REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS EU Border Regions: Living labs of European integration
Date: 2021-07-14
Institutions: Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy, European Commission
Subjects: EU regional policy, European integration, coronavirus disease, cross-border cooperation, epidemic, frontier region, internal border of the EU, regional aid, regional development, regional disparity

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 14.7.2021  COM(2021) 393 final  REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS EU Border Regions: Living labs of European integration  
 
 
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1.  INTRODUCTION 

When the European Commission adopted its Communication “Boosting Growth and Cohesion in 
EU Border Regions”1 (the 2017 Communication), little did anyone know that three years later, 
we would become acutely aware of the existence of internal borders when many crossing points 
closed  and  unprecedented  measures  were  taken  that  limited  our  freedom  of  movement  and 
impeded cross-border life. 

The  2017  Communication  highlighted  that  border  regions  have  a  vital  role  to  play  in  the 
European  integration  process.  Many  border  regions’  representatives  see  their  regions  as 
“laboratories  of  European  integration”  because  they  are  hot  spots  of  intense  cross-border 
interaction,  where  many  people carry  out  daily  activities  on  both  sides  of the  border. They  are 
regions  where  the  advantages  of  the  single  market  and  freedom  of  movement  are  very  visible, 
and where new ideas and solutions for European integration are often tested for the first time.  

The 2017 Communication also highlighted persistent difficulties affecting many aspects of cross-
border life: the lack of cross-border public transport, difficulties with the recognition of skills and 
diplomas,  limited  access  to  nearby  public  services,  frequent  absence  of  genuine  cross-border 
governance  systems  to  jointly  manage  shared  resources,  challenges  and  opportunities.  The 
ambitions  of  cross-border  regions  have  often  been  impeded  by  diverging  national  rules  due  to 
differences in implementing the EU’s legal framework, for instance EU directives. 

In 2020 and 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic emphatically demonstrated how interdependent EU 
Member  States  and  regions  are.  Sadly,  it  also  demonstrated  at  times  how  fragile  our  internal 
borders  can  be  and  how  quickly  we  can  lose  the  benefit  of  an  open  space  with  freedom  of 
movement, albeit temporarily. In many Member States, some of the first measures taken were to 
bring  back  internal  border  controls  and  ban  access  to  their  territories  for  neighbours  who,  in 
normal  times,  cross  borders  frequently  for  multiple  reasons.  The  negative  impact  of  these 
measures quickly became very visible in many border regions2. It paralysed services, including 
healthcare  facilities,  because  cross-border  workers  could  not  access  their  workplaces. 
Impediments  to  the  free  movement  of  goods  disrupted  supplies  of  much-needed  medical 
equipment. The public  echoed these  negative  effects:  in the  public  consultation  on  overcoming 
border obstacles3 carried out by the Commission in 2020, 65% of respondents stated that border 
closures increased their perception of the border as an obstacle.  Therefore the recently adopted 
Strategy  for  an  Area  of  Freedom,  Security  and  Justice4  without  internal  borders  takes  due 
consideration of the experiences and lessons-learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, 
the Commission is in the early stages of preparing an amendment to the Schengen Borders Code 
which should address the identified shortcomings in the current system.  

But  decades  of  good neighbourly relations  and  constructive  cross-border  cooperation  have  also 
resulted in remarkable acts of solidarity. Member States less seriously affected by extremely high 
numbers of patients in need of intensive care offered help by taking on in their facilities patients 
from  neighbouring  countries  with  greater  needs.  Along  some  borders,  established  cross-border 

1  Communication  from the  Commission to the  Council and  the European Parliament  ‘Boosting  growth 

and cohesion in EU border regions’ - COM(2017) 534 final, 20.9.2017. 

2  See: “The effects of Covid-19 induced border closures on cross border regions” - 

ISBN 978-92-76-28398-0 and 978-92-76-28400-0 

3  Public consultation on overcoming border obstacles (2020) available at: 

https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/newsroom/consultations/border-2020/ 

4  Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council ‘A strategy towards 
a  fully  functioning  and  resilient  Schengen  area  without  internal  border  controls’  -  COM(2021)  277, 
2.6.2021. 

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structures  coordinated  crisis  response  and  proved  a  precious  source  of  reliable  information  for 
people often puzzled by changing and inconsistent rules. And we saw regular demonstrations of 
simple human empathy among neighbouring communities.  

COVID-19 solidarity in cross-border regions5 

The Greater Region (LU-BE-FR-DE) created a Pandemic Task Force to coordinate a response 
to the pandemic on multiple levels (e.g. monitoring the availability of intensive care beds). 

The  neighbouring  towns  of  Görlitz  (DE)  and  Zgorzelec  (PL)  ran  joint  emergency  exercises 
(e.g. on action to take when faced with a mass outbreak of measles) and used this experience to 
set up a cross-border information exchange system during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The  Bánát  Triplex  Confinium  European  Grouping  of  Territorial  Cooperation  (BTC  EGTC) 
brings  together  local  authorities  located  on  the  Hungary-Romania-Serbia  trilateral  border 
region. The EGTC got together to deliver urgently needed face masks and hand sanitisers from 
Hungary to the 37 Romanian authorities involved in the EGTC. 

On the Austria-Italy border, the Süd Tirol region sent protective equipment to the autonomous 
provinces  of  Bolzano  and  Trentino;  hospitals  in  the  Tyrolean  towns  of  Innsbruck,  Hall  and 
Linz took care of Italian patients in need of intensive care. 

The  European  Commission  reacted  swiftly  within  the  limits  of  its  legal  mandate,  by  rapidly 
opening up ‘green corridors’ for the transit of essential goods and adopting two sets of guidelines 
on the free movement of workers6 and emergency assistance in cross-border healthcare7.  

In addition, based on a Commission proposal, Council Recommendation (EU) 2020/14758, and 
its amendment (EU) 2021/1199, took a coordinated approach to the restriction of free movement 
in  response  to  the  COVID-19  pandemic.  The  amendment  provides  special  provisions  for 
residents  of  border  areas  who  cross  the  border  frequently  to  work,  go  to  school,  seek  medical 
care, or take care of family. They should not be required to quarantine when crossing borders for 
essential  purposes.  In  addition,  if  a  testing  requirement  on  cross-border  travel  is  introduced  in 
these  regions,  its  frequency  should  be  proportionate.  If  the  epidemiological  situation  on  both 
sides of the border is comparable, no travel-related testing requirements should be imposed. 

However, the crisis demonstrated that the degree of resilience of border areas depends largely on 
the institutional set up and on the level of preparedness, which is often designed and decided at 
national level. This would merit further reflection. 

This  report  is  therefore  structured  around  two  sections.  First,  it  reviews  progress  made  in 
implementing the actions announced in the 2017 Communication’s action plan. Second, based on 
analytical work and consultations with stakeholders and drawing on the lessons learnt during the 
COVID-19 crisis, the report revisits the 2017 action plan to increase its effectiveness and adjust it 
to  new  realities.  No  new  actions  are  proposed,  but  the  European  Commission  examines  how 
initiatives and programmes under the Multi-Annual Financial Framework 2021-2027 can be used 
to stimulate the recovery of border areas, whose economies have often been particularly severely 

5  https://cor.europa.eu/en/engage/Pages/covid19-stories.aspx#cooperation  
6  Communication  from  the  Commission  ‘Guidelines  concerning  the  exercise  of  the  free  movement  of 

workers during COVID-19 outbreak’ - OJ C 102I, 30.3.2020, p. 12. 

