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DIRECTORATE GENERALFOR INTERNAL POLICIESPOLICY DEPARTMENT B:STRUCTURAL AND COHESION POLICIESREGIONAL DEVELOPMENTEUROPEAN GROUPING OF TERRITORIALCOOPERATION AS AN INSTRUMENT FORPROMOTION AND IMPROVEMENT OFTERRITORIAL COOPERATIONIN EUROPESTUDY

This document was requested by the European Parliament's Committee on RegionalDevelopment.AUTHORSSabineZillmer,Christian Lüer, Maria Toptsidou,(Spatial Foresight)andMarcin Krzymuski(EGTC-Centre of Excellence, European University Viadrina)Erich Dallhammer, Max Kintisch, Bernd Schuh(ÖIR)Pietro Celotti, Alice Colin, Arta Preku, Nicola Brignani(t33)Bas Waterhout, Wil Zonneveld,Dominic Stead(Delft University of Technology)RESPONSIBLE ADMINISTRATORDiána HaaseMarek KołodziejskiPolicy Department Structural and Cohesion PoliciesEuropean ParliamentB-1047 BrusselsE-mail:poldep-cohesion@europarl.europa.euEDITORIAL ASSISTANCEKrisztina MányikLINGUISTIC VERSIONSOriginal: ENABOUT THE EDITORTo contact the Policy Department or to subscribe to its monthly newsletter please write to:poldep-cohesion@europarl.europa.euManuscript completed inJuly2015.Brussels, © European Parliament,2015.PrintISBN978-92-823-7587-7doi:10.2861/004951QA-01-15-467-EN-CPDFISBN978-92-823-7588-4doi:10.2861/317929QA-01-15-467-EN-NThis document is available on the Internetat:http://www.europarl.europa.eu/studiesDISCLAIMERThe opinions expressed in this document are the sole responsibility of the author and donotnecessarily represent the official position of the European Parliament.Reproduction and translation for non-commercial purposes are authorized, provided thesource is acknowledged and the publisher is given prior notice and sent a copy.

DIRECTORATEGENERAL FOR INTERNALPOLICIESPOLICY DEPARTMENT B:STRUCTURAL AND COHESION POLICIESREGIONAL DEVELOPMENTEUROPEAN GROUPING OF TERRITORIALCOOPERATION AS AN INSTRUMENT FORPROMOTION AND IMPROVEMENT OFTERRITORIAL COOPERATIONIN EUROPESTUDYAbstractThis study provides a critical analysis of EGTCs in light of their potential toimprove territorial cooperation in Europe. On the basis of a literature review andcase studies, the study offers insightsintoprevious achievements of EGTCs,obstacles of their foundation andfunctioningas well as ontheirfutureperspectives. Recommendationshave beenderived tocontribute to the opinion-forming process ofthe European Parliament about general lessons, futurepotentials and possibilitiesfor furtherimprovingthe instrument.IP/B/REGI/FWC/2010-002/Lot2/C1/SC2July2015PE563.384EN

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CONTENTSLIST OF ABBREVIATIONS7LIST OF TABLES9LIST OF FIGURES9EXECUTIVE SUMMARY111.INTRODUCTION131.1.Scope and objectives of the study131.2.Methodology132.THE NATURE OF EGTCS192.1.Anew legal instrument192.2.The EGTC legal instrument in EU Cohesion Policy212.3.EGTCs in practice243.GENERAL LESSONS FROM PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES313.1.Main motivations and factors facilitating the creation of EGTCs313.2.Typical challenges during the foundation of EGTCs343.3.Typical objectives and tasks of EGTCs383.4.Main achievements of EGTCs423.5.Role of EGTCs as a legal instrument beyond EU Cohesion Policy473.6.Different legal forms of EGTCs in light of their costs and benefits484.FUTURE ROLES FOR EGTCS IN EU COHESION POLICY534.1.Potential contributions to EU Cohesion Policy objectives 2014-2020534.2.EGTCs and the EU external cooperation655.CONCLUSIONS715.1.General findings725.2.Observable trends735.3.Potential future roles of EGTCs in Cohesion Policy745.4.Key success factors765.5.Recommendations for improving the EGTC instrument785.6.Final conclusions79REFERENCES81Legal Sources82Online Sources83Sources used for the analysis of the case studies84ANNEX91A.1Case study summaries91A.2Registered EGTCs as of 24 April 2015118

