Removing barriers and fostering territorial cooperation between Member
States have been synonymous with European integration and solidarity.
Since its inception over 60 years ago, the EU has supported these
efforts guided by the objectives of deepening territorial cohesion,
tackling regional inequality and opening up the single market.
Nevertheless, administrative burden, lack of investment and recent
political events have meant that opportunities offered by territorial
cooperation have yet to be fully realised.
With 150 million people or 30% of the EU's entire population living in
internal border regions, cooperation in areas such as sustainable
development, transport, healthcare and culture is vital for the
integrity of the single market and European integration. Protecting,
supporting and investing in cross-border cooperation not only benefits
the border communities, but the European Union as a whole. By
introducing policies and programmes — such as the
European Territorial Cooperation
and EU regional funds (cohesion policy), the EU has supported
cross-border cooperation over the past 30 years.
European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation
(EGTC) — whereby two or more regions from different EU Member States
work together in areas of shared economic, social, cultural and
political interest — have played a particularly important role in
deepening integration in Europe.
Launched in October 2004, the Euroregion Pyrenees Mediterranean supports territorial
cooperation between Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Occitania,
aiming to be an innovative and sustainable Euroregion. It is also
reviving a shared political and cultural identity. In addition, it has
helped launch projects such as the award-winning Cerdanya hospital
located in the Pyrenees and the first cross‑border hospital in Europe.
Citizens in cross-border regions may be diverse in terms of their
languages and culture, but more often than not share similar obstacles
in pursuing economic and social development. Differences in
competencies, structures and laws between border regions have held back
many opportunities for cooperation. The European Commission has
indicated that fully removing cross-border burdens would actually
increase GDP by 8% and has made strides to cut red tape. Yet proposals
to introduce population-density criteria in border territories when
considering access to funds risks hampering territorial cooperation.
The EU is developing a new
European Cross-Border Legal Mechanism
that allows two or more local or regional authorities to sign an
agreement and launch cross‑border cooperation. This has the potential
to boost projects between border territories, by enabling regions to
mirror legislation in their respective Member States. What is certain
is that these and other measures to support regional, territorial,
transnational and cross-border cooperation, should be treated as a
priority for the new European Parliament and European Commission. What
is also evidently clear is that successful cross-border cooperation
must give regions the capacity to plan programmes and make decisions
Even with the right level of political will and reduced administrative
burden, successful territorial cooperation needs investment. Under the
current EU budget (2014-2020), almost EUR 10 billion of cohesion policy
funds will have been invested in cooperation between regions of which
EUR 6.8 billion has been committed to cross-border regions. The
proposed cut from 2.75% to 2.5% of cohesion funds earmarked for
territorial cooperation would undermine the efforts to establish
economic‑development strategies and promote European solidarity.
As the new European Parliament and Commission take office, the European
Union must concentrate all its efforts on demonstrating European
solidarity and strengthening integration. If the EU is to placate
populism and respond to new challenges, such as globalisation,
inequalities, migration and climate change, we must continue to work
together to reinforce territorial cooperation and turn our regions into
the engines that drive sustainable growth benefitting every citizen in
every corner of Europe.
The annual meeting of the European Territorial Cooperation Groups Platform
will take place this year in Palma, Mallorca, on 27 September 2019 and is
organised by the European Committee of the Regions in partnership with the
EGTC Euroregion Pyrenees Mediterranean and the Government of the Balearic