7  Guidelines  on  EU  Emergency  Assistance  in  Cross-Border  Cooperation  in  Healthcare  related  to  the 

COVID-19 crisis - COM(2020) 2153 final, 3.4.2020. 

8  Council  Recommendation  (EU)  2020/1475  of  13  October  2020  on  a  coordinated  approach  to  the 
restriction of free movement in response to the COVID-19 pandemic (OJ L 337, 14.10.2020, p. 3). 
9  Council  Recommendation  (EU)  2021/119  of  1  February  2021  amending  Recommendation  (EU) 
2020/1475 on a coordinated approach to the restriction of free movement in response to the COVID-19 
pandemic (OJ L 36I, 2.2.2021, p. 1). 

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disrupted by the crisis. The report also considers the EU’s external borders with neighbours that 
have an agreed accession path to join the European Union. 

2.  IMPLEMENTING THE ACTION PLAN – KEY ACHIEVEMENTS  

Work  to  implement  the  2017  10-point  action  plan,  coordinated  by  the  Border  Focal  Point,  has 
now been ongoing for just over three years. A detailed assessment of each action is presented in 
the  table  at  the  end  of  this  report.  The  2020  public  consultation  carried  out  to  understand  the 
impact of these actions and the current situation in cross-border regions gathered 453 responses, 
which provided input to this report. 

Several  outcomes  are  of  particular  importance  and  are  therefore  highlighted  separately  below. 
They  have  been  significant  in  several  ways:  some  of  them  contributed  to  improving  our 
understanding  of  persisting  difficulties  faced  by  people  living  in  border  regions;  others  created 
fresh impetus in developing joint initiatives across borders. Globally, these responses provided a 
positive contribution to the Report.  

1.  An enriched tool box for cross-border interaction 

In 2018, the Commission adopted the ‘European Cross-Border Mechanism’ (ECBM) legislative 
proposal to offer a legal tool for practical solutions to overcome cross-border obstacles of a legal 
or administrative nature10. In 2019, to pioneer work to overcome these obstacles, the Commission 
launched b-solutions11, an innovative initiative that provides legal support to public authorities in 
border regions to identify the root causes of legal or administrative obstacles affecting their cross-
border interactions and to explore potential solution(s). This has been a successful process, which 
has  resolved  90  cases  of  border  obstacles.  The  cases  covered  27  cross-border  regions  in  21 
Member  States  and  tackled  obstacles  mainly  in  employment,  public  transport,  healthcare  and 
institutional cooperation. 

The key lessons learnt from the ‘b-solutions’ initiative show that:  

1)  solutions must be tailored to each specific context, though experience in handling similar 

obstacles in other border regions can often be useful;  

2)  implementing  solutions  is  typically  a  complex  and  lengthy  process,  only  possible  with 
the involvement and political commitment of multi-level decision-making authorities;  
3)  a  range  of  tools  can  be  used  to  identify  solutions;  some  may  be  European,  others  may 
already be available at national level. But these solutions frequently require changes in 
the legal framework. 

Overall,  the success  of  b-solutions  is  also  due  to  the fact  that it  paves  the  way  for longer-term 
agreements between Member States and regions to definitively remove barriers, as illustrated in 
the box overleaf. These pilot projects also show the potential of the ECBM. In 13 of the first 43 
cases for b-solutions (30%), participants and experts clearly expressed the view that an EU legal 
tool such as the ECBM would have made a difference to resolving recurring border obstacles had 
it been available12. The ECBM is still being discussed in Council, after the European Parliament 
established  its  broadly  positive  position13  in  2019.  The  Commission  remains  convinced  of  the 
positive benefits that the proposal would bring. 

10  Proposal for a Regulation of  the  European Parliament and  of the Council on a  mechanism  to resolve 

legal and administrative obstacles in a cross-border context – COM(2018) 373 final, 29.5.2018. 

11  https://www.b-solutionsproject.com/  
12  A compendium with more information on the experience is published under ISBN 978-92-76-13300-1 

and 978-92-76-13302-5. 

13  European Parliament legislative resolution of 14 February 2019 on the proposal for a Regulation of the 
European Parliament and of the Council on a mechanism to resolve legal and administrative obstacles 
in a cross-border context [COM(2018) 373 – C8- 0228/2018 – 2018/0198(COD)]. 

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Good practice: emergency medical services along the French-Spanish border 
Despite the existence of the first European bi-national Hospital de Cerdanya, doctors were until 
recently prevented from responding to medical emergencies on the other side of the border due 
to  the  lack  of  automatic  mutual  recognition  of  their  status  as  doctors.  A  b-solutions  project 
identified the way to overcome this administrative barrier in 2019. In 2020, the local bodies in 
charge  implemented  the  solution.  Following  the  Franco-Spanish  summit  of  15 March 2021, 
there is now a new political commitment to further develop a common framework for cross-
border healthcare in the cross-border region. 

2.  Developments in cross-border healthcare 

The  healthcare sector  has been the subject  of  increased  attention  over  the  past few  years.  As a 
result, there is now a much better understanding of cross-border health services, their added value 
(for example by offering facilitated access to cross-border health services in the proximity of the 
patients) and the recurring problems they face (often linked to reimbursement of treatment costs). 
Policy  developments  and  financial  support,  including  under  Interreg  cross-border  cooperation 
programmes funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), work hand in hand to 
facilitate  the  development  of  cross-border  health  services  that  often  can  save  lives  (e.g.  by 
providing  to  cross-border  population  much  faster  access  to  specialised  care  or  to  emergency 
services). 

Good practice: HealthAcross project 
After years of preparation and collaboration between Austria and Czechia, a brand new joint 
medical  centre  has  opened  in  the  Austrian  town  of  Gmünd,  where  Czech  patients  can  also 
receive in- and out-patient treatment. 

3. 

 New cross-border public transport links 

In addition to legal obstacles, one of the most challenging difficulties faced by people living in 
border regions is limited access by public transport to areas on the other side of the border. Too 
many  services  still  stop  at  the  border  and  too  many  administrative  obstacles  affect joint  public 
transport systems. After having carried out a comprehensive mapping of missing links in the rail 
sector and a series of concrete projects financed by the EU budget, this problem is being tackled 
in  several  cross-border  regions.  Partnerships  have  been  established  in  some  border  regions  to 
develop joint services, including the integration of timetables and ticketing. Much remains to be 
done, but significant progress has been made. 

Good practice: new cross-border rolling stock 
Along the French-German border, the Interreg programme finances the development of a cross-
border train prototype – Coradia polyvalent – that will function on both regional rail networks. 
30 such trains are due to operate across the border by 2024.  

4.  A clear financial support framework 

The  new  Interreg  Regulation  to  support  the  2021-2027  cross-border  cooperation  programmes 
entered  into  force  on  1  July  202114..  It  includes  a  new  Interreg-specific  objective  on  Better 
Cooperation  Governance  which  enhances  the  potential  for  Interreg  cross-border  cooperation 
programmes  (both  along  internal  and  external  borders)  to  actively  remedy  border  obstacles  in 
those  regions.  In  addition,  the  European  Commission  has  shared  with  future  programme 
authorities  border  orientation  papers,  drawn  up  to  guide  Member  States,  regions  and  partner 
countries through the programming process, mainly based on knowledge gained by implementing 

14  Regulation (EU) 2021/1059 of the European Parliament and of the Council on specific provisions for 
the European territorial cooperation goal (Interreg) supported by  the European Regional Development 
Fund and external financing instruments (OJ L 231, 30.6.2021, p. 94). 

