: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52017PC0256 . 

24  Communication from the European Commission 'Action plan on the reinforcement of SOLVIT: bringing the benefits of 
the  Single  Market  to  citizens  and  businesses',  COM(2017) 255  of  2  May  2017:  http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-
content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52017DC0255 . 

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3.5. 

Supporting cross-border employment 

Preparatory work has identified labour mobility as the most important area directly affected 
by border obstacles. This particularly concerns cross-border workers who live on one side of 
the border and travel to work on the other side of the border on a daily or weekly basis25. 

A  number  of  tools  and  coordination  mechanisms  exist  at  European  level  to  facilitate  cross-
border  work  such  as  the  European  network  of  employment  services  (EURES),  rules  for  the 
coordination  of  social  security  systems,  the  European  Qualifications  Framework  which 
supports  understanding  and  comparison  of  qualifications,  the  Europass  Framework  which 
enables individuals to communicate their skills and qualifications, the European classification 
of skills, competences, qualifications and occupations and the European Professional Card, an 
EU-wide  digital  procedure  for  the  recognition  of  professional  qualifications.  In  terms  of 
financing,  both  the  EU  programme  for  Employment  and  Social  Innovation  (EaSI)  and  the 
European Social Fund provide support for labour mobility in border regions. The EURES axis 
of the EaSI programme supports cross-border partnerships that provide cross-border workers 
and their employers with information and placement services. 

Good  practice:  The  Social  Security  and  Labour  Inspection  of  Galicia  and  that  of  North 
Portugal  have  created  a  network  supported  by  the  local  EURES  cross-border  partnership, 
which  allows  a  faster  resolution  of  obstacles  to  cross-border  mobility  of  employers  and 
workers.  They  have  developed  effective  collaboration  bridges  between  Social  Security 
organisms and Labour Inspection in the cross-border region. 

However, the positive effects of those measures/tools have not achieved their full potential in 
border  regions.  There  is  still  room  for  improvement  in  processes  such  as:  completing  an 
apprenticeship, having one's skills and competences fully recognised, accessing job vacancies, 
identifying  workers,  obtaining  legal  certainty  on  fiscal  issues,  securing  full  social  security 
coverage, obtaining professional insurance for medical staff, complicated procedures to obtain 
professional  certificates.  Information  provision,  including  to  individuals  and  employers,  as 
well as data collection for decision-making are other areas to be improved. 

Action:  Member  States  and  regional  authorities  are  encouraged  to  reinforce  cooperation 
between  public  employment  services  in  border  regions  including  joint  cross-border 
employment services to improve access to information and to jobs in the cross-border labour 
market.  Existing  practices  will  be  made  more  widely  available  using  the  proposed 
professional network mentioned above. 

3.6. 

Promoting border multi-lingualism 

The  wealth  of  cultures  and  traditions  across  Europe  is  a  great  asset.  Multilingualism  is  a 
European  integration  goal.  The  ability  to  speak  foreign  languages  is  also  increasingly 

25  Cross-border  workers  (frontier  workers)  are  defined  as  EU/EFTA  citizens  who  live  in  one  EU  or  EFTA  country  and 
work  in  another,  moving  across  borders  regularly  on  a  daily  or  at  least  weekly  basis,  regardless  of  their  precise 
citizenship (provided they are EU-28/EFTA citizens). 

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important  to  boost  employability,  mobility  and  competitiveness,  which  is  of  particular 
relevance in border regions. 

Good practice: The "France-strategy", which was adopted by the German region of Saarland26 
in  2014,  promotes  a  bilingual  approach  at  all  levels  of  administration.  It  is  supported  by  a 
curriculum including compulsory French, starting in preschool. As a result, more than half of 
all kindergartens in the area are bilingual. 

Yet,  language  has  been  highlighted  as  a  source  of  difficulty  by  many  during  the  public 
consultation  for  this  Communication.  The  experience  of  border  stakeholders  often  points  to 
cases where the inflexible use of different languages on both sides of a border increases the 
administrative  burden  as  well  as  hampers  meaningful  exchanges  between  public 
administrations and individuals. 

