European Union
State of Play of EGTC in Europe:
trends, issues and perspectives
From the EGTC
to macro-regionalWelcome
strategiesto the
Regione Autonoma Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Europe in my region 2011
29 November 2011
Committee of the
Regions
Alfonso Alcolea
Committee of the Regions of the EU
Introduction:
Europe without borders?
Introduction:
Europe without borders?
Polish-German border
between Frankfurt am Oder and Słubice
Introduction:
Europe without borders?
Former checkpoint dismantled
between Frankfurt am Oder and Słubice
© A. Alcolea, 2008
Introduction:
Europe without borders?
Situation of the border
between Italy and Slovenia in Gorizia, till 2004
Introduction:
Europe without borders?
 GDP per head poorest
region: +/- 6.200 €
 GDP per head richest
region: +/- 68.000 €
Introduction:
Europe without borders?
 Disparities
European Commission
5th Cohesion Report
Introduction:
Europe without borders?
External borders and
Neighbourhood Policy
Introduction:
Europe without borders?
IPA cross-border
The European Grouping
of Territorial Cooperation
What is an EGTC?
EGTC – European Grouping
of Territorial Cooperation

Created by Regulation (EC) 1082/2006

Public entities from different Member States can get together under
an entity with European legal personality.

The EGTC has its own organisation, budget and staff.

It may implement programmes and projects of territorial
cooperation, with or without EU funding.

Entered into force on 1 August 2007, the Member States adopt
national provisions.
What for?
Missions of an EGTC

Art. 1 (2) “To facilitate and promote cross-border, transnational
and/or interregional cooperation between its members with the
aim of strengthening economic and social cohesion”.

Art 7 (3) Tasks of the EGTC:





Implement ETC programmes co-financed by ERDF, ESF
or Cohesion Fund
Implement ETC projects […]
Other specific cooperation actions with EU funding
Other cooperation actions without EU funding
Limits: Powers of the State such as police, regulation, justice or
foreign affairs.
Who can participate?
Who can be a member?

Basically, entities of Public Law (reference to the Directive
2004/18/EC on public procurement) and associations

Participation of entities from third countries:

2 EU Member States needed (minimum 2 EU + 1 non EU)

The third country adopts similar legislation or signs an agreement
with the country of seat of the EGTC

The EU Member States involved authorize it
How to set up an EGTC
The basic procedure

Location of the registered office
 The seat determines the applicable Law

Drafting of a convention and the statutes of the EGTC

Authorisation by the Member States
 The Regulation says 3 months

Publication in the national journal and in the OJEU

Notification to the CoR

Launching of the EGTC
How to set up an EGTC
Roadmap towards an EGTC
How to set up an EGTC
Sources available in www.cor.europa.eu/egtc
Go to ‘EGTC Platform’ and find them in ‘Publications’
How to set up an EGTC
Advantages of the EGTC

An EGTC may implement a whole programme

An EGTC is visible, is flexible, is permanent, is accountable and
empowers peer local and regional authorities

The EGTC facilitates the obtention of funding for projects

The EGTC is a good instrument to pool public expenditure or
public services

An EGTC may grant the future sustainability of a project, and can
be foreseen in a project proposal or in an operational programme

The EGTC can materialise bottom-up initiatives at macro level
How to set up an EGTC
How to set up an EGTC
Factors
Negotiation
Trust
Vision
Choice
Examples of EGTC
Examples of EGTC
Figures

23 EGTC set up,
(+1 not notified)
3 more expected
during 2011

More than 500 LRA
involved

A reality in 14
Member States,

Impact on the life of
22 Mo Europeans
Trends
Some trends about the implementation of EGTC

National implementation varies, but also approach and perception

There is only one EGTC for programme implementation, and
structural funds are not the main object

Although ‘laboratory for multi-level governance’, most of the EGTC
group public entities of the same level

Although it is ‘territorial cooperation’, EGTC are mainly CBC

Main areas: Axis Benelux-FR-DE, around HU-SK-CZ and Med
 Precedent cooperation started in the 90s.

