EGTC Good Practice Booklet - Europa EU
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EGTC
Good Practice
Booklet
July 2018
This report was written by Sabine Zillmer, Sebastian Hans, Christian Lüer, Amparo Montán (Spatial Foresight), Chien-Hui Hsiung (ÖIR), Paola Le Moglie and Vittoria Gnetti (t33), with additional editing from Tim Wills (t33). It does not represent the official views of the European Committee of the Regions. More information on the European Union and the European Committee of the Regions is available online at http://www.europa.eu and http://www.cor.europa.eu respectively. Catalogue number: QG-02-18-918-EN-N ISBN: 978-92-895-0965-7 doi:10.2863/826842 cover photo ©shutterstock/ eamesBot
Contents
List of abbreviations ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 3
List of EGTC acronyms and abbreviations ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 4
Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 7
2. EGTC Good Practices ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 9
2.1. Cross-border healthcare and emergency services, cross-border access to public services
and European citizenship ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 9
2.2. Cross-border nature disaster prevention and solidarity ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................15
2.3. Cross-border nature protection and environmental preservation ............................................................................................................................................................................................................21
2.4. Cross-border investments and cross-border transport .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................27
2.5. Cooperation for integrated tourism ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................33
2.6. Cooperation in education and culture ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................39
2.7. Cross-border cooperation for the economy, jobs and growth ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................45
2.8. Cooperation to attract EU funding ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................51
2.9. +EGTC as facilitator / mediator .....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................57
2.10. Programme management ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................63
References ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................68
Legal sources ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................69
Annex ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................70
Contact information .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................70
Footnotes .....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................72
List of abbreviations
Abbreviation Full term
AEBR Association of European Border Regions
CBC Cross-border cooperation
CEF Connecting Europe Facility
Commission of Citizenship, Governance, Institutional and External Affairs of the Committee of the
CIVEX
Regions
CLLD Community-led Local Development
CoR European Committee of the Regions
COTER Commission of Territorial Cohesion Policy of the European Committee of the Regions
CPMR Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions
EAFRD European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development
ECON Commission for Economic Policy of the European Committee of the Regions
ECOS Commission of Economic and Social Policy of the European Committee of the Regions
EGTC European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation
ENVE Commission of Environment, Climate Change and Energy of the European Committee of the Regions
ERDF European Regional Development Fund
ESF European Social Fund
ESIF European Structural and Investment Funds
ETC European Territorial Cooperation
EU European Union
Europe 2020 Europe 2020 Strategy
EUSAIR European Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region
EUSALP European Strategy for the Alpine Region
EUSBSR European Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region
EUSDR European Strategy for the Danube Region
FTE Full Time Equivalent
GHG Green-house gas
ITI Integrated Territorial Investment
JAP Joint Action Plan
LRA Local and Regional authorities
MA Managing Authority
EGTC 2 Good Practice Booklet
MS Member State
MOT Mission Opérationelle Transfrontalière
NAT Commission for Natural Resources of the European Committee of the Regions
OEM Orient-East-Med Corridor
POCTEFA Interreg Programme VA Spain-France-Andorra
POCTEP Interreg Programme VA Spain-Portugal
R&D Research & Development
Commission for Social Policy, Education, Employment, Research and Culture of the European Committee
SEDEC
of the Regions
SME Small and medium-sized enterprises
SGEI Services of general economic interest
SPF Small Project Fund
SŽDC Správa železniční dopravní cesty (Czech railway infrastructure administration)
RIS3 Research and Innovation Strategies for Smart Specialisation
EGTC 3 Good Practice Booklet
List of EGTC acronyms and abbreviations
All listed EGTCs are in the CoR register. Those in bold are described in detail.
No Acronym/ Abbreviation Full name (in English or local language of the registered office)
1 Lille-Kortrijk-Tournai Eurométropole Lille-Kotrijk-Tournai
2 Ister-Granum Ister-Granum European Grouping of Territorial Co-operation Ltd
3 GNP Agrupación Europea de Cooperación Territorial Galicia – Norte de Portugal
4 Amphictyony EGTC Amphictyony of Twinned Cities and Areas of the Mediterranean
5 UTTS Ung-Tisza-Túr-Sajó (Hernád-Bódva-Szinva) Limited Liability EGTC
6 Karst-Bodva Limited liability European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation Karst-Bodva
7 Duero-Douro Agrupación Europea de Cooperación Territorial Duero-Douro
Flandre-Dunkerque-Côte Groupement Européen de Coopération Territoriale West Vlaanderen/Flandre-
8
d’Opale Dunkerque-Côte d’Opale
9 ArchiMed GECT ArchiMed
10 Pyrénées-Méditerranée GECT Pyrénées-Méditerranée
Eurodistrict Strasbourg-
11 GECT Eurodistrict Strasbourg-Ortenau
Ortenau
12 ZASNET Agrupamento Europeu de Cooperação Territorial ZASNET, AECT
13 HC Agrupació Europea de Cooperació Territorial Hospital de Cerdanya
14 Grande Région GECT INTERREG “Programme Grande Région”
15 SaarMoselle Eurodistrict Saarmoselle
16 ABAÚJ - ABAÚJBAN ABAÚJ - ABAÚJBAN European Grouping of Territorial Co-operation Ltd
17 Pons Danubii Pons Danubii EGTC
18 BTC EGTC Bánát - Triplex Confinium Limited Liability EGTC
Arrabona Korlátolt Felelősségű Európai Területi Együttműködési Közhasznú
19 Arrabona
Csoportosulás
“Linieland van Waas en Hulst” Europese Groepering voor Territoriale
20 Linieland van Waas en Hulst
Samenwerking
Euregio Tirolo - Alto Adige -
21 GECT Euregio Tirolo - Alto Adige - Trentino
Trentino
Territorio dei comuni: Comune di Gorizia (I), Mestna Občina Nova Gorica (Slo) e
22 GO
Občina Šempeter-Vrtojba (Slo)
23 Pirineus - Cerdanya GECT Pirineus – Cerdanya
24 Espacio Portalet Agrupación Europea de Cooperación Territorial “Espacio Portalet”
Rába-Duna-Vág European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation with Limited
25 RDV
Liability
Eurorégion Nouvelle
26 GECT Eurorégion Nouvelle Aquitaine-Euskadi-Navarre
Aquitaine-Euskadi-Navarre
Gruparea Europeană de Cooperare Teritorială Poarta Europa cu Răspundere
27 Poarta Europa GECT
Limitata (Poarta Europa GECT)
EGTC 4 Good Practice Booklet
BODROGKÖZI Korlátolt Felelősségű Európai Területi Együttműködési Közhasznú
28 BODROGKÖZI
Csoportosulás
Novohrad-Nógrád European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation with Limited
