The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) hosted the 2026 annual meeting of the European Cross-Border Platform (ECBP), which brought together more than 160 participants and a wide range of representatives from EU institutions and stakeholders from across the European Union and beyond. As a flagship event of the ECBP, organised jointly with the CESCI, the two-day meeting held on 10 and 11 June provided a key platform to discuss the future of cross-border cooperation, share practical experiences and shape policy solutions for border regions. The Platform is chaired by CoR member Pavel Branda (CZ/CRE), Deputy Mayor of Rádlo.
The meeting focused on the ongoing negotiations on the post-2027 EU budget and cohesion policy instruments, including Interreg, the ERDF and performance-based approaches.
The debate, which was also attended by the European Parliament’s co-rapporteurs on the dossier and representatives of the European Commission, reflected the key priorities also highlighted in the CoR’s opinions, in particular: the need for greater legal clarity in future programmes; tailored solutions for performance-based mechanisms in Interreg that reflect the specific nature of cross-border cooperation; greater recognition of the role of European Groupings of Territorial Cooperation (EGTCs); and continued support for small-scale cross-border projects.
In his video message to participants, the European Commission’s Executive Vice-President, Raffaele Fitto, emphasised that ‘cross-border cooperation remains a strategic priority for the European Union’ and called for the strengthening of EGTCs. First established twenty years ago, EGTCs are the first cooperation structures of European public authorities with legal personality established under EU law.
Overcoming obstacles to cross-border cooperation
As a cornerstone of European territorial cooperation, cross-border cooperation plays a crucial role in strengthening the single market and fostering European integration. However, despite significant progress, many obstacles remain for the 145 million Europeans living in border regions.
Throughout the discussions, participants highlighted the everyday challenges still faced by citizens, businesses and administrations in border regions, such as access to healthcare and employment opportunities, dealing with administrative and legal barriers to cross-border travel, and regular border checks in several countries.
Unlocking the potential of EGTCs
Participants noted a persistent lack of understanding of the role of EGTCs at national, regional and EU level, which may limit their access to funding and the effective use of their powers. Raising awareness and recognition of EGTCs was considered essential to fully harness their capacity to deliver cross-border solutions and implement territorial strategies.
To demonstrate the added value of these instruments and promote them as examples for other groupings or similar structures, the event included the 2026 EGTC Award ceremony ‘Building Europe across borders’, which recognised innovative and impactful cross-border projects. The award was presented to the Italian-Austrian EGTC ‘Euregio senza confini’ for improving the cross-border emergency call service. Further information.
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Pavel Branda (CZ/CRE), Deputy Mayor of Rádlo, Chair of the European Cross-Border Platform, and CoR rapporteur for the opinion on ‘Overcoming obstacles to cooperation between emergency services in EU border regions’, said: “This year marks twenty years since the entry into force of the EGTC Regulation, and the annual meeting of the European Cross-Border Platform is a living testament to our work and how far we have come. Cross-border cooperation, within the framework of European territorial cooperation, brings added value not only to the border regions themselves, but to the EU as a whole: it offers citizens, businesses and public authorities a direct experience of being European.”
For further information: European Committee of the Regions
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