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the 2017 action plan. In parallel, the new ERDF Regulation15 strongly encourages Member States 
and regions to make use of their own national and regional ERDF programmes to invest in cross-
border  initiatives  and  infrastructure  projects.  Making  use  of  synergies  with  investments  in 
neighbouring regions would be a major step to increase the effectiveness of cohesion policy in 
border regions. 

3.  FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS 

Cross-border regions  need tailor-made  solutions  and  policies  that  can  maximise  their  potential, 
remove  existing  barriers  and  boost  their  economic  recovery  and  resilience.  This  was  also  the 
view expressed by Europeans in the 2020 public consultation. 79%16 of respondents reported that 
“European action in favour of border regions is important because it contributes to trust-building 
among  individuals  and  organisations  and  because  it  highlights  that  national  legal  frameworks 
frequently  do  not  take  into  consideration  the  territories  across  the  border”.  Furthermore  42% 
agreed  that  action  taken  by  the  European  Commission  over  the  past  five  years  had  stimulated 
cross-border regions as never before and should continue. Lastly, 65% of respondents disagreed 
that Commission action should be limited to the provision of Interreg funding. 

Based on the lessons learnt since 2017, including those from the COVID-19 crisis, in particular 
the need for more and deeper institutional cross-border cooperation, and on the urgent challenges 
facing Europe and the world in terms of climate change, the Commission proposes to refocus the 
actions along four clusters:  

i.  Resilience through deeper institutional cooperation  
ii.  More and better cross-border public services  
iii.  Vibrant cross-border labour markets 
iv. 

Border regions for the European Green Deal 

Action  in  these  clusters  must  enable  border  regions  to  test  innovative  solutions  in  the  cross-
border  context,  enabling  them  to  continue  to  act  as  hot  spots  and  laboratories  of  European 
integration.  Cross-border  territories  make  both  the  benefits  of  European  integration  and  the 
shortcomings visible and real to the general public. Therefore, the Commission and the Member 
States must work with these regions in the joint development of innovative approaches to deepen 
their integration and increase cross-border exchanges. The approaches and solutions to increase 
European integration developed and tested in cross-border regions could then also be used more 
widely in other regions. 

Innovative actions to develop cross-border regions can be implemented when, in different fields 
of  work,  public  institutions  and  other  organisations  look  at  the  cross-border  region  as  a  whole 
instead  of  the sum  of  two separate  parts. This  can  be  achieved  by  using  new  policy  and  2021-
2027  financial  tools.  Innovative  solutions  are  being  deployed  in  several  policy  areas,  for 
example:  

  European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIH) as well as a reinforced interoperability policy, 
funded by the Digital Europe Programme17 can stimulate increased cooperation between 
neighbouring countries and provide support for digital innovation of public services and 
companies in cross-border regions.  

  Coordinated  administrative  processes  for  public  procurement  can  boost  business  links 
across  borders.  Cross-border  projects  on  ‘Connected  public  administration’  under  the 
flagship  initiative  ‘Modernise’  of  the  Recovery  and  Resilience  Facility  could  deepen 

15  Regulation (EU) 2021/1058 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the European Regional 

Development Fund and on the Cohesion Fund (OJ L 231, 30.6.2021, p. 60). 

16  Sum of answers “totally agree” 57.4% and “agree” 21.4%. 
17  https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/activities/digital-programme.  

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cooperation  amongst  administrations  of  neighbouring  regions.  The  2014  Public 
Procurement Directives18 created specific provisions on occasional joint procurement and 
on  procurement  involving  contracting  authorities  from  different  Member  States,  in 
particular  by 
including  European  Groupings  of  Territorial 
Cooperation. 

legal  entities, 

joint 

  The  SME  strategy19  provides  a  framework  for  border  regions  to  explore  solutions  to 

solve cross-border issues faced by SMEs. 

  The  Connecting  Europe  Facility20  for  the  TEN-T  network  includes  targeted  action  on 
cross-border connections to integrate transport networks on both sides of the border and 
digital infrastructures and services21. 

  The focus on sustainability and the impact of the pandemic are shaping a new generation 
of consumers, who seek opportunities to go on low-carbon or plastic-free holidays. This 
offers  new  scope  for  cross-border  cooperation,  in  terms  of  joint  tourism  and  local 
networks of smart and sustainable tourism destinations. 

The  Commission  will  support  cross-border  regions  in  innovating  when  planning  future 
developments,  making  it  attractive  for  border  communities to  not  only  stay  where  they  are  but 
also to thrive by maximising the potential of their home regions. 

Young people too have an important role to play to boost border regions. Their keen interest in 
cross-border  cooperation  is  demonstrated  by  the  high  take-up  of  the  Interreg  volunteering 
scheme22 set up when the European Volunteer Service was created. Since 2019, over 500 young 
people have volunteered in Interreg programmes and projects. Some also co-authored the Youth 
Manifesto for Cooperation23. 

Most of the aspects outlined in the four clusters below can be supported financially along all EU 
internal  and  external  borders  by  the  new  Interreg  Cross-Border  Cooperation,  the  IPA  Cross-
Border Cooperation, and the Interreg Next programmes. In particular, the new objective ‘A better 
cooperation governance’ introduced in the Interreg Regulation was designed specifically for this 
purpose.  Of  the 65  cross-border  cooperation  programmes  due  to  be  implemented  in  2021-2027 
along  EU  internal  and  external  borders,  at  least  50  will  use  this  objective  to  strengthen  cross-
border governance. For instance, the programmes could envisage setting up small project funds 
to  resolve  obstacles  or  invest  in  co-designing  development  strategies  or  joint  spatial  planning 
mechanisms.  Financial  support  could  also  be  dedicated  to  explore  the  need  for  joint  public 
services  or  to  invest  in  developing  robust  cross-border  statistics,  as  has  recently  been 
recommended by the European Court of Auditors24. 

3.1. Resilience through deeper institutional cooperation  

Any action taken to support cross-border regions needs to be underpinned by robust governance 
mechanisms  to  ensure  the  sustainability  and  durability  of  the  action  and  to  ensure  it  does  not 
depend  on  individual  goodwill  only.  There  is  much  scope  to  further  develop  the  joint 
management  of  our  cross-border  regions,  from  organising  joint  public  consultations  on  future 
investments, to considering joint land use planning and joint public services based on proximity. 

18   Directive 2014/24/EU (Articles 38 and 39) and Directive 2104/25/EU (Articles 39 and 57). 
19  https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52020DC0103. 
20  https://ec.europa.eu/inea/en/connecting-europe-facility.  
21   https://ec.europa.eu/cefdigital/wiki/display/CEFDIGITAL/CEF+Digital+Home  
22   https://www.interregyouth.com/.  
23  https://europa.eu/youth/get-involved/democratic%20participation/manifesto-youth-youth-shape-

european-territorial-cooperation_en.  

24  https://www.eca.europa.eu/en/Pages/DocItem.aspx?did=58917 

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In the 2020 public consultation, 56% of respondents indicated that the main obstacles linked to 
legislative processes were linked to institutional cooperation.  