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European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation as an instrument for promotion and improvement of territorial cooperation in Europe

7 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONSCBCCETCCFCPRCLLDCODE24CoREAFRDEEIGEGTCEMFFERDFENIENPESIFESFETCEUEUKNHCIPAICTITI

Cross-borderCooperationCentral European Transport CorridorCohesion FundCommon Provisions RegulationCommunity-Led Local DevelopmentInterregional Alliance for the Rhine-Alpine Corridor EVTZCommittee of the RegionsEuropean Agricultural Fund for Rural DevelopmentEuropean Economic Interest GroupingEuropean Grouping of Territorial CooperationEuropean Maritime and Fisheries FundEuropean Regional Development FundEuropean Neighbourhood InstrumentEuropean Neighbourhood PolicyEuropean Structural and Investment FundsEuropean Social FundEuropean Territorial CooperationEuropean UnionEuropean Urban Knowledge NetworkHospital de laCerdanya/Hôpital de CerdagneInstrument for Pre-accession AssistanceInformation andCommunicationTechnologyIntegrated Territorial Investment

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IPLtd.MAMCMSMOTOCTOPPASMESPFTFEUTOUN

Investment PriorityLimited LiabilityManaging AuthorityMonitoring CommitteeMember StatesMissionOpérationnelle Transfrontalière(Cross-borderoperationalmission)Overseas Countries and TerritoriesOperational ProgrammePartnership AgreementSmall andMedium-sizedEnterprisesSmall Project FundTreaty on the Functioning of the European UnionThematic Objective(s)United Nations

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LIST OF TABLESTable 1Main characteristics of selected case studies17Table2Selected examples of specific objective formulations39Table3Selected examples of specific task formulations41Table4Level of application of EGTCobjectives aligned to the EU Cohesion Policy 2014-2020objectives55Table5EGTC objectives indirectly related to EU CohesionPolicy 2014-2020 objectives59TableA.1Cross-border EGTCs with cross-thematic focus118TableA.2Cross-border EGTCs with theme-specific focus121TableA.3Transnational and interregional EGTCs122LIST OF FIGURESFigure1Methodological overview of the study approach14Figure2Locations of selected case study EGTCs16Figure3Evolvement of total number of EGTCs by selected types of EGTC25Figure4Location and distribution of EGTCs in Europe, June 201527Figure5Grouped fields of activity of EGTCs according to CoR Commissions40Figure6Previous use and importance of EU funding in selected EGTCs45Figure7Expected thematic contributions of EGTC case studies to EU Cohesion Policyobjectives 2014-202057Figure8Expected utilisation of EU funding in 2014-2020 in relation to other EGTC financialresources60