The Commission is pursuing a strategy endorsed by the Council and based on the objective 
defined  by  the  EU  Heads  of  State  and  Government  that  all  citizens  should  have  the 
opportunity to learn two foreign languages from an early age27. In border regions one of these 
languages can ideally be the language of the neighbours. Language learning is also an over-
arching priority of the European funding programme for education, training, youth and sport: 
Erasmus+. The programme can support language learning in border regions in many ways. 

Action:  Member  States,  regions  and  municipalities  are  urged  to  use  life-long  learning 
opportunities  to  step  up  efforts  to  promote  bilingualism  in  border  regions.  Existing  good 
practices should be a source of inspiration and will be further promoted by the Commission.  
Existing  funding  instruments  such  as  Erasmus+  or  the  Interreg  cross-border  cooperation 
programmes will be used to support this where appropriate. 

3.7. 

Facilitating cross-border accessibility 

Transport is a key enabler of exchanges between regions across national borders. Especially 
public  transport  services  not  only  help  integration  processes  but  also  enhance  the 
sustainability  of  cross-border  connectivity.  Lacking,  insufficient  or  low-quality  public 
transport services are  still  a  reality  for  many  citizens  in  border  regions. This  concerns  three 
levels:  1)  infrastructure  connections,  2)  service  provision  and  3)  the  quality  of  services. 
Especially smaller scale railway infrastructure is lacking or inoperative in a number of cases 
along internal EU borders; owing to a range of difficulties (e. g. diverging priorities, different 
legal/procedural/organisational approaches, budgetary constraints). 

Good practice:  Interreg finances cross-mobility projects, most of which can be found in the 
KEEP28  database.  For  example  in  the  tri-lateral  border  area  between  Germany,  the 
Netherlands  and  Belgium,  public  transport  providers  have  developed  a  common  platform 
(http://mobility-euregio.com)  with  combined  timetables,  joint  pricing  and  a  modernized 

26  France Saarland Strategy October 2016: 

https://www.saarland.de/dokumente/ressort_finanzen/MFE_Frankreich_Startegie_LangDIn4S_UK_Lay2.pdf . 

27  European  Union - Council  of  the  EU  'Council  conclusions  on  multilingualism  and  the  development  of  language 

competences', May 2014: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52014XG0614(06) . 

28  www.keep.eu . 

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ticketing  system.  On  the  German-Swiss  border,  a  new  bus  line  was  established  between 
Grenzach-Wyhlen (DE) and Basel (CH) to accommodate the 1,900 local commuters (out of a 
total population of 14,000 people). 

At EU level greater harmonisation and coordination of technical and legal standards, together 
with  achieving  interoperability  in  the  transport  sector  are  high  priorities.    Coordination  and 
harmonisation have been successfully achieved in the field of TEN-T which may serve as an 
example for other policy fields beyond transport. For example, when it comes to the provision 
of  EU-wide  multimodal  travel  information  services,  upcoming  EU  legislation  will  provide 
appropriate  framework  conditions  to  enable  all  the  relevant  stakeholders  along  the  travel 
information value chain to cooperate29. 

Action: A Commission study of missing rail links along internal borders will be available in 
2018. It will be shared with stakeholders via the Border Focal Point. 

Action:  The  organisation  and  implementation  of  cross-border  public  transport  services  is  a 
competence  that  lies  at  national,  regional  and  local  level.    Member  States,  regions  and 
municipalities are therefore urged to step up their efforts to provide individuals with better 
quality, more integrated public transport services. The Border Focal Point will make good 
practices available and provide expert advice where possible. 

3.8. 

Promoting greater pooling of health care facilities 

Encouraging  cooperation  between  the  Member  States  to  improve  complementarity  of  their 
health services in border regions is a priority for the EU30. Different structures and principles 
exist for the reimbursement of cross-border healthcare resulting in e.g. different and complex 
procedures  for  the  prior  authorisation  of  healthcare  services  and  payments/reimbursements; 
administrative  burden  for  patients  dealing  with  cross-border  consultations  with  specialists; 
incompatibilities in  the use  of technology  and in the sharing of patient data; lack of unified 
accessible  information,  which  also  includes  a  lack  of  information  in  the  patients'  language. 
Limited accessibility from both sides of the border therefore hampers the full use of the health 
care  facility.  Emergency  and  rescue  services  are  also  sometimes  impeded  in  carrying  out 
cross-border interventions. 

