In our new Cross-Border Data Collection Project, we are building on the foundational work of the Border Region Data Collection Project that was led by our team member Johan Van der Valk (Statistics Netherlands). That investigation underscored the potential of administrative data for capturing detailed cross-border dynamics, particularly regarding labour and commuting patterns in EU border regions. However, it also pointed out that using this data for cross-border analysis isn’t always straightforward.

Administrative data offer high geographic precision, which is crucial for capturing detailed local trends in border areas. Yet, due to variations in data collection across countries and inconsistent access to certain data points, using administrative data across borders can present notable challenges. These differences make cross-border administrative data collection more complex and often require extra effort from participating statistical institutes to ensure data is usable and comparable.

Our current project is expanding on these findings by further refining the methodology to overcome these challenges, aiming to provide regional authorities with highly accurate insights for targeted policymaking. By addressing these complexities, we hope to unlock the full potential of administrative data for cross-border regions.

The Cross-Border Data Collection Project is commissioned by DG REGIO and carried out by a consortium led by ÖIR GmbH, in collaboration with Statistics Netherlands and supported by INSEE and Statistics Denmark. For more information on the project or our methods, please reach out to our team at crossborderdata@cbs.nl.