CESCI, with the support of the European Commission, is launching a call for scholarly contributions for a panel proposal to be submitted to the ABS 2026 Annual Conference. The initiative builds on the evidence that border obstacles continue to cause substantial economic losses across Europe – such as reduced accessibility, weakened agglomeration economies, and the suboptimal use of public services –  as noted in the background analysis of cross-border integration and its financial impacts. The aim is to stimulate academic work that advances understanding of how the economic benefits, efficiencies and savings resulting from cross-border cooperation can be assessed, and how these gains may be mobilised to support the funding of cooperation itself.

The Call for Papers for a Panel at the ABS 2026 Annual Conference invites extended abstracts that align with this thematic focus and may include theoretical analyses, empirical case studies, regional assessments, or quantitative models examining the financial impacts of cross-border public services. The CESCI call and the accompanying background document are available for download below, providing applicants with an outline of the thematic framework, submission requirements and selection criteria. 

The background document can be viewed at this link.