29 Novohrad-Nógrád
Liability
30 Pannon Pannon European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation Ltd.
Efxini Poli – SolidarCity
31 EGTC EFXINI POLI - Network of European Cities for Sustainable Development
Network
European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation European Urban Knowledge
32 EUKN
Network Limited
33 Euregio Senza Confini GECT “Euregio Senza Confini r.l.”
34 TRITIA European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation TRITIA limited
Sajó - Rima / Slaná - Rimava European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation with
35 Sajó-Rima / Slaná-Rimava
Limited Liability
36 Via Carpatia European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation Via Carpatia Limited
Parc européen Alpi Marittime
37 Parc européen / Parco europeo Alpi Marittime - Mercantour
– Mercantour
Gruppo Europeo di Cooperazione Territoriale (G.E.C.T) Parco Marino
38 P.M.I.B.B.
Internazionale delle Bocche di Bonifacio (P.M.I.B.B)
Secrétariat du Sommet de la
39 GECT “Secrétariat du Sommet de la Grande Région”
Grande Région
40 TATRY EGTC TATRY Ltd.
41 Spoločný región European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation Spoločný región limited
42 Torysa Torysa European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation
43 Svinka Svinka European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation
44 Alzette Belval GECT Alzette Belval
Agrupación Europea de Cooperación Territorial Ciudades de la Cerámica, AECT
45 AEuCC
limitada
46 Eurocity of Chaves-Verín European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation Eurocity of Chaves-Verín
European Common Future European Common Future Building European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation
47
Building with Limited Liability
Central European Transport Corridor Limited Liability European Grouping of
48 CETC-EGTC
Territorial Co-operation
49 HP-HP Huesca Pirineos – Hautes Pyrénées
50 AECT-FPI Agrupación Europea de Cooperación Territorial Faja Pirítica Ibérica
European Border Cities European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation Limited
51 European Border Cities
Liability
52 ESPON ESPON EGTC – European Node for Territorial Evidence
53 PAHT GECT Pays d’Art et d’Histoire Transfrontalier Les Vallées Catalanes du Tech et du Ter
Interregional Alliance for the
54 Interregional Alliance for the Rhine-Alpine Corridor EGTC
Rhine-Alpine Corridor
55 MASH MASH European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation
56 Mura Region Mura Region European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation Limited Liability
EGTC 5 Good Practice Booklet
57 Tisza Tisza European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation Limited Liability
58 INTERREG Grande Région GECT-Autorité de gestion programme INTERREG V A Grande Région
59 NOVUM European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation NOVUM Limited
60 León-Bragança Agrupación Europea de Cooperación Territorial León-Bragança
61 PONTIBUS PONTIBUS European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation Limited Liability
62 Eucor The European Campus Eucor – The European Campus
63 EMI European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation “European Mycological Institute”
64 PROUD Eisenbahnneubaustrecke Dresden Prag EVTZ
65 Eurodistrict PAMINA Groupement Européen de Coopération Territoriale Eurodistrict PAMINA
66 Ipoly-völgye Ipoly-valley European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation with Limited Liability
67 DIETAMED DIETA MED EGTC
68 HELICAS European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation HELICAS
69 MURABA MURABA European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation Limited
EGTC 6 Good Practice Booklet
1. Introduction
European territorial development ob- jects as well as other European, national information compared to their individual
jectives date back to the European Spa- and regional projects, enhancing eco- members. Finally, EGTCs can combine
tial Development Perspective and were nomic, social and territorial cohesion. multiple tasks and functions mirroring
further detailed in the Territorial Agenda the versatility of the instrument. Public
2020 (TA 2020). TA 2020 highlights that EGTCs are often multi-level governance stakeholders can develop their EGTC in
integrating territories is crucial to foster- instruments, bringing together authorities line with their joint needs, at local or na-
ing competitiveness. Barriers can inhibit from different countries, administrative lev- tional level, focusing on small projects or
the full use of resources in border regions, els and policy sectors. This happens both networking, managing infrastructure or
which increases their peripheral posi- within the EGTC membership and through facilitating policy processes.
