The conference "Practical Approaches Towards Effective European Transfrontier Cooperation" that was held in Maastricht (Netherlands) on 6th and 7th July 2009 was organised by the City of Maastricht, the Province of Limburg and the Associations of Netherlands Municipalities in cooperation with the Netherlands Ministries for the Interior and Foreign Affairs and the Council of Europe. The objective was to ascertain the factors that enhance or hinder cross-border cooperation throughout Europe.
The conclusions of the works have been published in the form of a Final Declaration. Its purpose is to contribute to the work of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe in the context of the drafting of the third Protocol of the Madrid Outline Convention on ‘Euro-regional Cooperation Groupings’*. Depending on the progress made on this preliminary text, the Council of Europe's Conference of European Ministers responsible for Local and Regional Government, whose 16th session will take place in the Netherlands (Utrecht) on the coming 16th and 17th November**, could be the occasion on which Member States sign and ratify this third protocol.
Proposals for cross-border cooperation
The participants of this conference - including the director-general of MOT, Dr. Hans-Günther Clev - underlined in this Final Declaration*** the integrating role of borders. Several recommendations were adopted and appeals launched to the Council of Europe, to European Ministers responsible for Local and Regional Government, EU Member States and the Congress of Local and Regional Government of the Council of Europe. Among the recommendations are:
- "Member States of the Council of Europe should see in transfrontier cooperation one of the major challenges to effective democratic governance in the 21st century. They should adopt or adjust their policy to the effect that:
. the legal framework for transfrontier cooperation is adjusted to meet the needs of local and regional authorities to cooperate with their neighbours across borders;
. transfrontier cooperation is recognised as one of the dimensions of multilevel governance in the domestic legal order;
. European Union Regulation 1082/2006 on EGTCs is implemented and the necessary domestic legislation adopted without delay in EU member states;
. "dedicated" agencies, such as the MOT in France, the Benelux Committee on transfrontier cooperation, are set up in order to advise, accompany and train local and regional authorities in the various stages of transfrontier cooperation and institution-building;
. favourable conditions are created for the civil society to become more actively engaged in transfrontier cooperation and to act as a partner providing feedback on local needs and possibilities".
- "Local and Regional Authorities […] should exchange transfrontier cooperation experience through exchange of best practices and staff entrusted with the management of transfrontier cooperation".
* This protocol aims at providing the legal provisions which shall govern the capacity and establishment of such groupings.
** www.coe.int
*** For further information and the text of the Final Declaration, please see: www.vngi-events.nl/fr/resultats.html
Source: Cross-border news, No. 52, September 2009
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