When the European Commission formally proposed five years ago the idea of creating a legal way to facilitate territorial cooperation, reaction was mixed. Several member states felt that the means already at their disposal were sufficient. It is now three years since the Regulation 1082/2006 on European groupings of territorial cooperation (EGTC) was adopted and with several conferences during Open Days focusing on the theme of governance models in cross-border cooperation, it is time to assess the progress made.

POLITICAL MATURITY

European groupings of territorial cooperation (EGTCs) provide a legal framework for territorial cooperation (inter-regional, cross-border and transnational). Their purpose is to simplify the administration, collaboration and financial control of territorial cooperation in Europe. These may cover a range of activities or can focus on specific cooperation projects in any one or many different areas ranging from health to civil defence, or economic development and natural resources. Only the justice, police and foreign affairs sectors cannot be included in an EGTC.

One example is the Cerdanya hospital in the Pyrenees - the first cross-border hospital in Europe - scheduled to be opened in 2012. Situated in Puigcerdà in Spain, two kilometres from the French border, it will accept both Spanish and French patients, with the latter being given the same treatment they would receive in a French hospital. For Gianluca Spinaci, administrator in the Committee of the Regions’ Forward Studies Unit (from whence the idea originated), the real added value of territorial cooperation is the possibility for sharing it offers. “By creating an EGTC, we create common ground. Problems, solutions and resources are shared and we acquire a permanent governance structure, recognised by EU law. An EGTC is the result of political maturity between partners whereby their cooperative projects gain legal and operational stability beyond even the programming period of Community policies and the Structural Funds.”

SLOW START

To date, eight EGTCs have been officially created, with another 20 or so in preparation. And yet, the European groupings of territorial cooperation took a while to take off. Initially, there was reluctance by several member states, which were forced to accept the EU regulation in order to reach agreement on a global package on the 2007-2013 Structural Funds. By mid-2008, only 15 fully complied both legislatively and administratively. Now, there are 18 (20 if countries with federal structures that have partially adopted the legislation are counted), although the regulation should have been fully implemented by 1 August 2007. However, the results of consultations by the European Commission on future Cohesion Policy and the green paper on territorial cohesion show that the perception of EGTCs is changing. Those questioned expressed a preference for strengthening existing cooperation measures, including EGTCs, rather than creating new instruments. But EGTCs are medium and long-term projects and results in terms of actual achievements on the ground and political recognition at European level are not immediately obvious.

Spinaci believes that it is still too early to reach any conclusions. “We need to look at the mid-term progress report and note that progress has been slow, but continuous. We can already welcome the fact that concrete projects are lining up within the newly created EGTCs. In addition, the possible revision of the regulation in two years’ time will allow us to reflect on potential improvements that could be made,” he says. This could concern the entry conditions into an EGTC for third countries, which require that at least two member states must make up the European groupings of territorial cooperation. There is no doubt that lessons can be learned from existing EGTCs, such as the Lille-Kortrijk-Tournai Eurometropolis, the first to be established in January 2008.

European groupings of territorial cooperation (EGTCs) provide a legal framework for territorial cooperation (inter-regional, cross-border and transnational)

Current status

On 25 August 2009, the Pyrenees-Mediteranean Euroregion joined the list of official EGTCs, i.e. those that are acknowledged as legal entities. It has been added to the following EGTCs:

- Lille-Kortrijk-Tournai Eurometropolis FR, BE

-Galicia-Norte Portugal (GNP) ES, PT

-Ister-Granum EGCT Limited HU, SK

-Amphictoyony CY, FR, EL, IT

-Karst-Bodva EGTC Limited HU, SK

-Duero-Douro ES, PT

-West Vlanderen/Flandre-Dunquerque-Côte d’Opale BE, FR

Many other EGTC projects are in the process of being formalised including, among others, the Cerdanya hospital or the Euroregion Alps-Mediterranean EGTC between France and Italy expected to assist with the application of the main European, national and regional policies.

Three questions to Philippe Mestre

Philippe Mestre is the director of the latest Pyrenees-Mediterranean EGTC. Officially created in August 2009, it links four regions (Catalonia, Midi Pyrenees, Balearic Islands and Languedoc-Roussillon) in two different countries (France and Spain).

What is the added value of the Pyrenees-Mediterranean EGTC?

Our four regions have a lot in common, such as a common culture and a common cultural heritage. We just needed a small ‘institution’ to structure our cooperation and have an impact at European level. [...] The Pyrenees-Mediterranean EGTC eliminates administrative disparities and operational restrictions in the different regions. From a very heavy and complicated structure, we now have something that is immediately operational and reactive. That’s the reason for belonging to an EGTC.

What obstacles do you face?

There is clearly political willingness to work together. The problems we are encountering are more daily administrative operational issues, such as the right to work, public accountability or defining what an EGTC is under French law. Although it is a structure with a European vocation whose operation is regulated at European level, daily administration and stewardship fall under national legislation and are subject to the laws of the country in which the head office is based. We are, therefore, confronted with a number of national obstacles. At the same time we are facing a few teething problems. We will have to find solutions.

How do you see the future of this EGTC?

In my opinion, the EGTC is a tool for the future because it really allows us to move towards territorial cohesion and to achieve concrete results. Now, we need to learn to work together with Europe. Either way, if the regulation is revised, we will have to work to establish greater harmonisation in the ways we operate.