tion. The European Grouping of Territo- involvement in the project or other activi-
rial Cooperation (EGTC) was introduced ties. EGTCs are suitable as cross-border mi- To shed light on the different functions
in 2006 to overcome these barriers and cro laboratories to develop public services, and strengths this booklet illustrates
assist public authorities in different Mem- new public transport and new approaches good practices of 21 EGTCs and select-
ber States looking to implement actions for cross-border education. ed projects managed by EGTCs across
across national boundaries. Europe. These examples are based on
EGTCs also play an important planning the 2016 and 2017 CoR EGTC monitoring
role in functional areas such as environ-
The EGTC instrument enables public ac- reports and additional close communica-
mental protection, transport planning,
tors to establish an international entity tion with the EGTCs. Seven sections of this
integrated tourism and economic co-
under European law. This legal instrument publication cover typical policy fields and
operation. They less frequently manage
complements funding instruments for actions in which EGTCs are engaged. The
ETC programmes, in whole or part, or
European Territorial Cooperation (ETC), last three sections look at funding sources
cross-border infrastructure.
as known as Interreg, to strengthen eco- and functions beyond project implemen-
nomic, social and territorial cohesion. The The many examples in this booklet high- tation and service delivery.
legal entity provides a stable structure for light strengths of the EGTC instrument.
public actors at different levels to cooper- Firstly, communication is key and mul- This is not an exhaustive list. There are
ate, which helps multi-level governance tilingual communication often creates many more good practices of EGTCs and
within the EU and with Third countries. new opportunities for cross-border in- especially projects, some of which are
tegration. Secondly, with their European mentioned in less detail. Cross-references
As of December 2017, there were 68 legal basis EGTCs tend to be more visible between different sections of the booklet
EGTCs in the EU, with several more being than comparable structures. Thirdly, not illustrate the integrated approaches of
set-up1. These EGTCs fulfil many different least because of the legal form, EGTCs are many EGTCs.
purposes, all of which aim to add value increasingly acknowledged as strategic
through long-term territorial coopera- players and suitable for promoting the These approaches highlight a few general
tion, going beyond the project horizon. interests of local and regional authorities points:
EGTCs contribute to implementing ETC at EU level, mostly this through their net- –– Good collaboration in EGTCs usually
programmes and Cohesion Policy pro- works. They can also have better access to builds with experience.
1 CoR, 2018, p. 127 ff.
EGTC 7 Good Practice Booklet
–– Careful integration step-by-step and –– Define a clear task for the EGTC. The to function properly, from premises,
focusing on what is most important EGTC is not an end in itself and cannot phones and computers to employment
helps. cover everything. Especially at the be- contracts, internal forms and archives.
–– Put the joint interest up front. The inter- ginning it is important to have a list of –– EGTCs should use their stable structure.
ests of individual members should not tasks and priorities. They can develop long-term strategies
be at the centre of the EGTC. The differ- –– Reaching operability takes time. Very and visions, but EGTC members usually
ence is in the joint effort. often all efforts are put into the foun- expect to see value-added also in the
–– Professionalism, clarity and transparen- dation process so on day one expecta- short-run. Though institutionalised co-
cy help make the EGTC a reliable part- tions are high. However, it is important operation becomes more durable with
ner in European matters. to make sure the EGTC has the capacity further projects.
EGTC 8 Good Practice Booklet2. EGTC Good Practices
2.1. Cross-border healthcare and emergency services, cross-border access
to public services and European citizenship
TA 2020 states that better access to ser- ity cross-border healthcare in the Union Many SGEI are offered in small local ar-
vices of general interest is key for ter- and to ensure patient mobility […] to eas. So, cross-border EGTCs tend to be
ritorial cohesion and aims for cheaper promote cooperation on healthcare be- better placed to provide SGEI, including
and fairer access to services throughout tween Member States…”3. for health. EGTCs with a transnational or
Europe. Decreasing infrastructure barri- interregional focus may be less suitable.
ers to services will increase competitive- Amendment of the EGTC regulation in
ness and help to sustainably develop 2013 made it easier for EGTCs to provide EGTCs as cross-border legal bodies can
the European Union territory2. public services. This included the explic- manage infrastructure and can also con-
it possibility that undertakings provid- tribute to cross-border SGEI indirectly.
Cross-border cooperation can often re- ing services of general economic inter- EGTC supporting services can give citi-
sult in better quality, more effective and est (SGEI) may be members of an EGTC. zens better access to SGEI and can initi-
more efficient emergency and health Secondly, managing infrastructure and ate collaboration between stakeholders
care services. Directive 2011/24/EU providing SGEI have been noted as that leads to cross-border services.
addresses the application of patients’ EGTC tasks. Thirdly, EGTCs can generate
rights as it “… aims to establish rules for revenues and income from the services.
facilitating access to safe and high-qual-
2 TA 2020, 2011, para. 35
3 European Parliament and the Council of the European Union, 2011, Article 10
EGTC 9 Good Practice BookletFrancesc Bonet, director of the EGTC
“The first bi-national hospital in Europe. Bringing cross-border,
specialised healthcare, closer to the community.”
