Life in border regions – tackling the challenges, CoR, Brussels, 17 April 2023
The EGTC Platform at the CoR, AEBR, MOT and CESCI created the European Cross-Border Citizen’s Alliance during the worst of the pandemic. They are now organizing an online (through Interactio) and in-person conference on “Living in Border Regions – Tackling the challenges” at the Committee of the Regions in Brussels (Rue Belliard 101, Brussels, Room JDE 52) on 17 April 2023 in the afternoon.
14:00 Welcome coffee for the participants present at the CoR in front of the conference room JDE 51
14:30 Opening: Magali Altounian (Renew/FR), CoR member, Deputy Mayor of Nice and CoR rapporteur on the opinion European Cross-Border Mechanism 2.0
14:45 Challenges and obstacles faced by border regions residents; examples from the regions
Moderator: Martín Guillermo Ramírez, Secretary General of the AEBR
In the first panel, we will welcome European Groupings of Territorial Cooperation (EGTCs) representatives and representatives of Local and Regional Authorities from Europe’s border regions, who will present the issues the citizens and businesses, as well as Local and Regional Authorities, encounter in their daily lives. They will present various issues that hamper life in border regions and prevent economic and cultural integration of border regions.
Employability in the health & social sector at the Spanish-French Border, Leyre Azcona, EGTC Eurorégion Nouvelle-Aquitaine – Euskadi – Navarre
Cross-border mobility of jobseekers and vocational training at the Belgian-French border, Loïc Delhuvenne, EGTC Eurometropolis Lille – Kortrijk – Tournai
Border obstacles linked to wood construction at the Norwegian-Swedish border, Annika Daisley, Project Manager Border obstacles & opportunities, Svinesund Committee
Trans-national business incubator at the Polish-Lithuanian border, Rafal Peszka, expert in cross-border cooperation
Cross-border local farmers’ markets at the Croatian-Hungarian Border, Dr Judit Füzé, Deputy Director of the EGTC Pannon
Cross-border renewable energy exchange at the German-Dutch Border, Joris Bengevoord, Mayor of the City of Winterswijk
Questions and answers
15:45 Debate: What can the European Union and its Member States do to make life in border regions easier?
Moderator: Gyula Ocskay, Director of CESCI
With the Regulation on the European Cross-Border Mechanism blocked in the Council, the border regions are left wondering how to address border obstacles they face and what is the way forward. In this panel, representatives of different institutions and Member States will debate possible ways ahead.
Magali Altounian (Renew/FR), CoR member, Deputy Mayor of Nice (FR) and CoR rapporteur on the opinion “European Cross-Border Mechanism 2.0”
Sandro Gozi (Renew/FR), Member of the European Parliament
Philippe Voiry, Ambassador for intergovernmental commissions and cross-border cooperation, Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs of the Republic of France
Péter Kiss-Parciu, Deputy state-secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary
Nikola Dobroslavić (EPP/HR), President of Dubrovnik-Neretva Region, Member of the CoR
16:55 Closing, Pavel Branda (ECR/CZ), Member of the CoR, Rapporteur on Cross-Border Public Services and Chair of CoR’s Interregional Group on Cross-Border Cooperation
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