EU  tools  for  cooperation  are  already  available,  most  notably  in  the  shape  of  European 
Groupings  of  Territorial  Cooperation  (EGTC)  which  provide  a  stable  legal  framework  for 
joint  initiatives  and  investments.  The  80  existing  EGTCs  cover  a  wide  range  of  activities, 
including the management of public services. However, to step up cross-border cooperation, it is 
necessary  to  work  more  closely  with  the  national  authorities  in  charge  of  implementation. 
Together  with the  EGTC Platform25  hosted  by  the  Committee  of the  Regions,  the  Commission 
will work to promote their use across the EU. Other forms of cooperation supported by the EU 
budget,  such  as  the  European  Universities  Alliances26  under  the  Erasmus+  programme  or  the 
EDIH,  can  use  the  EGTC  legal  tool  to  sustain  cross-border  cooperation,  thereby  expanding  its 
impact beyond cohesion policy.  

The European Cross-Border Mechanism (ECBM) proposed by the Commission in 2018 also 
offers ways to unlock the potential of cross-border regions by putting in place a legal framework 
to resolve border obstacles. Where established cooperation already provides this framework, the 
ECBM  is  an  additional  option.  Where  there  is  no  institutionalised  mechanism  to  resolve 
obstacles, the ECBM provides an off-the-shelf solution.  

At  Member  State  level,  existing  formal  agreements  facilitate  cooperation  by  providing  a  joint, 
agreed legal framework in which to operate. Regional groupings such as the Benelux Union or 
the Nordic Council of Ministers have a key role to play in providing a seamless framework for 
interaction. Bilateral agreements such as the Treaty of Aachen between France and Germany or 
the  Estonian-Latvian  Intergovernmental  Commission  have  similar  objectives.  More  could  be 
achieved by for example exploring possibilities of jointly performing border-proofing tests when 
developing  new  legislation  or  transposing  European  directives.  The  Territorial  Impact 
Assessment tool currently used by the Commission via its Better Regulation Toolbox provides a 
useful basis for this. In bilateral contacts, Member States should also consider ways to facilitate 
cross-border  interaction,  notably  by  making  it  possible  to  derogate  from  national  rules  or  by 
enhancing mutual recognition based on mutual knowledge, standards and trust. 

The Commission is ready to support the development of stronger governance systems for cross-
border  regions.  This  can  be  achieved  in  several  ways,  some  listed  in  the  box  below.  Member 
States  and  regions  are  encouraged  to  participate  in  this  process,  notably  by  using  the  next 
generation  of  Interreg  CBC  programmes  to  invest  in  sustainable  cooperation  systems  that  are 
tailored to their specific circumstances.  

Actions: 

  The  Commission  will  extend  the  b-solutions  initiative  introduced  in  2019  to  cover  the 
2021-2027 period and to cover pre-accession border regions. The results will be shared on 
the online platform Border Focal Point Network27, and on other channels.  

  To  achieve  a  greater  awareness  of  the  added  value  of  cooperating  across  borders,  the 
Commission will develop a self-assessment method to analyse both the intensity of cross-
border cooperation and its contribution to European integration in border areas.  

  The Commission will continue to support the work of statistical offices in producing and 
analysing  cross-border  data  for  evidence-based  policy  making:  one  current  pilot  project 
seeks to define cross-border cities and functional urban areas with the aim of collecting data 

25  https://portal.cor.europa.eu/egtc/Platform/Pages/welcome.aspx  
26  https://ec.europa.eu/education/education-in-the-eu/european-education-area/european-universities-

initiative_en  

27  https://futurium.ec.europa.eu/en/border-focal-point-network/b-solutions  

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on  them  over  the  medium  term.  It  will  continue  to  support  the  work  carried  out  by  the 
European Cross-border Monitoring Network28. 

3.2. More and better cross-border public services 

People living in border regions often find themselves located far away from services within their 
national boundaries and digitally insufficiently connected, but close to proximity services on the 
other  side  of  the  border.  Some  border  regions  already  have  a  long  tradition  of  sharing  public 
services or even of pooling resources to offer proximity services to all residents living on both 
sides of a national border. In the 2020 public consultation, respondents identified difficulties in 
accessing  reliable  public  transport  as  the  main  obstacle  to  using  cross-border  public  services, 
closely followed by the lack of joint digital services. 

The  COVID-19  pandemic  has  made  visible  two  aspects  of  cross-border  public  services  in  the 
health  sector29.  On  the  one  hand,  the  sudden  introduction  of  restrictions  on  cross-border 
movement  has  prevented  patients,  but  also  medical  staff,  from  accessing  healthcare  facilities. 
Paradoxically, these restrictions made the importance of daily cross-border flows highly visible. 
On the other hand, the acute need for medical services has fostered displays of solidarity across 
borders and demonstrated that border regions’ resilience to crises is dependent on working with 
each other across national boundaries. 

Similar  conclusions  have  been  reached  for  access  to  education,  culture  and  leisure  services, 
without  forgetting  the  need  to  enable  physical  access  to  the  services  via  low-carbon  transport 
systems  such  as  trains,  trams,  and  buses.  For  instance,  the  EU  strategy  for  energy  system 
integration30 identifies the persistent lack of cross-border interoperability of charging services for 
electric vehicles, which stands in the way of developing greener transport services across borders.  

A  recent  study31  financed  by  the  Interreg  programme  European  Spatial  Planning  Observatory 
Network compiled information about 580 cross-border public services along EU internal borders. 
Currently,  most  of  these  cross-border  public  services  deal  with  environment  protection,  civil 
protection,  disaster  management  and  transport.  Future  trends  show  new  cross-border  public 
services are expected especially in the fields of spatial planning, economic development, tourism, 
and  culture.  Many  regions  are  exploring  the  scope  to  provide  cross-border  public  services  in 
healthcare and the labour market. The pandemic has also put the spotlight on the importance of 
digitalisation.  Supporting  border  regions  means  ensuring  that  digital  public  services  are 
interoperable  and  cross-border  by  default,  in  line  with  the  vision  and  principles  set  out  in  the 
European Interoperability Framework and the EU’s eGovernment action plan32. 

The Committee of the Regions (in an opinion it issued in 202033) and the European Parliament 
(as  part  of  the  pilot  project  ‘Cross-Border  Crisis  Response  Integrated  Initiative  (CB-CRII)’34) 
have both highlighted the need to provide a stronger and more stable framework for cross-border 
public  services.  The  European  Commission  fully  shares  this  objective  and  proposes  specific 
actions in this area.  

28  https://www.bbsr.bund.de/BBSR/EN/research/specialist-articles/spatial-development/eu-council-

presidency/network-crossborderdata/main.html  

29   See: ”The effects of COVID-19 induced border closures on cross-border regions” -  

ISBN 978-92-76-28397-3 and ISBN 978-92-76-28399-7 

30  Communication  from  the  Commission  to  the  European  Parliament,  the  Council,  the  European 
Economic  and  Social  Committee  and  the  Committee  of  the  Regions  ‘Powering  a  climate-neutral 
economy: An EU Strategy for Energy System Integration’ - COM(2020) 299 final, 8.7.2020. 

31  www.espon.eu/cps  
32  https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/european-egovernment-action-plan-2016-2020 
33  https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:C:2021:106:TOC  
34  https://www.europarl.europa.eu/cmsdata/214920/budg2021-doc6-tab-en.pdf  

8 

 
 
                                                      
 
Actions: 

  The Commission will support the resilience of cross-border regions, notably through the 
development  of  strong  cross-border  public  services,  including  via  digitisation  and 
interoperability. Two ongoing studies (one on public services and one on public transport) 
will provide the basis for sharing good practices and solutions to recurring issues. Cross-
border regions will be able to access comprehensive information via a platform to be set 
up under the European Parliament’s CB-CRII pilot project mentioned above. 