Name of the EGTC Duration of the EGTC Registered office and MS covered
AECT-Hospital de Cerdanya/GECT- Since 26 April 2010 Spain (base) and France
Hôpital de Cerdagne (HC EGTC)
The real success of this bi-national hospital is providing equal access to
healthcare for citizens in both Member States.
The economy of the Cerdanya/Capcir re- health agencies, Catalan Health Service S eptember 2014, the EGTC has become
gion in the Pyrenees is highly dependent (CatSalut) and Regional Health Agency the hospital of choice for French resi-
on tourism, so there are significantly more (ARS) are in all the governing bodies, es- dents, with the number of French pa-
people in the region during the summer pecially the Executive Bureau, responsible tients steadily growing since 2014. Initial
and ski seasons. The region had poor for managing the hospital. difficulties of multilingual communica-
hospital facilities, as the hospital in the tion between doctors and patients have
Spanish town of Puigcerdà was outdated There were administrative and legal dif- been overcome.
and not available to French residents ex- ficulties in situations and procedures
cept for emergencies and high risk births. not covered by European law, but which The HC EGTC is perceived by the Catalan
French residents had to travel more than needed to be addressed by Spanish leg- public as offering much better facilities
100 km to the nearest French hospital. HC islation as the EGTC is based in Spain. Ad- and being better equipped than the old
EGTC was founded to build a cross-bor- ministrative and cultural problems have hospital. The French public appreciates
der hospital, to provide better hospital been overcome or at least reduced with the improvement in access to specialised
care with equal access for inhabitants and agreed, simplified procedures. hospital care, closer to home and with
tourists in both Member States. shorter waiting times.
The hospital creates EU added-value
The main HC EGTC stakeholders are the through a jointly managed facility in the An important lesson of the HC EGCT is
public healthcare systems of France and region with greater cooperation between that interested parties should thoroughly
Catalonia. Representatives of the two the two regions. Since its opening in study all legal and practical obstacles be-
EGTC 10 Good Practice Bookletfore opening a jointly managed facility as technology compatibility. They should be replaced by an EGTC, complete with
complex as a hospital. Bilateral task forc- also map all possible partners and associ- training for staff at all levels, is critical and
es should investigate labour conditions ates in the region. A good transition plan should be implemented well before the
and recruitment as well as information covering existing organisations that may new facility opens.
So far, HC EGTC is the only example of ferent solutions had to be developed. tutions and citizens before the EGTC
an EGTC managing a cross-border hos- For registration of newly born French was founded, however the EGTC cre-
pital. The joint approach allowed im- nationals, the hospital entered into an ated added value through practical
proved health care access by tackling agreement with the French regional effects on the day-to-day lives of local
two different interests. The Spanish side health insurance authorities to permit
inhabitants. This would not be achieved
suffered from an outdated hospital and new-borns to be covered by the insur-
through domestic services or by an
the French population was forced to ance of their parents. Simplifying the
drive for two hours to access hospital transfer of deceased French residents EGTC with regional authorities only. De-
care. The new hospital became feasible required a bilateral agreement between velopment and implementation of the
also through ERDF co-funding. the two Member States. Not all every- “Eurocitizen Card” is the flagship project
day problems have been solved yet, of the EGTC.
The EGTC was founded in 2010 and pro- however these examples illustrate how
vides hospital services to a permanent different challenges can be overcome This is one of the projects the EGTC
population of some 33,000 inhabitants, step by step through very different implements under the Interreg VA
plus many visitors during the tourist solutions. This is confirmed by the high Spain-Portugal Cooperation Pro-
seasons. The EGTC had to tackle some satisfaction of French patients.
gramme. ETC funding also helps its
challenging obstacles when it started
members to collaborate on public ser-
operating. For example, registration of The second interesting example is the
vices. Sector working commissions are
new-born babies of French residents Eurocity of Chaves-Verín on the Span-
and the transfer of deceased French ish-Portuguese border. The immediate crucial as technicians from both munic-
citizens presented an issue as the hos- proximity of the two cities Chaves and ipalities work together on specific are-
pital is located in Spain. The original Verín encourage cooperation on a vast as. This facilitates other joint municipal
administrative procedures were time range of topics. Cross-border relations services, including culture, sports, edu-
consuming and complicated, so dif- were intense between the cities’ insti- cation, waste and tourism.
EGTC 11 Good Practice BookletPablo M. Rivera Búa, Executive Manager of the EGTC
“The Chaves-Verín EGTC has established itself as a laboratory
for European integration, making the border an opportunity
for economic and social development that has increased the
happiness indicator of its citizens.”
Name of the EGTC Duration of the EGTC Registered office and MS covered EGTC members
Eurocity Approved on Based in Verín, Spain (base) and
of Chaves-Verín 17 July 2013 Spain and Portugal France
Despite limited responsibilities at local level, the EGTC has implemented
joint management mechanisms that tackle costs related to the cross-
border context.
