In recent years, the European Commission has recognised the increasing need to enhance Disaster Risk Management (DRM) capacities in cross-border regions. The study on "Strengthening the Resilience of EU Border Regions" contributes significantly to this endeavour. Led by a consortium with Technopolis Group, CMCC, and Nordregio as partners, the study maps risks and crisis management tools while identifying gaps in current strategies and tools. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the study's objectives, methodologies, and key findings.

The study set out to achieve four main objectives:

• Risk Identification: Identify the primary risks faced by territories in cross-border areas.
• Tool and Agreement Assessment: Identify existing agreements, tools, and institutional processes for managing identified risks.
• Gap Analysis: Identify gaps affecting cross-border territories in their risk management capabilities and propose solutions at various governance levels.
• Best Practices: Identify and analyse good practices in cross-border risk management and extract lessons learned.

The Study is organised systematically, with distinct chapters covering different aspects including:

• An Inventory of risks covering 53 borders and 12 types of hazards
• An Inventory of over 260 existing agreements covering both single and multiple borders to manage risks 
• An Inventory of existing EU and global policy frameworks, institutions, processes, and tools to manage risks in a cross-border context
• An in-depth analysis of gaps and related recommendations
• Geographical Analysis and GIS-based Maps visualising risk assessments and their impact on each border region.
• A set of ten inspiring and transferable examples of good practices in DRM covering different types of hazards.

The study employed a tailored and multifaceted methodology, including desk research, literature reviews, expert judgment, interviews at EU and national levels, and case studies. Country-level work was carried out by individual country experts, ensuring a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of each border covered, i.e. all the EU Member States, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Norway, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia. 

The recommendations formulated in the study were structured around European legal frameworks, sectoral legislation, DRM governance, interoperability of systems, and additional themes such as risk communication and inclusivity.

The study represents a significant step forward in improving the understanding and addressing the challenges faced in disaster risk management. The comprehensive findings and recommendations offer valuable insights for the European Commission, UCPM participating states and stakeholders, and local governments. As cross-border cooperation emerges as a key factor in effective DRM, the study provides a roadmap for enhancing governance capabilities at all levels, addressing gaps, offering insights regarding possible areas for improvement, and overall fostering resilience in EU border regions.