Annual meeting of the European network on cross-border observation

The BBSR (Federal Institute for Building, Urban and Urban Development Research of the German Ministry of the Interior) and Statistics Flanders organised the annual meeting of the European Network for Cross-Border Monitoring in Brussels on January 30th and 31st, 2025, in which the MOT took part.

What is the European Network for Cross-Border Monitoring?

In 2018, the national and regional representatives in charge of territorial observation in Germany and its border countries signed a memorandum in which they undertook to work together on access to cross-border data. Since then, the members of the network have met regularly to discuss their activities, work actively on defining and harmonising cross-border data and indicators, and contribute to disseminating their results at national and European levels. The aim of the network is to improve territorial monitoring in cross-border areas, facilitate access to data and encourage the development of specific cross-border statistics.
More info: https://www.bbsr.bund.de/BBSR/EN/research/specialist-articles/spatial-development/network-crossborderdata/main.html9

At the event on January 30th and 31st, a number of observation resource sites were presented:

• OECD local data portal: https://localdataportal.oecd.org/ 
• Data Hub for EU border regions: https://urban.jrc.ec.europa.eu/across?lng=en 
• ESPON data and knowledge portal: https://gis-portal.espon.eu/arcgis/apps/sites/
• BBSR dashboard on commuters arriving in Germany from neighbouring countries: https://www.bbsr.bund.de/BBSR/DE/forschung/dashboards/_node.html 
• INSEE – distances travelled by border workers living in France: https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/8292201
• Nordic cross-border statistics: https://www.norden.org/en/publication/nordic-cross-border-statistics 
• GIS-GR (Greater Region): https://www.sig-gr.eu/fr.html
• IBA-OIE (Greater Region): https://www.iba-oie.eu/  
• GeoRhena (Upper Rhine GIS): https://www.georhena.eu/de/

^{Photo: BBSR}