picture Zebra crossing

Sub-Projects – Theme 1 – Environment

Sub-theme 2 – Governance in border regions

SWG “REGBOUR”- Summary & results

One major output of the SWG “REGBOUR” was the publication of the handbook “Putting New Neighbourhood into Practice” providing basic knowledge to actors involved in cross-border cooperation at the external borders of the EU, presenting best practices and delivering practical recommendations for programme and project implementation. The contents of this handbook are based on the results of debates, workshops, study visits and particularly regional reports which were realised in four project phases from January 2005 to September 2006:

  • Phase 1: Initial knowledge improvement,
  • Phase 2: Problems, improved practices and innovations,
  • Phase 3: Joint development of alternative approaches to problem solution,
  • Phase 4: Practical application of innovative cross-border initiatives.

After the finalisation and analysis of the background reports, the most important problems in adopting EU border policies as well as in applying different solutions and institutional innovations in cross-border co-operation were examined and extensively discussed in the second phase of the project. In this context, all project partners (except Värmland) elaborated regional reports describing the most urgent problems, challenges and prospects of cross-border co-operation on each border which are based on information from newsletters and public documentation. While summarising the results of the reports, it became obvious that despite the different geographical, economic, political, social and cultural context many challenges and problems are similar on the Eastern external borders, here in particular:

  • low productivity due to the rural character of the regions,
  • visa regulations not adapted to the needs of inhabitants of border area
  • infrastructural bottlenecks
  • prejudices, stereotypes and lack of tradition of cross-border co-operation
  • insufficient language skills
  • comparatively young and weak cross-border structures
  • different administrative systems
  • responsibilities allocated to different insitutional levels

In order to discuss these challenges and problems with the responsible representatives of the regional administrative level and to find solutions, several workshops were organised in the participating regions. The results of the meetings, lessons learnt as well as identified best practices and new approaches were brought forward during the third partner meeting in February 2006 in Kavala (Greece).

Further good examples of cross-border cooperation at the external border of the EU are included in the handbook which was published shortly after the final conference of the sub-project in June 2006. The main target of the conference was to formulate and discuss major recommendations and postulates of the project partners as regards the future cross-border co-operation at the external borders and especially regarding the implementation of the new Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument of the EU. These recommendations underline the specific needs of border regions participating in the sub-project including in particular:

  • the strengthening of EU instruments for the implementation of cross-border cooperation
  • the promotion of single common reference framework for the implementation of all cross-border projects in the EU
  • the simplification and harmonisation of all procedures
  • the creation and strengthening of EU networks of cross-border cooperation (e.g. NEEBOR-network).

Thanks to the creation of the “REGBOUR”-network, the available best practices, innovations and experiences in cross-border co-opeation at external borders were exchanged and brought into a broader discussion. They are a valuable store of knowledge which can be exploited by the participating regions while implementing the new Neighbourhood and Partnership policy of the EU.

SWG Activities