Good  practice:  The  institutionalised  agreement  establishing  seven  organised  cross-border 
health care zones on the Franco-Belgian border31 has been used by more than 20,000 patients 
who have received health care closer to their residence in the neighbouring country. 

Action:  A  comprehensive  mapping  of  cross-border  health  cooperation  across  the  EU  by 
the Commission will identify good practices and analyse future challenges. It will be available 
in  2018  and  will  be  shared  with  stakeholders  via  the  Border  Focal  Point.  The  Commission 
will  during  2018  also  organise  a  strategic  event  to  highlight  good  practices  of  cross-border 

29  To be implemented via a Delegated Regulation supplementing Directive 2010/40/EU. 
30  Besides provisions mentioned in the Treaty itself, one can highlight the Directive on the application of patients’ rights in 
cross-border healthcare (2011/24/EU) and the EU-Regulation on the coordination of social security systems (883/2004). 

31  Espaces Transfrontaliers, La Communauté de santé transfrontalière: 

http://www.espaces-transfrontaliers.org/ressources/themes/sante/sante-4/ . 

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health  cooperation  and  explore  ways  in  which  this  can  be  further  developed  throughout  the 
Union. 

3.9.  Considering the legal and financial framework for cross-border 

cooperation 

The EU has introduced a number of legal and financial tools to facilitate cooperation across 
European borders. For example, the European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation32 enables 
entities  from  two  or  more  Member  States  to  work  together  under  a  common  structure  with 
legal personality. This  facilitates cross-border cooperation in many cases  and gives regional 
and local authorities a way to cooperate without the need for an agreement ratified at Member 
State  level.  However,  their  wholly  institutional  nature  is  not  always  suitable  for  resolving 
legal and administrative obstacles. 

Good practice: The EGTC Lille-Tournai-Kortrijk Eurometropolis33 is the largest cross-border 
metropole  in  Europe.  It  brings  together  14  institutions  from  France  and  Belgium  (national 
authorities,  regional  and  local  authorities,  development  agencies)  which  work  together  to 
erase the "border effect" and make day-to-day life easier for its 2.1 million inhabitants. 

Action:  A  number  of  Member  States  are  considering  the  merit  of  a  new  instrument  which 
would  make  it  possible,  on  a  voluntary  basis  and  agreed  by  the  competent  authorities  in 
charge, for the rules of one Member State to apply  in the neighbouring Member State  for a 
specific project or action limited in time, located within a border region and initiated by local 
and/or regional public authorities. The Commission services closely follow this work. Taking 
into account the evidence provided by the pilot projects mentioned above in section 3.1, the 
Commission will consider options to take this instrument forward. 

Action:  Member  States  and  the  European  institutions  should  engage  early  in  a  dialogue  to 
explore  how  future  funding  programmes  can  make  a  more  strategic  contribution  to  the 
prevention  and  resolution  of  border  obstacles  and  the  development  of  cross-border  public 
services.  

3.10.  Building evidence of cross-border interaction to inform decision-making 

Collecting data and evidence on border obstacles is the first necessary step towards resolving 
them but only limited resources are invested in collecting and analysing information on border 
difficulties and complexities. Excellent examples of information collection and analysis exist 
in France34 and in Hungary35. 

Similarly,  the  limited  availability  of  statistical  and  geospatial  data  on  cross-border  flows 
reduces the scope for genuine cross-border policy development and decision-making.  A few 
regional efforts have been made that other regions could build upon. 

32  Regulation  (EC)  No 1082/2006  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council of  5  July  2006  (OJ  L  210,  31.7.2006, 

p. 19), as amended by Regulation (EU) No 1302/2013 of 17 December 2013 (OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 303). 