  The Commission will step up the actions already taken on cross-border health care:  

1.  evaluation of the directive on the application of patients’ rights in cross-border 
healthcare to assess how effectively it has met its goal to facilitate public access to 
safe and high-quality cross-border healthcare in another EU country (looking notably 
at the remaining legal and administrative barriers);  

2.  the EU4Health programme funding opportunities for cross-country cooperation in 

transferring knowledge and good practice;  

3.  The  planned  creation  of  the  European  Health  Data  Space  for  better  health 
policymaking,  to  support  evidence-based  regulatory  activities  and  better  health 
research and innovation, including joint access to cross-border healthcare services35. 

3.3. Vibrant cross-border labour markets 

Many  border  regions  are  characterised  by  socioeconomic  asymmetries  on  both  sides  of  the 
national border. Creating genuine cross-border labour markets presents many advantages for both 
businesses and job seekers: employers have access to a larger pool of skills and competences and 
job seekers can access more job vacancies. In addition, SMEs wishing to test the neighbouring 
markets  will  have  direct  access  to  job  seekers  with  potentially  different  language  skills.  As  a 
result,  cross-border  commuting  can  avoid  the  social  costs  of  migration,  which  otherwise  could 
lead to an exodus of a well-qualified labour force from border regions.  

But  for this to  be a  success,  cross-border regions  should  be  seen  as  a ‘single’  territory  when it 
comes  to  education  and  training,  skills  and  competences,  employment,  and  access  to  social 
security. This is not yet the case: in the 2020 public consultation, respondents indicated language 
differences and difficulties in the recognition of diplomas, skills and qualifications as the main 
difficulties encountered in terms of education, training and employment in cross-border regions. 

Moreover,  at  present  promoting  training  and  job-seeking  across  the  border  is  rarely  done 
systematically,  which  makes  it  hard  to  maximise  the  potential  of  demand  and  supply  available 
across the broader cross-border region. Examples of difficulties include36: 

-  Obstacles  related  to  the  recognition  of  qualifications,  despite  the  existence  of 
transparency tools such as the European Qualifications Framework  and legal tools such 
as the professional qualifications Directive, including a lack of information or knowledge 
of the relevant administrative procedures. 

-  Difficulties in identifying available jobs or reaching out to potential employees due to the 
lack of job market  integration and of coordination amongst employment services. Very 
often job vacancies available on both sides of a border are not publicised in a coordinated 
manner. The lack of interoperability of digital systems is also a hindrance.  

35  To be financed by different programmes at EU and national level, such as the EU4health programme, 
the Digital Europe Programme, Horizon Europe, the European Regional Development Fund, InvestEU 
and the Recovery and Resilience Facility. 

36  As  documented  by  the  b-solutions  initiative.  See:  “b-solutions:  Solving  Border  Obstacles  -  A 

compendium of 43 cases“ (ISBN 978-92-76-1300-1), pp 26-31.  

9 

 
 
                                                      
-  Complexity  of  national  tax  and  on  access  to  social  security  regimes,  as  well  as  of 

applicable legislation can contribute to commuter-specific problems.  

-  Obstacles  linked  to  teleworking  practices  for  cross-border  commuters  resulting  from 
complexity  in  the  determination  of  applicable  legislation  and  from  lack  of  fast  reliable 
internet connection in border areas of a rural nature.  

These difficulties are experienced by cross-border commuters, despite significant steps taken. For 
instance,  in  the  context  of  increased  teleworking,  the  Administrative  Commission  for  the 
Coordination  of  Social  Security  Systems37  provided  guidance  to  find  pragmatic  solutions 
allowing  the  social  security  affiliation  of  workers  to  remain  in  the  country  of  the  ‘normal’ 
workplace (i.e. usually where the company is located).   

Commuting  across  a  border  and  returning  home  every  day  should  be  as  simple  as  commuting 
from  the  suburbs  of  a  large  city.  There is a  clear  need  for cross-border commuters to  have the 
same rights in practice as those who do not cross the border daily for work. National and regional 
legal frameworks should be screened and revised whenever there is evidence that they put cross-
border commuters in a more fragile position than other workers. Administrative procedures for 
cross-border commuters should be equivalent to those applying in the national context in order to 
prevent  inconsistent  or  unnecessarily  complex  situations.  Member  States  should  consider 
adopting fiscal policies and agreements that do not penalise any region, for instance as suggested 
by the Congress of local and regional authorities of the Council of Europe38.  

The European Labour Authority (ELA) facilitates easier access to information on labour mobility 
services for individuals and employers. It will strengthen cooperation and will have a mediating 
role  between  national  authorities  on  aspects  related  to  labour  law  and  social  security.  Labour 
markets  should  gain  a  more  European  perspective.  The  Commission  will  consider  cross-border 
issues more systematically, for instance for the structured and sustained development of statistics 
on cross-border commuting.  

The  same  applies  to  education,  training  and  skills.  It  means  that  people  may  have  access  to  a 
school  or  a  kindergarten  in  the  country  where  they  live,  but  they  may  face  administrative 
procedures  or  legal  hurdles  to  access  these  services  where  they  work.  The  same  occurs  with 
access  to  traineeships  or  professional  training  opportunities.  In  higher  education,  European 
Universities Alliances with partners in neighbouring border regions may have an important role 
in promoting multilingualism. 

People living in cross-border regions should be granted access to education and training on both 
sides  of  the  border.  In  sparsely  populated  regions,  or  in  those  suffering  from  depopulation, 
exploring  the  opportunity  of  coordinated  education  and  training  offer  can  help  maintain  such 
services  where  they  are  at  risk.  Sharing  education  resources  across  border  regions  also 
contributes  to  bilingualism,  mutual  trust  and  common  skill  sets,  which  are  all  benefits  of 
European integration.  

The  European  Education  Area  (EEA)39  shows  it  is  essential  to  prevent  structural  barriers  to 
learning  and  skills  development.  Part  of  this  initiative,  the  European  Universities  Alliances, 
integrates ambitions such as multilingualism, which will be beneficial to the aim of coordinating 
the provision of education in such regions, though it has a much broader scope. 

There  are  already  several  good  examples  in  the  European  Union  of  regions  providing  joint 
education services or mutual recognition of skills and qualifications based on knowledge of each 

37  https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=849&langId=en 
38  https://rm.coe.int/09000016809f79d2  
39  Communication  from  the  Commission  to  the  European  Parliament,  the  Council,  the  European 
Economic  and  Social  Committee  and  the  Committee  of  the  Regions  on  achieving  the  European 
Education Area by 2025 - COM(2020) 625 final, 30.9.2020. 

10 

 
 
                                                      
other’s curricula and on trust40. More such examples are needed, and Member States should work 
hand  in  hand  with  the  European  Commission  to  strengthen  border  regions  in  providing  cross-
border education offers.  

Actions:  

  The  EURES  cross-border  partnerships  will  continue  to  promote  labour  mobility  in 

cross-border regions. 

  ELA  will  continue  to  facilitate  access  to  information  and  further  transparency  of  rules 

applicable for cross-border mobile workers.   

  The  Commission  will  also  cooperate  with  the  research  community  and  regional  labour 

market observatories to increase knowledge on issues faced by cross-border commuters. 
  The  Commission  will  set  up  structured  partnerships  of  volunteering  border  regions  that 
have already acknowledged and experienced market access barriers due to regulatory or 
administrative  obstacles  and  help  those  develop  solutions  in  the  spirit  of  a  bottom-up 
single market. 