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARYBy adopting Regulation (EC) No 1082/2006of 5 July 2006, a new instrument for territorialcooperation was established: the European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC). Anamendingregulation was adopted in 2013 and came into force in June 2014. Since 2006, upto 54EGTCs have been established (untilApril 2015). The EGTC instrument is used forvarious purposes and can thus be characterised as an instrument that can be flexibly appliedin different contexts as regards member constellations, thematic focuses, or different legalbackgrounds in the respective EU Member States. Compared to other instruments forterritorial cooperation, the EGTC legal instrument is arelatively newandnot yet maturedinstrument, and differentchallengesoccurin thefounding and runningofEGTCs.In order to contribute to the debate on how to improve the instrument in the future, theEuropean Parliament"s REGI Committeeseeksto gain insights intothe use of the EGTCinstrument.The study"s overall aim is to assess the role EGTCs play for EU Cohesion Policy in general andfor European Territorial Cooperation (ETC ) in particul ar. It furthermorepresents a clearpicture ofrecent involvement andthepotential for future involvementconcerningtheEuropean Neighbourhood Policy and outermost regions. As the amended regulation came intoforce less than one year ago, only the first achievements could be taken into consideration todevelop tentative conclusions for further developing the EGTC regulation.This regards forinstance the amendments for the participation of overseas countries and territories (OCT),the greater variety of potential tasks of an EGTC and the changed approval procedures.The studyis divided into five main chapters.The first two chapters build the basis for theanalysis in the remaining chapters:Chapter 1 describes the objectives, design andmethodology in more detail,andChapter 2describesthe EGTC legal instrument.With theadoption of the EU Cohesion Policy regulations 2014-2020, the legal embeddedness of theEGTC instrument in EU Cohesion Policy has been strengthened. EGTCs may contribute to theimplementation of EU Cohesion Policy for instance by implementing Joint Action Plans oracting as Managing Authority or as sole beneficiary of a programme.The analysis shows that the instrument is still little used for managing EU Cohesion Policyfunds. The majority of EGTCs aim to conduct cross-border cooperation projects and deal withseveral themes relevant for cross-border areas. Only recently has the EGTC instrumentbecome more prominent for facilitating theme-specific cross-border cooperation andtransnational and interregional forms of cooperation.The EGTCs furthermore varyconsiderably in terms of size, bothin terms ofthe number of members and the coveredterritory.The analysis of EGTCs in practice allowsfordrawing general lessons on their application anddevelopment as discussed inChapter 3. Practical experience shows how motivations differ forfounding an EGTC and which factors may facilitate or hamper the set-up of an EGTC.Thecreation of an integrated strategic approachfor regional development, stabilisation andcontinuity of cooperation, increasedvisibility of cooperation and the improvement of theparticipation in EU programmesare particularly important motivations. National legaldifferences and differentways ofimplementation of the EGTC regulation remain and mayeither delay or even impedethe foundationofEGTCs.

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The objectives and tasks found withinEGTCs are as varied as the motivations. They typicallyconduct joint projects, facilitate cross-border communication,promoteexchange and learningprocessesand develop thematic plans, strategies or visions. These tasks are performedparticularly often in the fields of spatial development, transport, tourism, environment andculture.Correspondingly, the main achievements of EGTCs also vary considerably. Some havealready made successful use of EU funds,mostly from Interreg programmes.However,theyhave also realised various benefits without necessarily using EU Cohesion Policy funds andstill contribute to this policy"s objectives. Nevertheless, not all EGTCs are similarly successful.Some EGTCs suffer, e.g. from limited resources, low institutional capacities ora lack ofpolitical commitment. Despite the theoretical option that EGTCs may be considered as privateentities, they are (nearly ) all pub lic entiti es. Liabil ity decisi ons are of ten influencedbynational rules of the seat country rather thanindependently decided by theEGTC members.Location decisions are mostly the result of assessments of selected criteria or are based onone player"s particularly strong role in the initiation process orlevel ofcommitment.Both the development of the EU Cohesion Policy programmes for the funding period 2014-2020 and the amendment of the EGTC regulationraisethe question of which role EGTCs mayplay in the future. This is discussed inChapter4of the study. The analyses point out thatthere is principally a strong alignment between the objectives of the EGTCs and EU CohesionPolicy objectives 2014-2020. Nevertheless, the number of Operational Programmes referringeither to EGTCs as single beneficiariesin general or to specific EGTCs in their programmearea is still rather low.In partthis may result from the small size of the EGTCin relationtothe programme areas.If EGTCs are mentioned they usually occur in ETC programmes, andseveral EGTCs were actually involved in the programming of ETC programmes relevant forthem. Although there is some interest among EGTCs to utilise the more integratedinstruments of Community-Led Local Development (CLLD ) or Integra ted TerritorialInvestment(ITI), theyrarelyseem to be available to EGTCs.The future role of EGTCs is also considered with respect to the territorial dimension of its use,i.e. in how far the EGTC instrument provides a new potential for neighbouring countries andoutermost regions. Despite some attempts to include regions from neighbouring countries asmembers in EGTCs, this has notyetmaterialised. Further attempts are under way. Similarly,the attempts have been even fewerin outermost regionswhereso far no EGTCexists;however, the foundation of one corresponding EGTC is currentlyin process.Lack ofknowledge and institutional capacity seems to hamper the useof the EGTC instrumentin theoutermost regions, whereas various reasons havepreventedthe inclusion of members fromneighbouring countries.The conclusions of the study are presented inChapter 5. They point out some generallessons andspecifytypical key success factors.Someof theelementsthat successful EGTCsbuild onare:well-coordinated cooperation structures,the abilitytoidentify and communicatethe specific added value of the EGTC instrument, havinga common understanding of how toachieve their long-term objectives and makingthe required resources available.Some moreforward-looking conclusions reveal the quantitativeand qualitative changes the EGTCinstrument is able to achieve.

