We are glad to announce that the selection process of the successful cases under b-solutions’ 2nd call for proposal is completed.

The Association of European Border Regions (AEBR) and the EU Commission’s DG REGIO have performed the quality assessment of the 44 applications received, selecting 33 cases where an obstacle of a legal or administrative nature has disrupted projects of cross-border cooperation.

From 30 January to 12 April 2019, public bodies and cross-border structures had the occasion to submit a proposal for a case to identify and document an obstacle encountered while cooperating with the neighbouring region.

The 33 selected cases will receive the support of a legal expert with knowledge of cross-border instances, who will cooperate with them in structuring the definition of the obstacle identified in a clear and systematic way, as well as to elaborate a solution and outline a legal framework from which to proceed.

The findings of the analysis will be made public in Autumn 2019 to inform other stakeholders about possible solutions to difficulties to cooperate and to increase the knowledge on cross-border issues.

Take a look to the successful cases to see whether you face a similar challenge in your region and continue following b-solutions’ s updates to improve strategies to cooperate:

In the thematic area of „Institutional cooperation“

• Making EGTCs more powerful: legal certainty for provision of personnel to the EGTC (Eucor - The European Campus)

• Cross border tourism package (QuattroPole e.V. - Luxembourg, Metz, Saarbrücken, Trier)

• Elaboration of a cooperation protocol aimed at simplifying LT-PL cross-border institutional cooperation in emergency management (Vilkaviskis District Municipality Administration)

• Simplifying cross-border mobility that hinder free movement of minor people crossing borders to carry out cultural, sports or educational exchanges (EGTC Galicia-Norte de Portugal)

• Administrative common barriers in European cross–border area that block the real implementation of environmental management system (Axencia Galega da Calidade Alimentaria – AGACAL)

• Cross-border share of municipal management services (Arrabona European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation)

• Improvement of cross-border communication and care for cross-border children and young people (Gemeente Winterswijk)

• Cross-border transport of CO2 as a resource for Industrial processes (Provincie Oost-Vlaanderen)

• Feasibility study for the consolidation of the circular economy concerning the WEEE in the cross-border area of Spain and Portugal (Diputación de Pontevedra)

• Bulgarian-Romanian Institutional Cooperation Constraint (BRICC) (University of Ruse “Angel Kanchev”, repreasented by BRIE)

• Obstacles and solutions for the joint establishment and use of facilities for shared cross-border public services: French-German crèches case study (European Grouping for Territorial Cooperation Eurodistrict SaarMoselle)

• Join to Protect Children - Cross-border cooperation on the speed of information between public services in the protection of children in distress (Município de Elvas)

In the thematic area of “Employment”

• 183 days rule obstructing cross border mobility (Provincie Oost-Vlaanderen)

• Juridical obstacles in establishment and financing of trans-national business incubator (Lazdijai District Municipality)

• Dutch-German cross-border employment of students originally from outside the EU (The Economic Board Arnhem-Nijmegen)

• Cross-border work for non-EU citizens (Euregio Rhein-Maas-Nord)

• Current social and health insurance regulations as problem for borderland inhabitants working on both sides of border at the same time (Borderland Association "Nasza Suwalszczyzna")

• Double personality is a single reality: working in Portugal and quoting in Spain due to legal and/or administrative impediments (European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation Duero-Douro)

In the thematic area of “Transport”:

• MOBITRANS – Boosting Minho River Cross–Border Mobility (AECT Rio Minho)

• European solution for a vignette for air pollution control (EGTC Eurodistrict Strasbourg-Ortenau)

• SeaFlix_Cross Border Mobility (French Riviera Chamber of Commerce (CCINCA)

• Tackling cross-border obstacles regarding E-bike sharing infrastructure (Ministry of the German-speaking Community)

• Cross border rail connectivity for the Port of Strasbourg (Port autonome de Strasbourg)

• Trilateral bridge in Euroregion Neisse-Nisa-Nysa (Euroregion Nisa)

• Launch of a regular passenger transport, with cabotage, between Chaves and Verín (Municipality of Chaves and Municipality of Verín) 

In the thematic area of “Health”

• Ambulances without Borders: towards sustainable cooperation between emergency services (Municipality of Woensdrecht)

• Cross-border health care between twin cities Valga (Estonia) and Valka (Latvia) to ensure the survival of Valga Hospital (Valga Municipality)

• Speedy mutual recognition of qualifications for heathcare professional exercise (Franco-Spanish border) (AECT-Hospital de Cerdanya/GECT-Hôpital de Cerdagne)

• Development of trans-border water supply network (Kalvarija Municipality Administration)

• Cross-border Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and its financial dimension within the scope of the French-Belgian Convention (2007) (Agence Régionale de Santé Grand Est - French Regional Health Agency)

• Cross-border health care (Euroregion Nisa, Regionální Sdružení)

In the thematic area of “eGovernment”

• Cross-border e-procurement (EGTC GO)

In the thematic area of “Multi-lingualism”

• Stop geo-blocking! Overcoming discrimination and developing intercultural competences by providing access to online content across borders (EGTC Euregio Meuse-Rhine)

Further updates will be published here in the following weeks. Stay tuned!

For more information about the initiative b-solutions, please, take a look at: https://www.b-solutionsproject.com/