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Resilient Borders Initiative – Pilot Actions Started today

‘Resilient Borders – Cross-Border Spatial Planning and Crisis Management Pilot Actions’ is an initiative of the European Commission, managed by Association of European Border Regions (AEBR) and the Mission Opérationnelle Transfrontalière (MOT), to support resilience of border regions.

The dedicated call for proposals has closed and 20 successful applicants have now been selected to implement pilot actions in two key fields, Cross-border Crisis Management and Cross-border Spatial Planning. The beneficiaries of Resilient Borders will receive financial resources and dedicated support to set up joint plans to make their cross-border territories more integrated. With one selected applicant having withdrawn, 19 pilot actions have started today, 3 February, and will be completed in September 2025.

 

Cross-border crisis management

Nine pilot actions will aim to prevent and reduce the effects of crisis situations in cross-border territories. These will develop common plans, set up joint exercises, prepare coordination protocols and foster networking in the selected border areas.

The pilot actions in the field of cross-border crisis management are:

  • CM1 – Pilot action “Enhancing flood and drought resilience along the river Drava” by Local government of Baranya (HU) county in partnership with Virovitica-Podravina county (HR)
  • CM2 – Pilot action “Building cross-border resilience to animal diseases through joint crisis management” by Region of Eastern Macedonia & Thrace (EL) in partnership with Regional administration of Smolyan (BG)
  • CM3 – Pilot action “CONNECT: Cooperative networks for cross-border engagement, climate adaptation, and territorial resilience” by EGTC GO (IT/SI)
  • CM4 – Pilot action “Cross-AI Connect: Strengthening border resilience” by City of Słubice (PL) in partnership with City of Frankfurt (Oder) (DE)
  • CM6 – Pilot action “Preparing a joint emergency preparedness plan for the border region” by Border region ARKO (NO/SE)
  • CM7 – Pilot action “SEPORA – Sectorisation Postojna Rijeka action” by City of Rijeka (HR) in partnership with Municipality of Postojna (SI)
  • CM8 – Pilot action “BordeRisks – Cross-border risks and solutions” by Municipality of Orestiada (EL) in partnership with Svilengrad Municipality (BG)
  • CM9 – Pilot action “Joint Action Plan for strengthening cross-border cooperation in disaster management” by Ministry of the Interior – Directorate General of the Fire Rescue Service of the Czech Republic (CZ) in partnership with Bavarian State Ministry of the Interior, for Sport and Integration (DE)
  • CM10 – Pilot action “Developing a regulatory framework for cross-border firefighter cooperation” by Pyrénées-Atlantiques Departmental Fire and Rescue Service (SDIS64) (FR) in partnership with Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa (ES)

 

Cross-border spatial planning

Ten further pilot actions will aim to create coherent and cohesive territories which are enabled to cooperate on relevant issues using their resources more effectively.

The selected pilot actions in the field of cross-border spatial planning are:

  • SP1 – Pilot action “Developing a cross-border housing monitor for sustainable urban planning policy” by North Sea Port District BGTC (BE/NL)
  • SP2 – Pilot action “Deep rooting resilience: mapping a future for the Zeeuws-Wase bossen” by EGTC Linieland van Waas en Hulst (BE/NL)
  • SP3 – Pilot action “Updating the 3Land spatial concept – continuing joint cross-border development” by Trinational Eurodistrict Basel (FR/DE/CH)
  • SP4 – Pilot action “Riviera Node Mobilities: challenges for planning” by Ventimiglia Municipality (IT) in partnership with Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis and Community of Agglomeration of the French Riviera (CARF) (FR)
  • SP5 – Pilot action “Euroregional roadmap for Donostia – Bayonne direct and public rail services” by EGTC Euroregion Nouvelle-Aquitaine Euskadi Navarre (FR/ES)
  • SP6 – Pilot action “Galicia North Portugal strategic cross-border planning 2025-2027” by Galicia Norte Portugal EGTC (PT/ES)
  • SP7 – Pilot action “Guadiana Eurocity – planning sustainable territory 2030” by EGTC Eurociudad Del Guadiana (PT/ES)
  • SP8 – Pilot action “Cross-border integration of the functional metropolitan area of Bratislava” by Bratislava Municipality (SK) in partnership with General Assembly of the Local Government of Győr-Moson-Sopron County (HU)
  • SP9 – Pilot action “Citizens, business, administration and politics working on Frankfurt-Slubice masterplan 2025-2035” by City of Frankfurt (Oder) (DE) in partnership with Municipality of Słubice (PL)
  • SP10 – Pilot action “CLLD-oriented facilitation of cross-border planning across the Polish-Lithuanian Functional Area” by Polish-Lithuanian Cross-Border Functional Area EGTC (LT/PL)

 

Implementation of the Resilient Borders pilot actions

The 19 beneficiaries will work for eight months on their pilot actions, implementing innovative projects that will pave the way to new ways of cooperating across borders. At the end of the implementation period, each of them will have created new tools and approaches to make their regions more resilient together. Lessons learnt will enhance overall knowledge to make border regions more integrated and better protected and will be shared with other border regions.

AEBR and MOT, who manage the initiative on behalf of DG REGIO, are thrilled to follow closely the progress of the pilot actions.

In the next months, cross-border cooperation in the EU will reach new achievements, which is more important than ever in the current context. For border regions to continue growing and offer good services to their citizens, collaboration with their neighbours is key to enable better services and more protected living areas. The pilot actions will help show potential strategies to reach these goals. ‘‘They are a valuable opportunity to exchange ideas, gather structured evidence, and address long-pending, crucial issues in crisis management and spatial planning, which will make it possible to enhance borders resilience’’, emphasised Martin Guillermo-Ramírez, Secretary General of AEBR, during the kick-off webinar.

 

Map of the 19 pilot actions

 

To learn more the pilot actions:

https://resilientborders.eu/

 

 

Contact:

Crisis management pilot actions (Lot 1 of the call for proposals)

Managed by AEBR

crisis-management@aebr.eu

Spatial planning pilot actions (Lot 2 of the call for proposals)

Managed by MOT

spatialplanning@mot.asso.fr

 

 

Follow us for regular information about Resilient Borders:

AEBR network

https://www.facebook.com/AEBR.AGEG.ARFE/

https://de.linkedin.com/company/association-of-european-border-regions

 

MOT network

https://fr.linkedin.com/company/reseaumot

 

 

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