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1.INTRODUCTIONThe European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC) was created with the adoption ofthe Regulation (EC) No 1082/2006. This Regulationwasrevised during 2011-2013,and theamended regulation came into force in June 2014. The EGTC is an instrument with legalpersonality which allows institutions under public law to cooperate across Member Statesborders and to act in one name.The European Parliament"s Committee onRegional Development (REG I Committee)commissioned an analytical study on "European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation as aninstrument for promotion and improvement of territorial cooperation in Europe" within thecorresponding framework contract led bytheÖIR (Austrian Institute of Regional Studies).1.1.Scope and objectives of the studyThe REGI Committee wishes to gain knowledge on the potential of theEGTCinstrument forpromoting and improving territorial cooperation in Europe.Theknowledgeshall enable theREGI Committee to contribute to discussions on further developments of the EGTCinstrument, e.g. with regard to the ambitionsof theincomingLuxembourg Presidencyforfurther developingthe legal basis for cross-border cooperationand in preparationof the post-2020 regulations.In general,the study aimstoassess the role of EGTCs in Cohesion Policy and in EuropeanTerritorial Cooperation(ETC)in particular. This encompasses both participation asabeneficiary and the management or preparation ofOperational Programmes(OP). Within thisoverall scope,the potential role of EGTCs in neighbourhood policy and outermost regionsisalsoassessed,since these were objects of substantial interestprior tothe regulation"samendmentin2013. By taking into account the amended EGTC regulation,the studyassessesthe achievements of EGTCsto dateas well as developing future-orientedconclusions.In order to provide insights into these rather different perspectives of the implementation ofEGTCs,the report is divided into the three mainchapters2,3and4,which arefollowed bythe final conclusionsinChapter5. Chapter2introduces the instrument legally and in termsof practical applications. Chapter3is dedicated to the main lessons that can be drawn withregard to EGTC set ups, their objectives,tasks, challenges and achievements. The findingswith respect to future contributions of EGTCs to Cohesion Policy and the potential role ofEGTCs in and for outermost regions and in the context of neighbourhood policy are reflectedinChapter4. The conclusions that may be drawn on this instrument"s overall potentialtopromote and improve territorial cooperation in Europe aregivenin the final chapter. TheAnnex contains further in-depth informationincluding in particular summarieson EGTCs thatwere analysed in more detailandthelatestlist of EGTCs that have been established since theintroduction of the instrument in 2006.1.2.MethodologyThe study focuseson two principal themes that build onitsoverall aim as mentioned in theintroduction, i.e. (1) general lessons from past experiences of EGTCs and (2) perspectives onfuture potentials and roles of EGTCs in EU Cohesion Policy.Three types of methodologywereused for achieving the study"s objectives, namely deskresearch, interviews and case studies. The following figure indicates the links and sources of

