German stakeholder perspectives on the provision of cross-border public services

Dühr, Stefanie

doi:1429-7132 (print)

Skip to main menu
Skip to search engine
Skip to content
Skip to footer

Download

Title: German stakeholder perspectives on the provision of cross-border public services

Abstract:

Differences in the legal and administrative frameworks of the member states of the European Union (EU) have been identified as presenting major challenges to achieving territorial cohesion. The policy debate culminated in 2018 with a Commission proposal for an EU Regulation on a ‘European Cross-Border Mechanism’ (ECBM). While the proposed legal instrument is still under negotiation, this paper analyses the experiences of stakeholders in Germany’s border regions on navigating obstacles in the provision of cross-border public services. The paper concludes that while more legal certainty for crossborder cooperation would generally be welcome, stakeholders in border regions do consider local and high-level political support; financial incentives to address complex border challenges; and dedicated local and regional ‘policy entrepreneurs’ to be at least as important for realising complex joint projects.

References:

Bachtler, J., & Polverari, L. (2007). Delivering territorial cohesion: European Cohesion Policy and the European Model of Society. In A., Faludi (Ed.). Territorial Cohesion and the European Model of Society (pp. 105-128). Cambridge, MA: Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.
Brenner, N. (2004). New state spaces: Urban governance and the rescaling of statehood. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Bufon, M., & Markelj, V. (2010). Regional policies and cross-border cooperation: new challenges and new development models in Central Europe. Revista Româna de Geografie Politica, 12(1), 18-28.
CoE (1980). European Outline Convention on Transfrontier Co-operation between Territorial Communities or Authorities. ETS No. 106. Strasbourg: Council of Europe.
CoR (2015). Opinion of the European Committee of the Regions - Strengthening Cross-border Cooperation: The Need for a Better Regulatory Framework? Official Journal of the European Union, C 423/7, 17.12.2015.
De Sousa, L. (2013). Understanding European Cross-Border Cooperation: A Framework for Analysis. Journal of European Integration, 35(6), 669-687. https://doi.org/10.1080/07036337.2012.711827
Deas, L., & Lord, A. (2006). From a new regionalism to an unusual regionalism? The emergence of non-standard regional spaces and lessons for the territorial reorganisation of the state. Urban Studies, 43(10), 1847-1877. https://doi.org/10.1080/00420980600838143
Dühr, S., & Belof, M. (2020). Social learning in transnational spatial planning processes: An analysis of the 'V4+2' cooperation on spatial development. Planning Practice & Research, 35(2), 148-168. https://doi.org/10.1080/02697459.2020.1726133
Dühr, S., Colomb, C., & Nadin, V. (2010). European spatial planning and territorial cooperation. London, New York: Routledge.
EC (2011). Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: A Quality Framework for Services of General Interest in Europe. COM(2011) 900 final. Brussels: European Commission. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/info/topics/single-market/services-general-interest_en
EC (2017). Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament: Boosting growth and cohesion in EU border regions. COM (2017)534 final. Brussels: European Commission. Retrieved from http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/sources/docoffic/2014/boosting_growth/com_boosting_borders.pdf
EC (2017). Easing legal and administrative obstacles in border regions. Final report. Brussels: European Commission. Retrieved from http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/sources/docgener/studies/pdf/obstacle_border/final_report.pdf
EC (2017). Quantification of the effects of legal and administrative border obstacles in land border regions. Final Report. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/sources/docoffic/2014/boosting_growth/quantif_effect_borders_obstacles.pdf
EC (2017). Commission Staff Working document. Accompanying the document Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament on Boosting Growth and Cohesion in EU Border Regions. COM (2017) 534 final. Brussels: European Commission. Retrieved from http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/sources/docoffic/2014/boosting_growth/swd_boosting_border_en.pdf
EC (2018). Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on a mechanism to resolve legal and administrative obstacles in a cross-border context. COM(2018) 373 final. Strasbourg: European Commission. Retrieved from https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM%3A2018%3A373%3AFIN
EC (2021). Report from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions. EU Border Regions: Living labs of European integration. COM(2021) 393 final. Brussels: European Commission.
Egg, M. (2016). Kehl: Studie lobt Substitutionspraxis - Zukunft dennoch unklar. Baden Online. Retrieved from https://www.bo.de/lokales/kehl/suchthilfe-mit-modellcharakter#
Engl, A., & Evrard, E. (2020). Agenda-setting dynamics in the post-2020 cohesion policy reform: the pathway towards the European cross-border mechanism as possible policy change. Journal of European Integration, 42(7), 917-935. https://doi.org/10.1080/07036337.2019.1689969
ESPON (2020). Cross-border public services (CPS). Targeted Analysis. Final Report. Esch-sur-Alzette: ESPON.
