CROSSGOV

Governance mechanisms for cross-border functional areas

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While various instruments now support cross-border integration in Europe’s diverse border regions, there is a recurring need to establish effective governance mechanisms for the emerging cross-border functional areas. Border integration is becoming increasingly relevant, but governance solutions remain contingent and research limited. In addition, integration of neighbouring border regions is hampered by uncoordinated governance systems, as well as legal, administrative and other factors. Against this background, the CROSSGOV project aims to develop a new analytical approach and measures to unlock the development potential of border regions.

 Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU)

Central European Service for Cross-Border Initiatives (CESCI)

Austrian Institute for Spatial Planning (ÖIR)

The Association of European Border Regions (AEBR)

Politecnico di Torino (POLITO)

Technische Universität Wien (TU Wien)

University of Helsinki

University of Luxembourg

Palacký University Olomouc (UPOL)

The project covers the whole of Europe, but focuses in particular on 10 specific border regions, which are:

  • Trinational Eurodistrict Basel (Switzerland, Germany, France)

  • Luxembourg (Luxembourg, Belgium, Germany, France)

  • Fehmarnbelt (Germany/Denmark)

  • Trieste (Italy/Slovenia)

  • Espace Mont-Blanc (Switzerland/France/Italy)

  • Gmünd-České Velenice (Austria/Czech Republic)

  • Komárno-Komárno (Hungary/Slovakia)

  • Badajoz-Elvaz (Spain/Portugal)

  • Helsinki-Tallinn (Finland/Estonia)

  • Newry-Dundalk (Ireland/United Kingdom)

The activities and main outputs of the ESPON project CROSSGOV, which will run between July 2024 and January 2026 and has a total budget of 725,130 euros, are organised into a three-pronged implementation system, which simultaneously serve to analyse functional areas and their governance:

  • Conceptualisation

    Within this framework, a review of the currently available literature on functional areas and governance models is carried out.

  • Database and Atlas

    Within this framework, the database will be built and displayed, and an Atlas will be created. CESCI will participate in the collection of indicators related to 5 cross-border institutions in cooperation with POLITO.

  • Case studies and recommendations

    Within this framework, the first work package is about selecting border regions with different geographical, governance, border regime, functional and locational characteristics. The second work package includes the preparation of a case study for each of the 10 selected border regions and the holding of a Futures Workshop. The third package is the Synopsis, according to which pan-European policy recommendations should be made to support more effective governance of functional regions.

    The Task is led by CESCI and works closely with the partners responsible for developing the individual case studies, as well as with FAU, particularly in formulating policy recommendations. CESCI’s activities cover:

    1. to prepare the case study of the Komárom-Révkomárom twin-city region,

    2. to provide comprehensive professional coordination of the other 9 case studies, including:

    • identification of key regional actors (stakeholders),
    • to conduct expert interviews,
    • to analyse planning documents,
    • to hold workshops.

    3. to map and briefly analyse the border regions related to each case study (mapping zoom-ins),

    4. to prepare a comprehensive analysis (cross-cutting analysis) based on each case study.

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