 

  The  Commission  will  continue  raising  awareness  about  the  European  Qualifications 
Framework  and  help  improve  implementation  in  cross-border  regions  to  support 
understanding,  transparency,  comparability  and  recognition  of  all  types  and  levels  of 
qualifications, including those acquired outside higher education institutions.  
In the area of taxation, the Commission announced in its Action Plan for Fair and Simple 
Taxation  supporting  the  Recovery  Strategy41  from  July  2020,  a  Communication  taking 
stock  of  taxpayers'  existing  rights  under  EU  law  together  with  a  Recommendation  to 
Member  States  to  improve  the  situation  of  citizens  as  taxpayers  facing  cross-border  tax 
obstacles,  as  for  example  cross-border  commuters42.  The  aim  is  to  list  existing  rights 
based on case law and practice, to make taxpayers and tax administrations aware of these 
rights and obligations and thereby enhancing the relationship between taxpayers and tax 
administrations. 

3.4. Border regions for the European Green Deal 

Nature  and  climate  do  not  recognise  human-made  borders.  The  challenges  linked  to  climate 
change and the environment epitomise the benefits of cooperation across borders. The European 
Green  Deal43  is  the  EU’s  response  to  climate  and  environmental-related  challenges,  and  it 
includes action to step up cooperation across borders in several sectors. National borders between 
Member States often fragment natural territories, making their management and protection less 
effective, especially when different legal frameworks apply. This has an impact on biodiversity 
and  resource  efficiency,  amongst  other  issues.  In  the  2020  public  consultation,  respondents 
indicated that their main concerns were the circular economy, joint management of natural parks 
and the supply and distribution of renewable energy. 

The  EU’s  biodiversity  strategy  for  203044  demonstrates  that  protecting  biodiversity  cannot  be 
limited  to  national  boundaries.  For  example,  it  requires  setting  up  ecological  corridors  to 
maintain and enhance healthy ecosystems. For this, cooperation across borders is essential. In the 

40  https://www.benelux.int/files/4815/1721/2154/M20181_FR_.docx.pdf  
41   COM(2020) 312 final. 
42    https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/12627-EU-

taxpayers%E2%80%99-rights-simplified-procedures-for-better-tax-compliance-Recommendation-_en  
43  Communication  from  the  Commission  to  the  European  Parliament,  the  Council,  the  European 
Economic  and  Social  Committee  and  the  Committee  of  the  Regions  ‘The  European  Green  Deal’  - 
COM(2019) 640 final, 11.12.2019. 

44  Communication  from  the  Commission  to  the  European  Parliament,  the  Council,  the  European 
Economic  and  Social  Committee  and  the  Committee  of  the  Regions  ‘EU  Biodiversity  Strategy  for 
2030 - Bringing nature back into our lives’ - COM(2020) 380 final, 20.5.2020. 

11 

 
 
                                                      
same vein, the Water Framework Directive calls for coordination of measures covering the whole 
river  basin  district,  including  across  borders.  However,  such  cooperation  does  not  always 
function as best it could. Under the Birds and Habitats Directives establishing the Natura 2000 
network, differing national implementation rules can have negative impacts on the environmental 
management of cross-border territories. Along some border rivers, the two banks can be managed 
in  quite  different  ways,  depending  on  whether they  are  designated  as  Natura  2000  sites.  When 
this  happens,  environmental  protection  measures  are applied differently,  which may  undermine 
their effectiveness. The same applies to many cross-border natural parks. A more coordinated and 
coherent protection of Natura 2000 sites should ensure more integrated implementation measures. 
European legal bodies of a cross-border nature, such as EGTCs, should be involved in work to 
this end. 

Disaster risk management planning is another area where cooperation across borders is vital. The 
Union  Civil  Protection  Mechanism45  requires  Member  States  to  report  regularly  on  priority 
prevention and preparedness measures for key risks that have cross-border impacts. Furthermore, 
sectoral strategies can also be important in addressing risks, including across borders, for instance 
flood  risk  management  plans,  forest  protection  plans,  or  national  and  regional  climate  change 
adaptation  strategies.  These  are  supported  by  provisions  in  EU  legislation,  e.g.  the  need  for 
transboundary coordination for river basins as provided for in the Floods Directive46. 

The EU-wide assessment of national energy and climate plans47 shows that there remains much 
potential to tap for cross-border regional initiatives in the energy sector by improving cooperation 
between  Member  States  and  using  EU  funds.  Few  countries  plan  better  renewable  energy 
deployment  and  energy  efficiency  measures  in  cooperation  with  others.  The  assessment  also 
identified  the  need  to  build  on  regulatory  advances.  The  proposed  European  Cross-Border 
Mechanism could make a significant contribution, as it would facilitate such regulatory advances 
in a cross-border context.  

The  penetration  of  renewable  energies  implies  a  significant  change  of  paradigm.  However, 
energy markets do not yet function across borders as seamlessly as they do within a country. For 
example, cross-border electricity transactions are frequently limited because legal frameworks do 
not  allow  for  low-voltage  exchanges  of  electricity  across  the  border.  Renewable  energy 
communities can play a significant role in charting the way ahead. European legislation already 
sets the conditions for Member States to include options for cross-border implementation of such 
communities  in  their  national transpositions.  Likewise,  there  may  also  be legal impediments  to 
rolling out joint smart district heating and cooling systems in cross-border agglomerations.  

  The project “SEREH – The Smart Energy Region of Emmen-Haren”, under the Interreg 
CBC programme between Germany and the Netherlands, is already leading the way. It is 
developing  a  decentralised  cross-border  electricity  and  energy  market,  and  other  border 
regions will be able to build on its findings and recommendations. 

  A b-solutions advice case explored how cross-border (NL-BE) transport of CO2 could be 

used as a resource for industrial processes in the North Sea Port. 

45  Decision (EU) 2019/420 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 March 2019 amending 

Decision No 1313/2013/EU on a Union Civil Protection Mechanism (OJ L 77I, 20.3.2019, p. 1). 

46  Directive  2007/60/EC  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  23  October  2007  on  the 

assessment and management of flood risks (OJ L 288, 6.11.2007, p. 27). 

47  Communication  from  the  Commission  to  the  European  Parliament,  the  Council,  the  European 
Economic  and  Social  Committee  and  the  Committee  of  the  Regions  ‘An  EU-wide  assessment  of 
National  Energy  and  Climate  Plans - Driving  forward  the  green  transition  and  promoting  economic 
recovery through integrated energy and climate planning’ - COM(2020) 564 final, 17.9.2020. 

12 

 
 
                                                      
The  EU  strategy  for  energy  system  integration48  identified  new  challenges  from  increased 
electrification  of  the  energy  system,  including  in  transport  and  industry.  Coordination  between 
Member  States  in  border  regions  will  be  essential  to  overcome  these  challenges.  A  fully 
integrated electricity grid in areas such as a twin city stretching across national borders will offer 
major  benefits  and  complementarities  in  areas  such  as  renewable  energy  production  or  storage 
solutions.  

Other  legal  or  administrative  inconsistencies  affect  the  development  of  renewable  energy  in 
border areas, such as the recognition of qualifications of photovoltaic or wind turbine installers, 
or  even  different  rules  governing  the  minimum  distance  from  wind  turbines  to  residential 
buildings.  

