The partners of the BorderLabs CE project, co-financed by the Interreg Central Europe Programme, organised the first thematic workshop dedicated to methods and experiences of cross-border planning on 7 May 2025 in Dresden. The speakers discussed the topic through theoretical presentations and practical examples.

The BorderLabs CE project targets the borders and their divisive forces in Central Europe. The main aim of the partners is to develop, test and disseminate information about tools and procedures through which the separating effects of the state borders can be reduced, and the integration of the region once divided by the Iron Curtain can be developed. The tools and instruments to be tested concern three main topics, namely cross-border planning, cross-border participatory governance and management of cross-border obstacles, which are in a synergetic relationship. Cross-border plans require management bodies which own the competences to realise them beyond the national frameworks. At the same time, different legal and administrative systems generate obstacles to the realisation of the plans, therefore, their management is necessary to achieve the goals set.

Accordingly, the five pilot partners realise activities which can be used for the sake of developing solutions: the partners of the trilateral Euroregion Neisse-Nysa-Nisa (DE-CZ-PL) deliver an integrated strategic framework for the development of the border area; the twin-city of Frankfurt (Oder) and Słubice (DE-PL) organises two dialogue forums and disseminate their results towards further twin-cities to facilitate citizens’ participation in designing the joint future; the EGTC GO (IT-SI) develop the conditions for cross-border integration of slow-tourism; the Ister-Granum EGTC (HU-SK) aims to create the conditions for an integrated cross-border local product network providing short supply chains; and the Province of Upper Austria targets the cross-border legal obstacles hindering integration across the Bavarian-Austrian and the Austrian-Czech borders.

Besides the pilot actions, the partners organise three thematic workshops as well. The first workshop dedicated to cross-border planning took place in Dresden on 7 May 2025. The event organised by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Regional Development of Saxony started with a keynote presented by Gyula Ocskay, Secretary General of CESCI, who discussed the timeliness of a new European Spatial Development Perspective reacting to the most recent challenges the European Union faces. In this context, the Charter on a more integrated Central Europe, designed to be delivered at the end of the project as a proposal on a Central European Territorial Agenda, as well as the promotion of cross-border planning, can be seen as a trigger.

Roland Gaugitsch (ÖIR) presented the intervention logic and the expected outcomes of the ESPON CROSSGOV project, which aims at creating an overview on cross-border functional areas and their governance solutions within the EU. He highlighted the difficulties of collecting reliable cross-border data for the analytical work. Claire Duvernet (BBSR) also focused on territorial monitoring and data issues, presenting the initiatives and projects coordinated and implemented by the BBSR in the field.

Using the results of the ESPON CPS project, Sabine Zillmer (Spatial Foresight) analysed the specificities of Central Europe in the context of cross-border public services. She also drew attention to the insufficiency of a spatial vision to redesign territorial policies of the EU without clear implementation frames. Peter Ulrich (University of Potsdam) summarised his research on cross-border participatory governance with a special focus on planning, and promoted the good practices of Frankfurt and Słubice (the Future Conferences and the cross-border citizens’ budget). Martin Reents (Infrastruktur & Umwelt) referred to the work done by the German-Polish Planning Committee and promoted a selective approach in planning, which also takes into account the recipients of the plans. Gyula Ocskay (CESCI) gave a sketchy presentation of the so-called cohesion-based cross-border planning methodology developed and applied by the association.

Four pilot partners presented their achievements related to cross-border planning. Micaela Passon (EGTC GO) spoke about the cross-border Integrated Territorial Investments (ITI) implemented by the grouping during the previous and the current budgetary periods. The latter was really unique as it was an Italian-Slovenian multi-fund ITI targeting the renovation of the two-country main square of Gorizia and Nova Gorica. Péter Nagy (Ister-Granum EGTC) presented the Territorial Action Plan for Employment (TAPE) realised between 2020 and 2024, and he mentioned the new action plan addressing cross-border tourism development, which is under evaluation. Marcin Krzymuski (Frankfurt and Słubice Cooperation Centre) discussed the vision-making processes of the two towns involving everyday citizens. The current Vision 2030 document includes interventions in the fields of education, quality of life, business cooperation and communication for a more integrated twin-city area.

Maciej Zathey (Lower Silesian Voivodship, Institute for Territorial Development) not only summarised the evolution of German-Polish cross-border planning, but he also wrapped up the workshop’s main messages identifying cross-border planning as a process in which people have a decisive role; and promoting a focused approach to planning which can grab the key of the problems and build the strategy upon it. He also urged the repetition of the exercise of the European Spatial Development Perspective.

As an illustration of the complexity of cross-border people-centred planning, the participants of the workshop visited the lignite mine in Turów, which is located in the tri-border area of Poland, Czechia and Germany, which has generated conflicts between the different interests of the three parties. This is the region where the partners of the first pilot action aim to compile an integrated development strategy focusing on green transition. It will be a valuable contribution to the design of Central European and EU-level spatial perspectives.