The idea of creating the Eurocity of ordenação e Desenvolvimento Regional and its members (in many cases com-
Chaves-Verín was born in 2007 from the do Norte (CCDR-N), in Portugal. The co- petence lies with the Member States),
need to find ways of adding value to the operation with other networks and local Eurocity of Chaves-Verín has implement-
area by coordinating municipal services stakeholders in the economic, social, cul- ed joint management mechanisms that
and facilities across the border. Its objec- tural, educational and environmental sec- help reduce costs normally incurred due
tive is to promote institutional, economic, tors make the Eurocity a unique space for to the cross-border context.
social, cultural and environmental con- European integration, which is called the The fundamental added value of the
vergence for people in both cities. This “Free Social Border”. EGTC Eurocity of Chaves-Verín is its posi-
implied a new perspective on the border Obstacles and barriers that challenge lo- tion as a laboratory for European integra-
to see a joint development opportunity. cal daily life have been identified, from tion. Citizens have a feeling of belonging
In 2010, the two municipalities began the lack of harmonised regulations and to the same community. It also makes
establishing the EGTC which received ap- simplified transport, to difficulties in ac- the subsidiarity principle a reality. Citizens
proval on 17 July 2013. cessing health care and different levels of participate in decision-making based on
the concept of “Euro-citizenship”.
civil protection, public security and emer-
The EGTC is supported by the Xunta de gency medical services. Despite the lim- Inhabitants, the “Eurocitizens”, live in a
Galicia, in Spain and the Comissão de Co- ited responsibilities assigned to the EGTC “free social zone” and have more public
EGTC 12 Good Practice Bookletservices, while enjoying the same ad- swimming pools, hot springs, facilities The Eurocity has made it possible to con-
vantages and benefits. For example, the and school sports, computer rooms, vert both municipalities into an attractive
“Eurocitizen Card” (Winner of the Regio training activities and much more. There area for public and private investments
Stars Award 2015) allows inhabitants are currently over 10,000 Eurocitizen that, in turn, promote the common and
of the two neighbourhoods to enjoy Card holders, some 18% of the Eurocity’s efficient use of existing resources by
discounts for public services, including 58,000 inhabitants. “Eurocitizens”.
Both examples show that cooperation GNP EGTC is investigating innovative project targeted at service provision in
on public services, including health, ways to develop joint public services the cross-border region.
can be facilitated by EGTCs, bringing across the northern border of Spain and
immediate and visible added value for Portugal. The Eurodistrict SaarMoselle EGTCs contribute to service develop-
local citizens. These examples highlight develops joint strategies for social cohe- ment by testing new tailor-made ap-
EGTCs that implement SGEI either by sion through cross-border health care. proaches to answer local needs such
managing infrastructure or by provid- As a first step, emergency cardiovascu- as the new service highlighted by the
Duero-Douro EGTC (see section ‘nature
ing supporting services that ease ac- lar patients from France can access the
disaster prevention’). This has initiated
cess to public services. The Eurocity of cardiology centre on the German side
a day care service for elderly people in
Chaves-Verín is an example for apply- of the border, which has considerably rural municipalities that does not in-
ing an experimental approach. Many reduced their travel time. The EGTC Eu- clude medical care, but provides daily
other EGTCs also contribute to provid- rodistrict PAMINA, founded in 2017 be- assistance at home and offers leisure
ing SGEI, though often this takes place tween France and Germany in the Up- activities for the elderly to allow them
more indirectly. per Rhine valley, is initiating an Interreg to remain in the rural municipalities.
EGTC 13 Good Practice Booklet2.2. Cross-border nature disaster prevention and solidarity
Natural hazards do not stop at nation- macro-regional and sea-basin strate- flammable biomass. Grazing goats could
al borders. TA 2020 points out that the gies is an explicit investment priority for help reduce the risk of forest fires by
risk for natural hazards is ever increas- transnational cooperation6. cleaning the forest of the dead biomass
ing as an effect of the climate change. and, at the same time goats can fertilise
This includes not only rising sea levels Prevention measures to mitigate natural the soil and contribute to better income
but droughts, desertification, floods and disasters are mostly organised through opportunities for rural farmers. The so-
other hazards4. Because of the multiple domestic policies in the EU, though an called ‘Self-Prevention’7 project could
aspects of climate change, individual EGTC can facilitate cross-border coopera- bring multiple stakeholders together.
policy responses are needed in specific tion and assist bridging borders if natural
areas. Often this requires cooperation hazard prevention is a matter of national A self-organisational model has been
across national borders, because many sovereignty. Cross-border cooperation developed in the EGTC Duero-Douro
borders have geographic barriers such can help by joining forces, providing that brings together more than 200
as bodies of water or mountain ranges. quicker access to an affected area from municipalities whose limited individual
Solutions may need to be cross-border across the border as well as more infor- resources limit their actions. The EGTC
or even transnational. ERDF investment mation about hazards. is a tool in the rural region to identify
priorities for 2014-2020 support adapta- common challenges for members and
tion to climate change, including eco- One example is the self-organisational develop joint solutions that are under
system-based approaches and invest- model developed by the Duero-Douro the responsibility of the local authori-
ments to address specific risks, enhance EGTC, founded on the Spanish-Portu- ties. Participatory mechanisms, such as
disaster reliance and develop disaster guese border in an arid area with a high sector committees, manage the differ-
management systems5. In addition, sup- risk of forest fire. Recurring forest fires are ent themes and determine priorities for
port for developing and coordinating mostly caused by uncleared, highly in- cross-border cooperation.
4 TA 2020, 2011, para. 20
5 Regulation (EU) No 1301/2013, Art. 5(5)
6 Regulation (EU) No 1299/2013, Art.7(1)(b)
7 See: http://www.self-prevention.com/index.php?pagina=projecto&lang=uk&tit=%20Self-Prevention.com%20%7C%20The%20Project
EGTC 15 Good Practice BookletJosé Luis Pascual, Director General of Duero-Douro EGTC
“The EGTC Regulation in 2006 was an opportunity for the
territories to take decisions on their day-to-day concerns and
make the subsidiarity principle a reality.”