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the analysesandillustrates which methods were used for which analytical step.The results ofthe three types of methodologywere integratedinto the overall analyses across case studies,summaries andthefinal report. The grey box around the elements of the general analysisindicates that this representedthe main part of the overall study. Examplesand illustrationsdraw on more than the case studiesfor which in-depth information was collected andanalysed. Case studies andadditionalinformation from other single EGTCs illustrate practicalapplications and findings,i.e. they make the abstract EGTC instrument more concrete. Casestudies orinformation from other individual EGTCswas alsoused to fill in information gaps atthegeneral level. Furthermore, interviews with representativesfrom EGTCs, ManagingAuthorities (MA ) or other relevant institutions involved in the set-up or running ofEGTCsprovidedin-depth information.Summaries ofin-depthcase study reportsareprovidedintheAnnex.Figure1:Methodological overview of the study approach

Source:Author.1.2.1.Conceptual overviewThe conceptual overview was thebackbone of the study. It included an overall in-depthliterature review to produce a descriptive overview on the evolution of the EGTC instrumentand its use in practice. It covered academic literature, the EGTC regulation and otherrelevant policy documents. Furthermore, based on official EGTC-related documents andreports,an overview of existing EGTCs was produced to develop a basis for the case studyselection.Telephoneinterviews were conducted and additional information was requested fromrepresentatives ofvarious institutions involved in setting-up and further developing the EGTCinstrument and EGTCs. This also included interviews with representatives who could informabout the use of EGTCs in the context of neighbourhood countries and in outermost regions.

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1.2.2.Case studiesTen case studies were conducted to obtain in-depth insights on the application of the EGTCinstrument.Although thefindings and conclusionsof thisstudy are generally based on morethan the ten case studies,forsome aspects,such as EU Cohesion Policy contributions in thepast and expected for the future,themain achievements and rationales for the chosen legalforms could only be analysed in the context of in-depth case studies rather than for allEGTCs. In order to obtain an overview of possibly different motivations and objectives,challenges, successes and the future role in Cohesion Policy, different"types"of EGTC wereidentified from the overall sample of 50 EGTCs that wereestablished at the end of 2014(Committee of theRegions, 2015), when the study started.1The EGTCs were distinguishedaccording to characteristics relevant for the study"s objectives in as far as they wereaccessible by literature reviewandwere differentiatedaccording to the followingcriticalaspects and characteristics:(1)territorial coverage (cross-border, transnational, interregional),(2)use of EU Cohesion Policy Fundsin the past,(3)role in EU-financed Territorial Cooperation,(4)theme specific vs. cross-thematic objectives and actions,(5)involvedMember States and national seat incl. geographical location,(6)types of members according tothe EGTC regulation,(7)legal frameworkwith regard to liability and application of public or private law.A review of all EGTCs regarding these characteristics was madein ordertoselect a sample ofEGTCs that covered allpotentiallyrelevant types.Thefollowingmap indicates the territoriescovered by the selected case study EGTCs, and thetable provides acorrespondingoverviewof thesecase studies with respect tothe above-mentioned characteristics.

1According to the latest list of the Committee of the Regions (CoR) list of registered EGTCs, currently 53 EGTCs areregistered (as of March 24, 2015). At least one further EGTC was foundedafterwards, on 24 April 2015. For anoverview of EGTCs see Annex A.2.

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Figure2:Locations of selected case study EGTCs

Source:Spatial Foresight 2015.

Specific members not displayed in the EGTC territory:1: All EUKN membersare the respectively relevant nationalauthorities2: Italian Association of Small Islands (ANCIM), ARCESUniversity College (both IT), Local Development Agencyof Larnaca (CY)3: French Government4: Province of Oost-Vlaanderen, Intermunicipal partnershipfor the Waasland region in Flanders (Interwaas) (bothBE) and the Province of Zeeland (NL)5: Government of Catalonia (ES), French Government,French National Health Insurance and Languedoc-RoussillonRegional Health Agency (FR)

Locations of selected case study EGTCs

European Urban KnowledgeNetwork (EUKNEGTC)LegendArchiMed EGTC2Central European Transport CorridorEGTC (CETC-EGTC)Euregio Tirolo-Alto Adige-TrentinoEGTCINTERREG"Programme GrandeRégion"EGTC3

Novohrad-Nógrád EGTCParc Européen/Parco Europeo AlpiMarittime-Mercantour EGTCEGTCLinieland van Waas en Hulst4EGTC Hospital de la Cerdanya5Via Carpatia EGTC

