The Association of European Border Regions (AEBR) and the Border Focal Point at the EU Commission’s DG REGIO have performed the assessment of the 30 applications received under the IV call for proposals of the initiative b-solutions.

Among them, 24 casesaddressing legal and administrative obstacles limiting cross-border cooperation have been awarded to receive technical support by legal experts with knowledge of cross-border instances and of specific territories.

The experts - awarded by AEBR and DG REGIO upon participation to a dedicated call for expression of interest - will cooperate directly with the representatives of each case in: 

• structuring the definition of the hurdles in a clear and systematic way; 
• elaborating a solution to overcome them and
• outlining a legal framework from which to proceed.

To follow, AEBR and the European Commission will elaborate a second compendium - that will complement the first one, released in Summer 2020 – and that will showcase the findings included in the final reports of the experts who advised the proposals of the 47 cases awarded in total under the b-solutions’ 3rd and the 4th call for proposals.

Aim of the publication is to continue raising awareness and mutual learning among the cross-border stakeholders, the regional, national and European institutions about the obstacles that still hamper cross-border cooperation and the strategies that can be put in place to overcome them.

A set of additional thematic publications, addressing both specialized and general audiences, will also be released in Winter 2021/2022.

Key dates:

The implementation period of the present cases will last until the end of June 2021.

Some "facts and figures":

The present obstacles are identified in 13 different European countries and along 15 different borders.

The advice cases address impediments in 4 out of the 8 thematic areas of b-solutions.

The majority of them have been submitted under “institutional cooperation” (9 cases), followed by “employment” (8), “health” (6) and “transport” (1).

The full list of cases awarded:

In the thematic area of  “Institutional cooperation“:

• Spanish and Portuguese customs system compatibility to benefit borders regions of Extremadura (Spain), Alentejo and Centro (Portugal) EUROACE Euroregion (Extremadura Avante)

• Establishment of a single cross-border entrance situation for the European Archaeological Park at Bliesbruck-Reinheim (Saarpfalz-Kreis)

• Setting up of a Special Economic Zone on the cross-border area Nova Gorica – Gorizia (Slovenia – Italy) (RRA Severne Primorske Regijska Razvojna Agencija D.O.O. Nova Gorica)

• Fa.Re: Facilitating Recovery activities across Italian-Slovenian border (Istituto Nazionale Previdenza Sociale (INPS) - National Institute of Social Security)

• Cross-border cooperation on social benefits and access to social rights (Atlantic Transpyrenees Conference)

• Stimulating cross-border LEADER projects by creating a cross-border regulation and system (Provincie Oost-Vlaanderen)

• Cross-border renewable energy exchange (Gemeente Winterswijk)

• Registering labour migrants in a cross-border context (Stadt Emmerich am Rhein)

• Legal status of a branch office of an EGTC in the partner country (EGTC Via Carpatia with limited liability)

In the thematic area of “Employment”:

• Trans-border vocational quality education (County Administrativ Board of Dalarna)

• Cross-border mobility of jobseekers engaged in vocational training: centre and company accessibility (EUROMETROPOLIS Lille-Kortrijk-Tournai)

• s4g – solutions for good (Województwo Dolnośląskie – Urząd Marszałkowski Województwa Dolnośląskiego)

• Cross-border riding and dog sledge guided tours (Municipality of Trysil)

• Simplification procedures for hire: to work in ES and PT simultaneously; worker in teleworking in a company not established in the worker’s country (EGTC Galicia-Norte de Portugal)

• Corona Pandemic and Home Office – Consequences for the social security and taxation of cross-border workers (Grenzinfopunkt Aachen-Eurode)

• Mini-jobs cause big problems in a cross-border context (euregio rhein-maas-nord)

• Cross-border nursing (European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation Eurocity Chaves-Verín)

In the thematic area of “Transport”:

• GO2GO Cross-border Bike Sharing (GO2GO BIKE) (European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation “Territory of municipalities: Comune di Gorizia  (I), Mestna občina Nova Gorica (Slo) and Občina Šempeter-Vrtojba (Slo)”)

In the thematic area of “Health”:

• Applying the GDPR and national legislation in cross-border public health cooperation(Stichting euPrevent)

• Opportunities to improve cross-border provision of health care and related services (Public institution Marijampole hospital)

• Cross-border Health Services, Mountain Rescue Service and Patient Transfer (Karlovy Vary Region)

• Towards simplified procedures for cross-border health professionals (Observatoire Franco-Belge de la Santé)

• Cross-border healthcare and the reimbursement of cross-border healthcare costs (Provincie Zeeland)

• On safe legal ground - CBC in disaster response (EGTC European Region Tyrol-South Tyrol-Trentino)

Stay tuned to received more details on the cases in the coming weeks!