Name of the project Duration Registered office and MS covered Project partners
Self-organisational The project was Portugal (base) and Spain. The EGTC includes more than 200 municipalities
model, developed developed during 2017. The project addresses in the Spanish-Portuguese border area. The
by the Duero-Douro The EGTC was founded stakeholders from both project should be managed by a company to be
EGTC on 21 March 2009. sides of the border. set-up by the EGTC and external partners.
Duero-Douro is working to manage services for people on both sides of
the border.
Duero-Douro EGTC was established in continuously attracting new munici- vate participation for fire prevention in
to take decisions as close to citizens as palities as members. forests. The idea is for goats to clean the
possible. It planned to have an active The EGTC focuses on services for mem- forests and avoid fires in areas inaccessi-
role in managing ETC programmes as ber municipalities and their inhabit- ble for machinery. Raising goats would
Managing Authority or as a member of ants. A major activity is managing the also provide meat and dairy products,
the Monitoring Committee. For several electricity supply in 162 municipalities and the project would encourage people
reasons that was not possible, including which are small. This contract should to remain in the area. However, the high
subsidiarity. Duero-Douro is made up of save 86% of electricity supply cost, al- investment needed and low participation
local authorities and would like to take lowing the municipalities to use funds of public administrations and land own-
decisions across the whole area, though for other priorities. In addition, house- ers means the project has not been im-
local or regional authorities are clearly holds get electricity significantly cheap- plemented so far.
responsible. er, as the EGTC cannot make a profit. Citizens in the cross-border area are
Duero-Douro members include over 200 Duero-Douro is now organising a simi- aware that some services are provided
local authorities, 65% of which are munic- lar structure for water distribution in the to municipalities in both Member States.
area.
ipalities of less than 250 inhabitants and They may not know the specifics of an
85% are municipalities of less than 1,000 In past years, Duero-Douro created a EGTC but they see that activities are real-
inhabitants. Duero-Douro has succeeded self-organisational model of public-pri- ised with other municipalities.
EGTC 16 Good Practice BookletThe EGTC faced the issue of contracting The main lesson for Duero-Douro is the un- the EGTC did not achieve the intended im-
staff in two Member States. For a long realised expectation that the EGTC Regula- pacts, which is partly due to different par-
time, it was not possible to contract staff tion opened. The EGTC wanted to support ties governing at local and regional level.
in Portugal as the EGTC is Spanish, but decision-making in rural areas. However,
this was solved in the end. bringing municipalities together through
The next example is a project of EGTC and the need to provide information in ute to tailor-made approaches, from
Euregio Tirolo - Alto Adige - Trentino. different languages across borders. The project implementation to an approach
The EGTC was founded in 2011 and is three member regions of the EGTC are for future action. The example of the av-
a collaboration of three regions from popular skiing resorts where tourists alanche monitoring project also high-
Italy and Austria. The EGTC has a yearly and locals travel between the regions lights how EGTC and cross-border coop-
work programme with 20-25 projects depending on weather conditions. The eration have introduced a rationale for
financed and managed by the EGTC it- project website summarises the under- change. Facilitating cross-border tour-
self. Working topics in recent years were lying problem: A Tyrolean who likes to ism and mobility involves coordinating
based on the Euregio Science Fund, Mo- ski off-pistein Trentino often lacks the the avalanche monitoring systems in
bility Fund for university students and latest data on weather conditions and three regions. The EGTC instrument has
teachers, Music Camp, Summer Camp avalanche risks, except Tyroleans speaks provided the necessary governance
and Sport Camp and the Euregio Acade- Italian fluently. The joint avalanche structure.
my. Complementing this, the EGTC also monitoring report will create added val-
covers energy, the environment and ue for citizens and tourists in the three Another example worth mentioning is
nature. regions and shows how connectedness an Interreg project of the Eurodistrict
of Euregio Tirolo - Alto Adige - Trentino PAMINA targeting the acquisition of
The EGTC is implementing an avalanche benefits people. amphibious vehicles and training fa-
monitoring system, together with its cilities for civil protection volunteers
project partners. The ALBINA project is Both examples highlight the experi- in Germany and France. So far, there
co-financed by the Interreg VA Italy-Aus- mental character of EGTC actions and are few other concrete EGTC projects
tria Cooperation Programme. It ac- illustrate the versatility of the EGTC in- for civil protection and natural hazard
knowledges the threat from avalanches strument. The EGTCs create or contrib- prevention.
EGTC 17 Good Practice BookletDr Christoph Mitterer, Avalanche Warning Services Tyrol, Regional Government of Tyrol
“Avalanche danger ignores administrative boundaries. With the
help of the EGTC we can strengthen, modernise and improve
avalanche forecasting in the heart of the Alps.”
Name of the project Duration Registered office Project partners
EUREGIO AVALANCHE 30 months, and MS covered Project partners: EGTC Euregio Tirolo - Alto Adige -
WARNING FORECAST since Austria (the Trentino with the Avalanche Warning Services of Tyrol,
ALBINA, with Euregio October region of Tyrol), South Tyrol and Trento as associated partners and
Tirolo - Alto Adige - 2016 Italy (the regions University of Vienna, Department of Geography and
Trentino EGTC as project of South Tyrol Regional Research, Working Group Cartography and
partner and Trento) Geoinformation Science
The ALBINA project allows the project partners to offer a single,
multilingual state-of-the-art avalanche warning and forecasting system
for Tyrol, South Tyrol and Trento.
