How regions are removing obstacles to cooperation
In the current funding period, Interreg programmes have adopted interesting approaches to allow projects to overcome these barriers. They focus on improving governance mechanisms, on strengthening institutional capacity, and promoting more coordinated actions.
Northern Periphery and Arctic (NPA): Overcoming distance and sparse population
In the case of the Northern Periphery and Arctic regions, services must be delivered across vast distances to sparsely populated areas, which brings a lot of difficulties. For example, rural northern regions have rich and sensitive biodiversity that requires joint action and conservation efforts. In this context, the CAP-SHARE project has initiated a vital discussion on the growing disconnect between communities, scientists, and policymakers. Building connections among these groups and providing spaces for dialogue is crucial to understand concerns related to environmental degradation, climate change impacts, limited opportunities, and feelings of under-representation. Through a series of international workshops, the initiative also involves youth, older adults and various vulnerable groups of people to co-create place-based actions from conception to policy implementation.
France-Switzerland: From isolated projects to coordinated actions
The France-Switzerland border region highlights a clear need to address regulatory differences and administrative cross-border obstacles to evolve from isolated projects towards more strategic, territory-based approaches. The Integrated Territorial Cooperation Plans (Plans Territoriaux Intégrés de Coopération (PTIC)) under the Interreg France-Switzerland programme serve as a funding mechanism to support integrated cross-border development and tackle challenges that require coordinated action across the Franco-Swiss border.
Beneficiaries must develop an integrated territorial strategy and a roadmap outlining a series of interconnected projects to achieve shared objectives. One of these Integrated Territorial Cooperation Plans, called S.T.A.R.T., has strengthened cross-border collaboration between the Swiss cities of Le Locle and La Chaux-de-Fonds and the French communes of Val de Morteau. Developed through an extensive assessment and a year-long consultation, the strategy and roadmap established by S.T.A.R.T. now serve as guiding principles for implementing various initiatives—whether funded by Interreg or other sources—over the next three years.
Focusing on enhancing residents’ quality of life, S.T.A.R.T. has outlined several initiatives, including:
- A unified Franco-Swiss bicycle rental service,
- Improvements to rail services on the Ligne des Horlogers,
- A cross-border cultural pass,
- Joint efforts to promote the region’s watchmaking and natural heritage.
Bavaria-Austria: A strategic approach
The Bavaria-Austria border region is deeply interconnected in various sectors, including the economy, culture, tourism and through the lively exchange of cross-border commuters. However, legal and administrative barriers often hinder seamless collaboration across the border.
To address these barriers strategically, a paper was developed during the programming process, identifying obstacles and proposing solutions. Based on this paper, three round tables took place in the programme area with stakeholders and experts on three different topics to promote networking and co-develop project ideas.
One of these project ideas has since become a funded project and is now in progress. This initiative focuses on cross-border mobility management and is being established in the border region between Tyrol and Upper Bavaria to tackle border obstacles in transportation. The project aims to initiate further initiatives to mitigate or eliminate these challenges.