Member  States  should  make  the  most  of  existing  opportunities  for  cooperation  under  the 
applicable EU legal framework. For example, the recast Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) 
already provides for joint support schemes, and for support schemes for renewable electricity to 
be  open  to  producers  located  in  different  Member  States.  Take-up  of  these  schemes  should  be 
strongly  encouraged  in  border  regions.  In  cross-border  functional  areas,  for  example  in  twin 
cities, the Electricity Market Directive49 already allows national regulatory frameworks to open 
up citizen energy communities to cross-border participation. 

Actions:  

  The Commission will provide support for prevention and preparedness to address risks with 
an impact on cross-border cooperation under the framework of the Union Civil Protection 
Mechanism. 

  The Commission will stimulate cooperation regionally and across borders and enhance the 
guidelines on national adaptation strategies in cooperation with the Member States50. 
  The  Commission  will  draw  and  disseminate  lessons  learnt  from  the  pilot  project 
“Luxembourg in transition: a vision for a zero-carbon cross-border functional region” in the 
framework of the intergovernmental Territorial Agenda 2030 process and take an active 
part in disseminating its results to the wider border community. 

  Through  the  Natura  2000  biogeographical  process51,  the  Commission  will  support  and 
improve  cross-border  coordination  and  implementation  of  the  Natura  2000  network  and 
help achieve the goals of the EU biodiversity strategy for 2030.  

  Regional  coordination  centres,  as  provided  for  in  the  Electricity  Market  Regulation, 

should continuously consider the implications for energy markets in border regions.  

  The  Commission  will  explore  and  develop  the  promising  initiatives  under  the  recast 
Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) to achieve a higher share of cross-border projects, 
including hybrid projects combining renewable energy with storage. 

48  Communication  from  the  Commission  to  the  European  Parliament,  the  Council,  the  European 
Economic  and  Social  Committee  and  the  Committee  of  the  Regions  ‘An  EU-wide  assessment  of 
National Energy and Climate Plans - Driving forward the green transition ‘Powering a climate-neutral 
economy: An EU Strategy for Energy System Integration’ - COM(2020) 299 final, 8.7.2020. 

49  Directive (EU) 2019/944 of the European Parliament and  of the Council of 5 June 2019 on common 
rules for the internal market for electricity and amending Directive 2012/27/EU (OJ L 158, 14.6.2019, 
p. 125). 

50  The  new  EU  Climate  Adaptation  Strategy  includes  this  and  other  references  to  borders.  See 

Communication COM(2021)82final, of 24.2.2021 

51  https://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/natura2000/seminars_en.htm  

13 

 
 
 
 
                                                      
4. CONCLUSION 

Although border regions are often geographically peripheral and rural, they are places with a high 
potential  for  economic  growth,  encouraged  by  their  cultural  and  linguistic  diversity, 
complementary  competitive  advantages,  unspoilt  nature  and  less  trodden  tourism  destinations. 
Their  distance  from  the  core  can  often  be  compensated  by  cross-border  exchanges  with 
neighbours,  cooperation  and  joint  action.  For  this  to  happen,  border  regions  need  to  be  at  the 
forefront of and fully benefit from European integration.  

What Europe offers to its border regions is emblematic of its commitment to further integration. 
History,  including  very  recent  times,  shows  that  no  country  is  an  island.  This  is  why  the 
Commission takes the view that it is time to step up cross-border cooperation on all fronts, in all 
sectors  and  across  sectors.  This  view  is  shared  by  border  stakeholders  who  have  voiced  their 
wishes for more integration, notably via the European Cross-Border Citizens’ Alliance52.  

To  build  resilience  in  cross-border  regions,  they  need  support  from  all  levels  of  government. 
Their  unique  position  should  receive  increased  attention  through  a  range  of  initiatives,  pilot 
projects or test cases where the objective should be to allow border regions to draw from what 
works  best  on  either  side  of  the  national  boundaries.  They  should  be  given  more  freedom  and 
flexibility to test ideas and solutions, and be able to play a more active role in their development, 
especially in co-designing, co-sharing and co-managing projects and services for the benefit of all 
people living along the borders. 

Lastly,  the  European  Commission  is  of  the  opinion  that  cross-border  regions  bordering  on  the 
accession  countries  need  to  have  a  stronger  voice  that  will  enable  them  to  be  more  closely 
involved  in  the  process  of  European  integration.  To  this  end,  the  Commission  will  seek  to 
associate  these  regions  to  the  initiatives  and  actions  outlined  in  the  previous  sections  of  this 
report.  This  will  help  improve  the  conditions  for  civil  society  development,  for  more  efficient 
local governance and public administration, reform and democratic transitions, and promote good 
neighbourly relations and reconciliation. 

52  https://cor.europa.eu/en/engage/Pages/cross-border-alliance.aspx  

14 

 
 
                                                      
The 2017 action plan – outline of progress made in implementing the 10 actions: 

Name 

Progress 

1 

Deepening 
cooperation and 
exchanges 

2 

Improving the 
legislative process 

  An  online  platform  has  been  created  to  share  good  practice,  useful  documentation,  and  events  between  cross-border 
stakeholders. The platform was revamped and relaunched in January 202153 including a new communication strategy for 
the Border Focal Point Network and a series of targeted online events.  

  The European Commission cooperated with the Committee of the Regions and other organisations in identifying the effects 

of COVID-19 induced border closures and issued a report. 

  Pilot projects tackling border obstacles (under the brand name  b-solutions54) were supported throughout the period. This 
work  is  still  ongoing  following  the  success  of  the  first  call  (43  cases  concluded  and  documented55,  47  extra  cases  being 
implemented in 2021). 

  The Better Regulation Package guiding the European Commission’s legislation-making process contains a specific tool 
for  territorial  impact  assessments,  including  a  border-blindness  test.    Since  its  introduction  it  has,  however,  not  been 
possible to apply the test to many legislative proposals, even less so with the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic that has 
required emergency responses. 

  There have been limited exchanges with Member States on bringing in border-blindness tests and more coordination when 
transposing EU directives. However, some interesting initiatives have emerged. For instance, the Netherlands and Belgium 
(Flanders) have set up an administrative working group on border barriers to seek solutions to legislative bottlenecks in the 
development  of  cross-border  infrastructure.  The  Dutch  administration  has  also  issued  a  guidance  document  on  border 
effects as a tool for the Government to understand the implications of new  or changed policies, laws and regulations for 
people, businesses, and administrations in border regions. 

3 

Enabling cross-
border public 
administration 

  The eGovernment action plan sets the framework conditions for implementing the once-only principle. Its building blocks 
allow  for  regional  authorities  in  border  regions  to  implement  eGovernment  solutions.  The  main  challenge  has  been  to 
identify the specific elements of a border region nature. 

  Some b-solutions cases have addressed the interoperability of procedures, like the use of a common tax form.  

53  https://futurium.ec.europa.eu/en/border-focal-point-network  
54  www.b-solutions.eu  
55  https://futurium.ec.europa.eu/en/border-focal-point-network/b-solutions/b-solutions-solving-border-obstacles-compendium-now-accessible  

15 

 
 
 
                                                      
  The Commission is working on pilot projects promoting cross-border public procurement. 
  Through  the  digital  Europe  programme,  the  Commission  supports  the  implementation  of  European  Digital  Innovation 
Hubs, to support SME in digital innovation. It is promoting the idea that some of these hubs would be of a cross-border 
nature.  

