New tool to enhance governance in cross-border regions across the European Union

BRUSSELS, June 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The two-day event, "Reinforcing Cross-Border Governance for Development", organised by the European Commission and the OECD, brought together experts and practitioners from across the EU to introduce a new tool aimed at strengthening governance in cross-border regions. The tool identifies key areas for improvement and provides actionable recommendations to help regions enhance their cross-border cooperation.

Drawing on initial findings from the Commission/OECD project "Building More Resilient Cross-Border Regions", the event showcased the experiences of five pilot regions located in seven countries: Belgium and France (Eurometropole Lille-Kortrijk-Tournai); Lithuania and Poland (EGTC Niemen-Nemunas); Luxembourg and France (EGTC Alzette Belval, Pôle Métropolitain Frontalier and PRO-SUD); France and Spain (EGTC Cerdanya Hospital); and Portugal and Spain (EGTC Rio Minho).

"The Commission aims to improve cross-border cooperation, as 30% of the EU population lives along a border and as it is very much needed to make the full use of the many benefits of the EU. This goes beyond the funding provided by Interreg. In this work with the OECD, we wanted to explore the best ways to improve cross-border governance," said Jean-Pierre Halkin, DG REGIO, Head of unit for cross-border cooperation.

The event featured thematic sessions and a workshop to facilitate dialogue among cross-border experts and practitioners. Discussions focused on the core components and recommendations included in the tool, covering topics such as joint development of cross-border strategies; providing public cross-border services; securing sustainable funding for cross-border bodies; advocating for cross-border issues; and managing multi-level relationships.

"We are thrilled to host this event together with the European Commission, leveraging the knowledge and experience of the pilot regions to develop a tool that will help other regions in establishing or strengthening their cross-border governance mechanisms," said Dorothée Allain-Dupré, Head of the Regional Development and Multi-level Governance Division at the OECD. "Based on the outcomes of the event, the OECD will further refine the tool to ensure it serves as a comprehensive resource for policy makers at national, regional, and local levels, helping build more resilient cross-border regions."

The tool covers four main pillars:

1. Establishing and/or reinforcing the organisational structure of cross-border governance bodies.
2. Planning, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating cross-border initiatives.
3. Ensuring sustainable funding and financing for cross-border bodies and actions
4. Promoting and advocating for cross-border development.

The final tool will be published in December 2024 as part of the project synthesis report and will be available for free on the OECD's website.

For more information about the event, visit here.