The third call for proposals opened in the framework of the b-solutions initiative has closed on 11 October 2020. The Association of European Border Regions (AEBR) has received 27 applications from public bodies and cross-border structures from all over the EU. Of the eight thematic areas proposed, in line with the Commission’s Communication on border regions, the one that has collected more applications is Institutional Cooperation, followed Employment, Health, Transport, Multilingualism, Evidence and Data and Information Services. Many have been the regional councils taking part in the call, but also municipalities and provinces have submitted obstacles, as well as public equivalent bodies. Numerous EGTCs have taken advantage of the opportunity offered by b-solutions, too, and some euroregions. Actors from North, West, East and South of the European Union have applied, presenting a rich array of situations and obstacles to cross-border cooperation that are identified in 11 Member States and at 12 different borders.

AEBR and the European Commission’s Border Focal Point will perform an eligibility check and select the cases which will receive advice from legal experts in the next weeks. AEBR would like to thank all the applicants and the stakeholders who have helped disseminate the call for proposals that has just closed, and we invite you to continue to follow updates on b-solutions, as these might be of interest of non-participants as well.

b-solutions disseminates relevant knowledge and information and enables replicability of good practices that will be shared here to enhance cross-border cooperation practices.