 

In October 2018, the Regulation establishing a single digital gateway (SDG) to provide EU citizens and businesses with a 
single  access  to  information,  procedure,  assistance  and  problem-solving  services  came  into  force. The  importance  of  the 
SDG to border regions was fully taken on board in the process. The Commission has started to promote SDG services to 
end users and multipliers through digital events, including in border regions. 

  SOLVIT  will  strive  to  be  part  of  the  SDG  services  for  assistance  to  people  whose  rights  have  been  breached  by  public 
authorities  in  another  Member  State. This is  a  powerful  tool;  however,  all registered  cases  are  difficult  to  search  from  a 
cross-border  perspective. The  Commission  will  strive  to  integrate some  search  terms  that could  be  of  use for  the  Border 
Focal Point. Nonetheless, cooperation with the relevant services has been good and information always shared. 

  The Your Europe Advice service has seen a steep increase in queries from people living in border regions, following the 
introduction of uncoordinated and fast-changing border control measures to counter the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. 
Work and family life have been particularly negatively affected. 

  Promotion and facilitation of cross-border employment: The EU has close to 2 million frontier workers (mostly from 
FR, DE and PL who work mainly in DE, CH, LU and AT)56. Some borders in these countries are equipped to provide vital 
information  to  some  of  these  workers  (e.g.  EURES  cross-border  partnerships,  ‘Infobest’  Network,  ‘Groupement 
transfrontalier  européen’,  ‘Die  Grenzgänger’,  ‘GrensInfo’,  etc.).  However,  many  borders  still  do  not  have  information 
services thus hampering the potential for cross-border employment, e.g. coverage of the EURES cross-border partnerships 
is still partial. Furthermore, the lack of integration of labour market data from both sides of a border hampers labour market 
integration in cross-border regions, namely by not facilitating actions for promotion of cross-border employment.     

  Guidelines following COVID-19. The Commission issued guidelines to urge Member States to allow entry to cross-border 

workers. 

  Data on cross-border employment. See below, under point 10 ‘Building evidence’. 
  Cross-border cooperation dimension of EU initiatives. The Border Focal Point has screened several key initiatives (e.g. 
the action plan of the European Pillar of Social Rights, the EURES activity report) to ensure they address the cross-border 

4 

Providing reliable 
and 
understandable 
information and 
assistance 

5 

Support cross-
border 
employment 

56  2019 Report on intra-EU mobility: https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=738&langId=en&pubId=8242&furtherPubs=yes  

16 

 
 
                                                      
6 

Promoting border 
multilingualism 

7 

Facilitating cross-
border 
accessibility 

8 

Promoting greater 
pooling of health 
care facilities 

dimension adequately.  

  The  European  Language  Label  initiative57  awards  the  most  innovative  language  learning  initiatives  in  Erasmus+ 
programme countries. “Removing language barriers to create more dynamic border regions” was one of its two priorities for 
2018-2020. Projects in the 2019 compendium illustrate possible actions to be implemented in border regions58. 

  Erasmus+  provided  funding  for  25  cooperation  projects  in  the  field  of  school  education  that  encourage  early  language 

learning and awareness and develop bilingual teaching options, especially in border regions59. 

  Publications at the School Education Gateway, the online Erasmus+ funded platform for professionals working in school 

education, stressed the importance of cross-border cooperation and language learning60. 

  The European Commission has made available a mapping of  missing cross-border rail links (2018). This resulted in a 

major conference bringing stakeholders from the cross-border and from the public transport communities in 201961. 

  Further  work  is  ongoing  on  exploring  the  extent  to  which  cross-border  public  transport  services  already  exist, 

identifying the gaps and preparing guidance.  

  Under  the  b-solutions  initiative,  10  of  the  43  first  projects  looked  at  cross-border  transport  and  identified  solutions  to 

existing legal problems.  

  A comprehensive mapping of such cross-border healthcare services along internal borders has led to a higher degree of 
awareness and understanding widely shared with the health sector and with cross-border regions alike. It also provided a set 
of specific tools to be used in deploying similar veins of cooperation. There is now a recognised and growing cross-border 
health  care  community  that  actively  pursues  improvements  in  this  sector  (e.g.  thematic  healthcare  networks  set  up  by 
EUREGHA62 and the Association of European Border Regions). 

  A  major  conference  “Enhancing  healthcare  cooperation  in  cross-border  regions”  showcased  cases  of  cooperation  in 

cross-border healthcare63 in support to similar cooperation to be implemented in other territories.  

  One  b-solutions  project  addressing  the  lack  of  automatic  recognition  of  medical  doctors  across  a  border led  to  bilateral 

agreements between French and Spanish authorities to provide cross-border healthcare services.   

57  https://ec.europa.eu/education/policies/multilingualism/european-language-initiatives_en 
58  https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/276c4d9e-433c-11eb-b27b-01aa75ed71a1/language-en/format-PDF/source-180951865  
59  https://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/projects_en 
60  https://www.schooleducationgateway.eu/en/pub/latest/news/border-regions-learning-the-n.htm 
61  https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/7bdaacc0-05cb-11ea-8c1f-01aa75ed71a1/language-en/format-PDF/source-108771252  
62  http://www.euregha.net/crossborderhealthcare/  
63  https://ec.europa.eu/futurium/en/system/files/ged/booklet_enhancing_healthcare_cooperation.pdf  

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9 

Considering the 
legal and financial 
framework for 
cross-border 
cooperation 

10 

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

  The financial framework to develop such initiatives has also been stepped up and will become even more important with 
the next generation of Interreg programmes. The European Commission has recommended investing in this sector as it 
brings many benefits to users and providers alike. 

  The  financial  framework  for  cross-border  cooperation  in  2021-2027  was  established  in  the  Multi-Annual  Financial 
Framework  and  translated  into  a  new  Interreg  Regulation.  This  includes  new  elements  to  promote  better  governance 
practices in cross-border regions. The Commission engaged early with Member States on programming the next generation 
of  Interreg  cross-border  cooperation  programmes  via  ‘Border  Orientation  Papers’,  which  set  out  key  characteristics  and 
opportunities for all EU internal cross-border areas and emphasises the need to treat them as functional areas. 

  The  Commission  made  a  proposal  to  strengthen  the  legal  framework  for  cross-border  cooperation  with  a  Regulation  to 
establish  a  European  Cross-Border  Mechanism.  Its  main  objective  is  to  propose  a  way  for  Member  States  to  resolve 
legal and administrative obstacles impeding the implementation of cross-border projects (either investments or services). 
Negotiations are ongoing. 

  A  pilot  project  with  statistical  offices  was implemented  to  explore  best  ways  to  identify  flows  of  cross-border  workers 
throughout the EU, with promising progress on the use of administrative data and big data. A follow-up project is in the 
pipeline. 

  The  European  Commission  supported  the  establishment  of  a  network  of  cross-border  statistical  offices  and  regional 
data  portals  which  investigates  good  practices  to  develop  cross-border  data.  The  network  is  currently  focused  on 
developing data on cross-border commuting.  

  Based  on  such  cooperation,  Eurostat  released  an  improved  set  of  regional  tables  from  the  Labour  Force  Survey,  which 
provides richer information on cross-border labour. It will provide further support to measure the number of cross-border 
workers based on administrative data. 

  The Commission will support enhanced analysis of regional labour market data, with a focus on the whole cross-border 
region,  to  provide  information  to  Member  States  on  cases  where  cross-border  commuting  has  the  potential  to  balance 
uneven markets. 

18