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Table1:Main characteristics of selected case studies2EGTC nameCurrentlyinvolvedMSFounda-tion yearRole inEUCohesionPolicyScopeCurrent no. &types of mem-bersLegalframeworkEuroparegionTirol-Südtirol-TrentinoIT/AT2011IVA ProjectCross-border/cross-thematic3-regional au-thoritiesUnlimited/publicLinielandvanWaas en HulstEGTCLtd.BE/NL2011IVA ProjectsCross-border/cross-thematic7-local& re-gional authoritiesLimited/publicNovohrad-Nógrád" EGTCLtd.HU/SK2011IIIA ProjectCross-border/cross-thematic2-local authori-tiesLimited/publicVia CarpatiaLtd.SK/HU2013ProgrammingProcessCross-border/cross-thematic2-regionalau-thoritiesLimited/publicGrande RégionEGTCFR/DE/LU/BE2010ManagingAuthorityCross-border/theme specific11-MemberStates,regional &local authorities &minority com-munitiesUnlimited/publicEGTC Parco Eu-ropeo/Parc Euro-péen Alpi Marit-time-Mercan-tourFR/IT2013IVA fundingbefore EGTCcreationCross-border/theme specific2-national &nature parksUnlimited/publicCentral EuropeanTransportCorri-dor EGTCLtd.SE/PL/HU2014noneTransnational/theme specific5-regional au-thoritiesLimited/(public) as-sociationEGTC ArchiMedIT/ES/CY/GR2011noneInterregional/cross-thematic10-regional &local authorities &NGOsUnlimited/publicEUKN-Euro-pean UrbanKnowledge Net-workLtd.BE/CY/CZ/FR/DE/HU/LU/NL/RO2012noneInterregional/theme specific9-MemberStatesLimited/publicHospital de laCerdanya/Hôpitalde CerdagneEGTCES/FR2010IVA ProjectCross-border/theme specific4-MemberState, regionalauthority, healthagency & insur-anceUnlimited/publicSource:Author.Specifically relevant documents were analysedfor all case studies. This included statutes andconventions, webpages and other EGTC specific literature orinformation. For all casestudies,phone interviews with EGTC representatives were conducted based on interview andreporting guidance. To ensurethatsufficient informationwas providedon critical aspects thatcould not be grasped atthegeneral level,the draft case study reports were reviewed beforefinalisation.

2For each of the case studies an unpublished case study report has been drafted. These reports contain preciseinformation on the used references. If not otherwise mentioned, any information on these case studies draws onthe references used for the specific case study. The bibliography lists the references per case study if they wereexclusively used for the case study work.

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1.2.3.Overall analysisThe overall analysiswasbased on both the conceptual overview and case study results.Cross-analysis was carried out with particular emphasis on a) highlightin g typica l EGTCcharacteristics and b) identifying the spectrum or variation of selected EGTC characteristicsthat were of particular interestinthe study.The conclusions provideadvice on how EGTCs may contribute to the successfulimplementation of EU Cohesion Policyand support ETC.Theyaim to contribute to futuredebates on the efficiency and effectiveness of EGTCs by outlininglessonsconcerning themotivations, objectives, challenges, achievements and legal set-ups of EGTCs.In addition tothe general lessons, some forward-looking conclusions are formulatedaspotential futurecontributions of EGTCs to EU Cohesion Policy and more generally on the inclusion of playersfrom non-EU countries and outermost regions. Finally, some recommendations for possiblefuture improvements of the EGTC instrument are considered.