The ALBINA project, funded by the but administrative boundaries do not tation, modelling weather conditions,
cross-border cooperation programme It- stop avalanches and the danger varies and design and communication.
aly-Austria, is currently setting-up a joint from valley to valley. The project part-
One crucial problem is related to cultur-
avalanche warning system for Tyrol in ners are therefore merging and mod-
Austria and the autonomous provinces ernising the existing, separate, warning al differences between Germanic and
of South Tyrol and Trento in Italy. In re- and forecasting systems to cover the Latin countries regarding colour codes
cent decades, cross-border mobility be- entire Euregio with one system. The pro- and colour perception. A design and
tween the three regions has increased ject partners are the EGTC (lead partner) communication agency helps project
especially for backcountry recreation. with three Avalanche Warning Services partners to understand these differences
Tourists and locals select a ski area for as associated partners and the University and develop solutions. Another problem
the next day depending on the weather, of Vienna. Three additional institutions is the schedule and validity of warnings
snowpack and skiing conditions. Ava- were subcontracted to support the pro- that vary between the three services. In
lanche warnings play an important role, ject with specific expertise, for interpre- Tyrol the warning is published at 7.30
EGTC 18 Good Practice Bookletand valid for the entire day; in South Tyrol development and is currently only used in their respective languages. The project
at 16.00 and valid for the next day; and in internally. Experts can enter warnings also enables the partners to update the
Trento at 13.00 and valid for the next two in their respective mother tongues and content of their warning systems (real
to three days. The project partners have these are automatically translated into warnings and forecasts instead of now-
now harmonised the three schedules so German, Italian and English through cast reports), methodologies (micro-re-
warnings will be published at 17.00 and a catalogue of predefined sentenc- gions can be aggregated flexibly and
be valid for the next day (0.00-24.00) with es. In the future, the system will also dynamically) and communication meth-
a morning update at 8.00. To develop a cover French. The new website will be ods (for mobile devices). The new system
joint approach and convince authorities launched in October 2018 during a con- will meet most current requirements. In
was time consuming. gress on avalanche research in Innsbruck technical terms, single modules can be
and will be accessible to tourists and lo- exported to other regions and more re-
Other solutions include the new soft-
cals for the 2018/2019 skiing season. gions can be integrated into the system.
ware, which is already being tested in
Trento. There is also an online portal that The ALBINA project merges three sepa- The warning system may even, one day,
covers the entire region, with different rate systems into one multilingual sys- cover the entire Alpine region, offering
layers concerning snow cover and local tem, allowing tourists and locals to re- detailed warnings for all regions in all Al-
weather conditions. This portal is under ceive warnings for the entire Euroregion pine languages.
Another transnational example is the group (see section ‘integrated tourism’). servation. Despite these few examples,
involvement of the EGTC Euregio Sen- This group contributes to protection other EGTCs are interested in the field as
za Confini as president of the Alpine against natural disasters, mitigation of they pointed out during preparation of
Convention “Mountain Forest” working climate change and ecosystem con- the 2017 EGTC monitoring report.
EGTC 19 Good Practice Booklet2.3. Cross-border nature protection and environmental preservation
Well-functioning and protected eco- Rhine valley). Though belonging to the Reserve, which in 2015 was approved as a
systems as well as the preservation and same ecosystem, management and pro- one of the 20 UNESCO transboundary bio-
development of natural, landscape and tection is subject to different national pol- sphere reserves worldwide.10 Biosphere
cultural heritage is key to stable and sus- icy regimes. In addition, responsibilities reserves promote nature conservation
tainable development. Excessive use can may be at different administrative levels while also facilitating development and
cause irreversible damage to these areas, on either side of the border. Different na- supporting education and scientific re-
hampering territorial development and tional priorities can negatively affect the search. Meseta Ibérica Biosphere Reserve
the quality of life for citizens8. Nature pro- cross-border ecosystem. includes a wide variety of landscapes,
tection, however, does not exclude capi- from 100 to 2,000 metres above sea level
talising resources and ecosystem services
The EGTC instrument can not only com- and contains many flagship species. Sim-
can add value to the territory and unlock
bine efforts to protect and conserve but ilarly important are the forts and castles
resources. The EU Biodiversity Strategy
also can coordinate policies of Member from Roman times and the Middle Ages
adopted in 2011 has a headline target to
halt “the loss of biodiversity and the deg- States sharing the cross-border ecosys- that create a rich cultural heritage.
radation of ecosystem services in the EU tem, as highlighted in the following three
by 2020, and restoring them in so far as very different examples. This combination of environmental pro-
feasible …”9. tection and integrated development pro-
ZASNET EGTC helps to coordinate, devel- vides the basis for the EGTC that covers
Many European ecosystems such as op and steer responses to common chal- the cross-border territory. The EGTC is not
mountain ranges, coastal areas and wa- lenges along the northern border of Por- only a networking platform for its mem-
ter bodies cross national borders (e.g. tugal and Spain. The EGTC manages the bers but it also implements biosphere
Carpathians, Alps, Pyrenees, Adriatic Sea, cross-border Meseta Ibérica Biosphere reserve projects.