EU (2006). Regulation (EC) No 1082/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 July 2006 on a European Grouping of territorial cooperation (EGTC). Official Journal of the European Union, L 210/19, 31.7.2006.
EU (2013). Regulation (EU) No 1302/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 amending Regulation (EC) No 1082/2006 on a European grouping of territorial cooperation (EGTC) as regards the clarification, simplification and improvement of the establishment and functioning of such groupings. Official Journal of the European Union, L 347/303, 20.12.2013.
Humer, A., & Palma, P. (2013). The provision of Services of General Interest in Europe: regional indices and types explained by socio-economic and territorial conditions. Europa XXI, 23, 85-104. https://doi.org/10.7163/Eu21.2013.23.5
ISIG & CoE (2013). Manual on removing obstacles to cross-border cooperation. Gorizia: Institute of International Sociology Gorizia & Council of Europe.
Jung, F., & Jesumann, N. (2014). Sparmassnahmen: Aus für die deutsch-dänische Gesundheitskooperation? Flensburger Tageblatt. Retrieved from: https://www.shz.de/lokales/flensburger-tageblatt/aus-fuer-die-deutsch-daenische-gesundheitskooperation-id7651716.html
Kaucic, J., & Sohn, C. (2021). Mapping the cross-border cooperation 'galaxy': an exploration of scalar arrangements in Europe. European Planning Studies, 1-21. https://doi.org/10.1080/09654313.2021.1923667
Keating, M. (1998). The new regionalism in Western Europe. territorial restructuring and political change. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.
Löfgren, O. (2008). Regionauts: the transformation of crossborder regions in Scandinavia. European Urban and Regional Studies, 15(3), 195-209. https://doi.org/10.1177/0969776408090418
Luxembourg Presidency (2015). Presidency Conclusions of the Luxembourg Presidency of the Council of the European Union on the occasion of the Informal Ministerial Meetings on Territorial Cohesion and Urban Policy, Luxembourg, 26 and 27 November 2015. Retrieved from https://amenagement-territoire.public.lu/dam-assets/fr/eu-presidency/Events/26-27-November-2015_-Luxembourg-City/Material/Luxembourg-Presidency-Conclusions-20151127_final_.pdf
Luxembourg Presidency (2015). A tool for the attribution and application of specific provisions for the improvement of cross-border cooperation (Action 3 of the IT-LV-LU Trio Presidency). Retrieved from https://amenagement-territoire.public.lu/dam-assets/fr/eu-presidency/Events/26-27-November2015_-Luxembourg-City/Material/IMM-Territorial-_LU-Presidency_---Input-Paper-Action-3.pdf
Medeiros, E., Guillermo Ramírez, M., Ocskay, G., & Peyrony, J. (2021). Covidfencing effects on cross-border deterritorialism: the case of Europe. European Planning Studies, 29(5), 962-982. https://doi.org/10.1080/09654313.2020.1818185
MOT (2015). Preparation of the Luxembourgish Presidency of the EU Council Cross-border Cooperation: Obstacles to Overcome. 19th May 2015. Paris: Mission Opérationelle Transfrontalière. Retrieved from http://www.espaces-transfrontaliers.org/fileadmin/user_upload/documents/Documents_MOT/Etudes_Publications_MOT/Obstacles_to_CBC_LU_EU_presidency.pdf
MOT (2015). Building Legal Provisions to Overcome Obstacles to Cross-border Cooperation. Luxembourgish Presidency of the EU Council. 9 th September 2015. Paris: Mission Opérationelle Transfrontalière. Retrieved from: http://www.espaces-transfrontaliers.org/fileadmin/user_upload/documents/Documents_MOT/Etudes_Publications_MOT/2015_09_Legal_provisions_Obstacles_to_CBC.pdf
Noferini, A., Berzi, M., Camonita, F., & Durà, A. (2020). Cross-border cooperation in the EU: Euroregions amid multilevel governance and re-territorialization. European Planning Studies, 28(1), 35-56. https://doi.org/10.1080/09654313.2019.1623973
Peyrony, J. (2020). Should EGTCs have competences, and not only tasks? Underlying visions of cross-border integration. In G., Ocskay (Ed.). 15 years of the EGTCs. Lessons learnt and future perspectives (pp. 219-244). Budapest: Central European Service for Cross-border Initiatives.
Princen, S., Geuijen, K., Candel, J., Folgerts, O., & Hooijer, R. (2016). Establishing cross-border cooperation between professional organizations: Police, fire brigades and emergency health services in Dutch border regions. European Urban and Regional Studies, 23(3), 497-512. https://doi.org/10.1177/0969776414522082
Rosanò, A. (2021). Perspectives of strengthened cooperation between cross-border regions: The European Commission's proposal of a regulation on the mechanism to resolve legal and administrative obstacles in the cross-border context. Maastricht Journal of European and Comparative Law, 28(4), 437-451. https://doi.org/10.1177/1023263X211010361
TFEU (2008). Consolidated Version of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. Official Journal of the European Union, C 115/47, 9.5.2008.
Van Lierop, C. (2019). Mechanism to resolve legal and administrative obstacles in a cross-border context. European Parliament Briefing: EU Legislation in Progress 2020-2027 MFF. Retrieved from https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_BRI(2018)625147
WG (2017). Report. July 2016 - July 2017. Working Group on Innovative Solutions to Cross Border obstacles. Retrieved from http://www.espaces-transfrontaliers.org/fileadmin/user_upload/REPORT_20170628_WG_on_Innovative_Solutions_to_Cross-Border_Obstacles.pdf
WG (2017). Background Report. July 2016 - July 2017. Working Group on Innovative Solutions to Cross Border obstacles. Retrieved from http://www.espaces-transfrontaliers.org/fileadmin/user_upload/documents/Documents_MOT/Documents_Techniques/BACKGROUND_REPORT_20170628_-_WG_on_Innovative_Solutions_to_Cross-Border_Obstacles.pdf