Need of awareness among LRA, public and EC services
Examples of EGTC
Grande Région



First EGTC to become management authority of a programme
Involves FR, DE, LU, NL, BE
www.interreg4a-gr.eu
Examples of EGTC
Amphictyony

Twinning 53 cities of the Mediterranean

More than 39 non-EU cities associated

www.amphictyony.gr
Examples of EGTC
Archimed

Cooperation structure among Mediterranean islands

Joint defence of common
interests
Examples of EGTC
Eurometropolis Lille-Kortrijk-Tournai

Conurbation between Belgium and France, 3 regions, 2
languages, 1.7 Mo inhabitants

www.eurometropolis.eu
Examples of EGTC
Duero-Douro

Rural development: 187 municipalities with an average
population of <500 inhabitants

Projects:



Econometric model for investments
Introduction of goats to prevent forest fires and create
employment
Culture, education, tourism
www.duero-douro.com
Examples of EGTC
West Vlaanderen / Flandre - Dunkerque - Côte d’Opale

Integration of a highly urbanised border area

Projects:






Interreg IVA project 'Cross-border cooperation‘
Public transport and recreational mobility
Health cooperation
Training and employment
Cross-border GIS
Culture
Examples of EGTC
Cerdanya cross-border hospital


Service to 60,000 inhabitants in the Pyrenees
www.hcerdanya.eu
Engagement of the CoR
The role
of the Committee
of the Regions
Engagement of the CoR
Legal basis:
 Treaties (art. 306 TFEU)
 Consultative remit in cross-border cooperation
 Regulation (EC) 1082/2006, Art. 5
 The new EGTCs must notify the CoR
Political action:
 The EGTC is strategic for the CoR
 Inter-institutional cooperation
 Political proactiveness
31
Engagement of the CoR
Political support:
 4 opinions on EGTC in 2002, 2004, 2008 and 2011
Shared experience:
 Expert Group, EGTC Platform
Information and debate:
 Consultation in 2010
 Workshops and stands during the Open Days
 3 studies and annual report from 2011 on.
Registry of EGTC:
 Art 5 of the Regulation (EC) 1082/2006
32
CoR opinion on EGTC 2011

Own-initiative opinion, adoption the 27/01/2011

Rapporteur: Mr Alberto Núñez
(ES/EPP) President of Galicia.
Feijóo,
•
Contituity with the opinion of Ms Bresso
(IT/PES) in 2008
•
New scenario: Treaty of Lisbon and new
financial perspectives
•
Importance of the EGTC
• For programmes and projects of ETC
• For Europe 2020
• For Multi-level governance
•
Defence of the EGTC as “preferential
instrument for cooperation”.
33
CoR opinion on EGTC
Contents:

Substantial measures: Legal status; harmonisation of national
regimes; staff; participation of private entities; clarifications.

Procedural measures: Reduction of the delays, hearing the
promoters of the EGTC; common act for autorisation;
publication in section C of the OJEU.

Financial measures: Consider the EGTC automatically as
transnational partnership; suppress obsolete methodes of
management; autonomous pole of cooperation.

Participation of entities from Third countries on the basis of
Title V of the Treaty; allow 1+1 bilateral EGTCs.
The revision of the EGTC Regulation
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CoR opinion on EGTC 2012

Opinion on the legislative proposal, to be
adopted on 15 February 2012 (COTER 5 Dec)
•

Consultation to the EGTC Platform
Rapporteur: Mr Michel Delebarre, (FR/PES)
Mayor of Dunkerque, President of COTER and
coordinator of the EGTC Platform.
•
Support to the proposal, in particular
simplification, staff, larger tasks, territories of
3rd countries.
•
Other ideas proposed: to allow companies of
services of general economic interest,
clearer criteria to reject proposals (including
participation of 3rd countries), use of EGTC
in other sectors, procedural improvements.
36
The EGTC Platform

Its it integrated by all the EGTCs existing, the EGTCs in
constitution, experts and different organisations of support
(including INTERACT).
Open to other cross-border structures.



Launched the 28 January 2011 in Brussels
Online forum www.cor.europa.eu/egtc
Contact: egtc@cor.europa.eu

The EGTC Platform
Mission of the Platform





Legislative monitoring  What’s going on?
Peer exchange of experiences, advice and practices
 How do we do it?
Dissemination and visibility of the EGTC
 What can we do?
Explore the opportunities and challenges of the EGTC
 How to do it better?
Contribute to the consultative works of the CoR providing
factual input about cross-border aspects of the EU
legislation and policies
 What happens at cross-border level?
The EGTC Platform – Launching conference
27 January  Lille
28 January  Brussels
More than 200 participants
The EGTC Platform – Forum online
Conclusion:
Europe will not be made all at once, or according to a single plan. It
will be built through concrete achievements which first create a de
facto solidarity.
Declaration of the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Robert Schuman,
9 May 1950
Thank you!
Committee of the Regions
Direction of horizontal policies
and networks
Alfonso Alcolea Martínez
Administrator EGTC & territorial cooperation
URL: www.cor.europa.eu/egtc
E-mail: egtc@cor.europa.eu
Twitter: @EGTCPlatform
FB group: EGTC