33  Eurometropolis: http://www.eurometropolis.eu/ . 
34  Mission Opérationnelle Transfrontalière: www.espaces-transfrontaliers.org . 
35  Central European Service for Cross-Border Initiatives: www.cesci-net.eu . 

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Good practice: The data portal for the Greater Region36 in and around Luxembourg collects 
data from five national and regional statistical offices to provide policy-makers with evidence 
of cross-border flows and territorial trends in an area characterised by high level of interaction 
(e.g. 200,000 cross-border workers). 

Statistical  and  geospatial  data  describing  cross-border  flows  and  phenomena  is  not  always 
sufficiently  available  or  standardised  to  allow  policy-makers  to  take  informed  decisions. 
Member  States,  under  the  coordination  of  the  European  Statistical  Office  should  explore 
innovative data collection methodologies (e.g. geo-referencing or geocoding) ready for cross-
border analysis such as grid-based data. 

Action: The Commission is financing a one-year pilot project with statistical offices to test 
the  potential  use  of  labour  force  survey  data,  administrative  and  census  data,  and  mobile 
phone data. This collaborative work with Member States should be pursued and re-enforced 
based on the outcome of the pilot project available in 2018. 

Action: The Commission is working with the European Observation Network for Territorial 
Development  and  Cohesion  (ESPON)  territorial  cooperation programme to  further  promote 
territorial  research  linked  to  border  regions.  The  Commission  is  also  building  upon 
successful  territorial  research  activities  funded  by  the  Seventh  Framework  Programme  for 
Research  and  Technological  Development,  Horizon  2020  as  well  as  via  the  Joint  Research 
Centre.  This  work  will  be  used  by  the  Border  Focal  Point  to  promote  informed  decision-
making in response to challenges faced by border communities. 

4.  CONCLUSIONS 

EU internal border regions contribute significantly to the socio-economic wealth of Europe. 
They are geographic areas where European integration processes are experienced in everyday 
life by individuals, businesses and public authorities. 

Evidence  shows  that  much  can  be  gained  by reducing  the negative  impact  of  the  territorial, 
legal and administrative discontinuities which persist in border regions. 

Action  at  EU  level,  in  cooperation  with  Member  States,  regions  and  other  stakeholders  is 
required to better use the potential of border regions. The Commission has a key role to play 
in this regard. It can take direct action in its areas of competence when proposing legislation 
or funding mechanisms. Just as importantly, it can also support Member States and regions to 
better  understand  the  challenges  and  develop  operative  arrangements,  notably  by  promoting 
information sharing and showcasing successful practices. 

The  EU  budget  has  contributed  significantly  to  the  development  of  border  regions  over  the 
past 25 years. Future funding programmes should continue to do this in the most effective and 
efficient manner, focusing on areas of particular high EU value added. Consideration could be 
given  for  instance  to  ensuring  that  solving  border  difficulties  is  at  the  heart  of  cross-border 
cooperation  programmes.  Similarly,  gaps  and  missing  links  in  different  policy  fields, 

36  Grand Région: http://www.grande-region.lu/portal/ . 

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including transport, should be a central part of those programmes. Finally, the pooling of joint 
public  services  in  neighbouring  border  regions  and  institution-building  needs  could  also  be 
taken into account. 

Member States and regions too have a central role to play in this process – they need to act in 
areas  where  they  are  competent  in  order  to  prevent  obstacles  from  emerging  and  to  resolve 
those which already exist. They should give serious consideration to greater coordination (e.g. 
when  transposing  EU  law),  more  mutual  recognition  and  closer  alignment  with  each 
neighbour. 

The Commission will take action still in 2017 and in the coming years as outlined above. The 
Border  Focal  Point  will  soon  become  operational  so  that  the  proposed  actions  can  be 
implemented swiftly. 

The  objective  is  to  demonstrate  that  border  regions  can  increase  their  contribution  to  the 
socio-economic  well-being  of  EU  citizens  while  also  becoming  living  labs  of  European 
integration for the benefit of European territories and their inhabitants. 

16