Cross-border conurbations (more than 60 have been identified in Europe) form genuine living areas, laboratories for a European citizenship in the making. Extending onto two or even three countries, their cross-border situation exacerbates the complexity of the problems faced by “national” conurbations, but also increases their potential for innovation. Until now they have been virtually ignored as specific entities by European policies and national legislations, contractualization and financing even though they call for an innovative approach to go beyond national boundaries (political, linguistic, institutional, legal, and cultural).

Cross-border conurbations face various day-to-day problems resulting from the inconsistency of the systems in place on each side of the border. To overcome these problems, more or less formal solutions have been considered, but only the setting-up of a permanent political governance structure covering an identified space can enable the definition of a territory project within which the various competent levels of public authority can be made to cooperate.
The main challenge of cooperation for them is to give concrete answers to the needs of the inhabitants in fields such as spatial planning (joint planning instruments, public transport, facilities, public services…), economic issues (border worker movements, economies of scale, cross-border business parks, local taxation, etc) or political issues (establishment of governance structures, coordination of policies on either side of the border, legislation changes, etc).

How to articulate all relevant levels (local, regional, national and European), stakeholders (public/private, politicians/technicians) from both sides of the border in order to elaborate and implement common cross-border strategies and policies (from the identification of common problems to the development of common solutions) for the sustainable development of cross-border conurbations?The first aspect of governance analysed by the “EGTC” URBACT Project is the “Leadership” issues, that is to say the functioning of the inner circle of partners powering the governance system over the frontiers and the choice of the institutional framework most adapted to the scale, the objectives, the strategies and the work programme defined by each cross-border conurbation.
Depending on the agenda set by the local stakeholders, the most appropriate formal system can be chosen among a wide range of tools created progressively by States and EU institutions.

The second key aspect of governance that is analysed is the “Community issues”, the flexible and fluid ensemble of informal networks strengthening over time a sense of cross-border community and European “vivre ensemble”. Cross-border European governance requires the long-term building-up of a community through a renewed citizenship, a transformed sense of solidarity and a communicational agenda.

What motivates you to be part of the URBACT adventure?
Because of the disparities of all types that characterize cross-border territories, they have a greater need for multi-level governance, implying a continuous dialogue between the municipalities and their cross-border structures, programme managing authorities, regional, national and Community authorities. We are being representative of local authorities involved in cross-border cooperation, while being recognized and supported by the higher levels: regions, states, European institutions. We aim to be an interface between these levels, at the service of interoperability between local, national and European systems.Who would you like to benefit from the work achieved in your project?
By taking part in the “EGTC” URBACT project, we wish to bring our expertise in the field of governance of cross-border agglomerations at the favor of cross-border conurbations in Europe. We also aim  to improve our know-how and the sharing of experiences on this topic, and to highlight the needs of cross-border conurbations, which are not at the core of European and national preoccupations.