EGTC Overview and State of Play CIVEX Commission meeting Bolzano/Bozen , 8 July 2013

1. EGTC Overview and State of Play CIVEX Commission meeting Bolzano/Bozen, 8 July 2013 Alfonso Alcolea Committee of the Regions of the EU

2. What is the EGTC • Examples on the ground • The new Regulation • The EGTC Platform

3. EGTC - European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation

4. What is an EGTC? EGTC – European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation • At the beginning, an idea of the Committee of the Regions • Created by Regulation (EC) 1082/2006 • Public entities from different Member States can get together under an entity with Europeanlegal 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.

5. What for? Missions • 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.

6. 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

7. How to set up an EGTC Thebasicprocedure • Registered office  The seat determines the applicable Law • Convention and statutes • Authorisation by the Member States  The Regulation says 3 months • Publication •  National journal and OJEU • Notification to the CoR • Launching of the EGTC

8. Trends and developments

9. EGTC trends and developments • Figures • 37 EGTC set up, according to the Register of the CoR+1 pending registration • More than 650 LRA involved • A reality in 19 Member States • Impact on the life of 30 Mo Europeans

10. EGTC trends and developments • National implementation varies • Only one EGTC implements programmes: ‘Greater Region’ • The use of structural funds is not the main object of activity • Although ‘laboratory for multi-level governance’, most of the EGTC group entities of the same level • Main focus on cross-border cooperation • Main areas: Axis Benelux-FR-DE, around HU and Mediterranean • Precedent cooperation started in the 90s. • Need of awareness among LRA, public and EC services

11. Examples of EGTC • Grande Région • First EGTC to become management authority of a programme • Involves FR, DE, LU, NL, BE • www.interreg4a-gr.eu

12. Examples of EGTC • Amphictyony • Twinning 53 cities of the Mediterranean • More than 39 non-EU cities associated • www.amphictyony.gr

13. Examples of EGTC • Eurometropolis Lille-Kortrijk-Tournai • Conurbation between Belgium and France, 3 regions, 2 languages, 1.7 Mo inhabitants • www.eurometropolis.eu • Touristic site: www.visiteurometropolis.eu

14. Examples of EGTC • Galicia-Norte de Portugal • Big euroregion with more than 20 years • of co-operation History • Projects: • Working plan fostering competitivness and promoting employment. • Transport: Guide, study on interoperativity • Cooperation between technology centres and campuses • Many sectors: Sea, automotive, creative and cultural industries, tourism www.gnpaect.com

15. Examples of EGTC • Duero-Douro • Rural development: 187 municipalities with an average population of <500 inhabitants • Projects: • Econometric model for investments • Goat livestock to prevent forest fires and create jobs • Culture, education: project ‘Conociendonos’ • Project ‘tourism vital’ • Joint purchase centre: Public lighting for more than 100 municipalities www.duero-douro.com

16. Examples of EGTC • West Vlaanderen / Flandre - Dunkerque - Côte d’Opale • Integration of a highly urbanised border area • Projects: • Interreg IVA project 'Cross-border cooperation‘ • Project ‘Coast to coast’ and ‘Tourism without borders’ • Public transport and recreational mobility • Health cooperation • Training and employment • Cross-border GIS • Culture

17. Examples of EGTC • Cerdanya cross-border hospital • Service to 60,000 inhabitants in the Pyrenees • www.hcerdanya.eu

18. The CoR • has made • a choice The EGTC as “preferential instrument for cooperation”Own-initiative opinion Núñez Feijóo - 2011

19. Leadership of the CoR • CoR Opinions of Bresso (2008), Núñez Feijóo (2011), Delebarre (2012), and two consultations (2010 and 2012) • Remove bureaucratic obstacles • Harmonize national implementation • Use the EGTC beyond regional policy  Strategy Europe 2020, mainstream all EU policies • Awareness needed at all levels • Participation of non-EU countries

20. Influence on the new legislation • Ambitious proposal of the EC (Oct 2011) • Inter-institutional conference 29/03/2012  Fast-track the EGTC • The EP-REGI assumed the amendments proposed by the CoR on 11/07/2012 • Debate about the EGTC in the future cohesion policy  OPEN DAYS 2012 • Political agreement of the Council on 20/02/2013 • Inter-institutional trilogue  March-May 2013, CoR invited

21. New aspects of the Regulation • Approved tacitly after 6 months. • Main document to be approved will be the convention. • Clarification on the legal situation of the staff of the EGTC • CoR wanted to create groupings in the fields of health, education and vocational training (even if entities are private) • 3rd countries will be able to get involved in EGTCs, including neighbors of outermost regions and territories • The CoR will maintain its role of register of the EGTCs

22. The EGTC Platform • The Platform groups all players in EGTC and cross-border • Coordinator: Mr Herwig Van Staa (AT/EPP) • Monitoring  Study ‘EGTC Monitoring Report’ • Assistance and support • Political input • Face-to-face communication: • Annual meeting  25/02/2013 • Open Days  8/10/2013 • Portal www.cor.europa.eu/egtc, social networks

23. Short and medium term issues • How will the Member States implement the new Regulation? • How will the new generation of EGTCs look like? • Governance of the EGTCs  Participation of the civil society • Participation in the Operational Programmes • EGTCs implementing new instruments  ITI, CLLD, JAP... • EGTCs and macro-regions • Mainstreaming the EGTC in other EU policies •  Events with DG Move and DG Enterprise •  Next event with DG Markt on 9 October • Visibility  EGTC award

24. … Last reminder “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 Schuman – 9 May 1950

25. Thank you Committee of the Regions Direction of horizontal policies and networks – Unit E.2 Alfonso Alcolea Martínez Administrator EGTC & territorial cooperation URL:www.cor.europa.eu/egtc E-mail: egtc@cor.europa.eu Twitter: @EGTCPlatform FB group:EGTC