8 TA 2020, 2011, para. 23
9 COM(2011) 244 final, p.2
10 http://www.unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/environment/ecological-sciences/man-and-biosphere-programme/
EGTC 21 Good Practice BookletAna Carvalho, Director of Zasnet EGTC
“Zasnet was created to give a structure to the work on the
common territory and common challenges.”
Name of the Duration Registered office Project partners
project Since and MS covered Municipality of Zamora, Province of Salamanca, Province of Zamora,
Zasnet EGTC 19 March Portugal (base) Association of Municipalities of Terra Fria Transmontana, Association of
2010 and Spain Municipalities of Terra Quente Transmontana, Municipality of Bragança
Zasnet adds value to the natural and cultural heritage of the cross-border
area, focusing on attracting new economic activities to encourage local
people to stay.
Zasnet was created to give structure to ish and Portuguese authorities helped heritage project recently submitted to
the work and the common challenges a lot in creating and implementing the the Interreg CBC Spain-Portugal pro-
of the cross-border territory (Spain and EGTC. gramme is “Sustainable lighting and
Portugal), which has huge potential in Starlight Destination”. This will ena-
terms of natural and cultural heritage. The EGTC manages the UNESCO Bio- ble sustainable and scenic lighting of
Several cooperation bodies were active sphere Reserve of Meseta Ibérica, a landmark buildings, which should con-
in the area and the EGTC was established cross-border area that covers all au- tribute to increased tourism.
to give stability in promoting sustainable thorities involved in the EGTC except
tourism, sustainable employment and for one. The Bisophere Reserve prompt- If the project is approved, it will include
other aspects to help development of the ed other project ideas, such as ‘Cultur- telescopes for looking at stars, which are
cross-border territory. al Heritage, native products, nature more visible with the reduced glare of
and tourism’, which is now financed sustainable lighting. This combination
Zasnet has very good connections with by the Interreg CBC Spain-Portugal of projects linked to Biosphere Reserve
the stakeholders, who provide expert programme. One part promotes ‘Mas- management illustrates how natural and
help for specific topics such as tourism caradas de Invierno’ (Winter Masks) for cultural heritage can be preserved in an
and employment. The good will of Span- UNESCO recognition. Another cultural integrated way using the EGTC. Zasnet
EGTC 22 Good Practice Bookletgives additional value to the natural and The media do not usually cover activities related to cultural heritage are well pre-
cultural heritage of the cross-border area of the EGTC. Although the EGTC aims to served, including traditions, a culture
and the focus on attracting new econom- increase the region’s attractiveness, this of slow food and other aspects with a
ic activities to the territory should encour- is difficult to grasp for an older popula- lot of potential to promote sustainable
age people to stay. tion. On the other hand, many elements tourism.
The second example is an Integrated park Alpi Marittime. It is a rare example velopment, adding value to the natural
Territorial Investment (ITI) initiated and of an EGTC with an exclusive focus on capital of the protected areas. EGTCs
implemented by EGTC GO on the Ita- park area preservation and develop- can manage, act as implementation
ly-Slovenia border. The EGTC was set-up ment, which is linked to the members, bodies for projects, develop networks
by the three cities of Gorizia, Nova Gori- who are the two parks. for specific issues and coordinate strate-
zia and Sempeter-Vrtojba to strategical- gic plans for a territory’s development.
ly coordinate policies for the area. This The parks have a unique natural and
includes transport and logistics, man- cultural heritage that can be best pre- Nature protection and preservation of
agement of energy and environmen- served by close collaboration. The EGTC the environment are topics of interest
tal resources as well as other sectors
has a joint mission regarding the pro- for many other EGTCs. Most often these
strengthening cohesion in the territory.
tection and enhancement of cultural, are cross-border EGTCs with a cross-the-
Consequently, the EGTC is involved in
landscape and natural wealth. For the matic regional development focus. They
jointly managing natural and cultural
2014-2020 period, commonly defined are involved in very different ways, in-
heritage services in the three cities. The
objectives are detailed in an action plan cluding cooperation on tourism, cultur-
ITI project “Cross-border natural park
Isonzo-Soca” capitalises on natural as- which is implemented through projects al heritage, rural development, forestry
sets in the border region. The ITI was that are partly co-funded by the Inter- and others. The GNP EGTC on the Span-
designed to support several objectives reg VA Alcotra Cooperation Programme. ish-Portuguese border, for instance,
of the EGTC territorial strategy. develops multiple cross-border topics
These examples illustrate different ways on behalf of its members, including
The third example is the Parc européen to facilitate stable collaboration for nat- improving environmental quality and
Alpi Marittime–Mercantour EGTC be- ural protection and environment pres- protecting natural heritage. Together
tween Italy and France, which builds on ervation. A stable working structure that with other partners, TRITIA EGTC start-
more than 20 years of cooperation. It coordinates the interests of its members ed implementing the Interreg CENTRAL
was founded to facilitate and promote can ease decision-making and improve EUROPE project AIR TRITIA in 2017. The
cooperation among its members in pro- policies that affect the protected areas project targets improved air quality by
tecting, promoting, and managing the with truly joint approaches. This un- developing a unified spatial informa-
natural, cultural and landscape heritage locks new potential through combining tion database, new management, pol-
of the area including the French nation- the preservation of natural and cultural lution prediction tools and air quality
al park Mercantour and Italian nature heritage or facilitating soft tourism de- strategies.
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