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2.THE NATURE OFEGTCSKEY FINDINGS•The EGTC instrument is theonly legal instrument which offers the possibility toestablish legal entities across borders anywhere in the EUand even under inclu-sion ofneighbourhood countries.•Every EGTCstructureis individual. It depends on the EGTC location, territory,objectives and tasks,etc.•New EGTCs have been establishedsince 2008. In 2014 only a few new EGTCs werefounded, since several EGTCs waited for theamended EGTC regulation to come intoforce.•Thevariety of EGTCshas considerably increasedrecently as regards membershipstructures, objectives and tasks.•The EGTC instrument israrely used for its initial purpose-the management andimplementation ofETC programmes. It is morefrequently used for general territo-rial cooperation.The EGTC instrument was created to further supportEuropeanterritorial cooperation thatfacilitates cooperation activities without additional financial instruments.European territorialcooperation, also known as Interreg, has been an element of EU Cohesion Policy since 1990.It was established to solve problems that do not stop at borders and require common action.Thus, European territorial cooperation is about sharing knowledge and local assetsandhelpsto promote integration across borders and to improve the quality of life by finding bettersolutions through cooperation(Europea n Commission,2011a).ETCis built around threestrands of cooperation: cross-border,transnationaland interregional. In the programmingperiod 2014-2020, for the first time it has a separate regulation(Regulatio n (EU)No1299/2013)butis still supported by theEuropean Regional Development Fund (ERDF).Giventhis context, the EGTC instrument is a specific opportunity topromoteintegration (of publicauthorities)across borders.2.1.A new legal instrumentThe European Grouping for Territorial Cooperation legal instrument was created with theadoption of theRegulation(EC ) No1082/2006 on5 July 2006. During 2011-2013, thisregulationwasrevised in order to clarify and improve the establishment of EGTCs. Theamended Regulation(EU)No1302/2013was adopted in December 2013 and came into forceon 22 June 2014. The EGTC regulation aims to create an instrument thatallowsinstitutions under public law to cooperate across Member State borders and to actwith one name.This has been realised by providingEGTCs with an extensive legalcapacity including a legal personality(Art.1 par. 3,Regulation (EC) No 1082/2006). Theintroduction of this new Cohesion Policy instrument was based on the aimoffosteringharmonious development of the EU and at overcoming handicaps for territorial cooperation(Regulation (EC ) No1082/2006) . Therefore , th e lega l instrumen t aimsto facilitateandpromoteterritorial cooperation between the members of the respective EGTCandshouldstrengtheneconomic,social andterritorialcohesion of theEU(Regulation (EC ) No1082/2006;Art.1 par. 2,Regulation (EC) No 1082/2006 as amended)3.3To simplify the citation, in the following the amended EGTC Regulation is always cited as "Regulation (EC) No1082/2006 as amended" rather than "Regulation (EC ) No 1082/2 006 amen ded by Regulat ion (EU) No1302/2013".

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Based on this regulation, the use of an EGTC is optional, since no region is bound to join anEGTC if it does not have a specific scope for doing so. In other words, public authorities oftheMemberStates(MS)of theEUare free to choose the instrument with which they want tofacilitate their cooperation across borders. Unlike older, existing agreements on cross-bordercooperation that are bound to certain border regions,4anEGTC may be applied anywherein the EU.Before taking a closer look at the EGTC legal instrument it is necessary to clarify a number ofbasic definitions and concepts. Following the principal idea of the EGTC regulation and itsamendment in 2013,different types of EGTCs may bedifferentiated according to thefour following perspectives.(1)Financial differentiation.An EGTC may be founded for cooperation that is co-fi-nancedparticularlyby European Territorial Cooperation (Interreg) a s wel l a s forgeneral cooperation without financial contributionsfromthe EU.5(2)Territorial differentiation.The EGTC regulation includes all three types of territo-rial cooperation-cross-border, transnational and interregional. They may either besupported by the EU or be part of the general cooperation.(3)Institutional differentiation.Within the territorial cooperation supported by theEU,the EGTC regulation explicitly differentiates between EGTCsdealing with pro-grammes and projects. EU programmecooperation usually occurs across themesand has a medium and strategic orientation (e.g. management of programme, pro-ject approval,andfinancial management). In contrast, project cooperation is oftenmore theme specific and often also limited to implementing a plan or other under-taking.(4)Thematic focus.This goes along with different degrees of thematic specifications.The EGTC regulation is rather unspecific when it comes to the general cooperationreferring to"actions". In practice, however, generalcooperation occurs as cross-thematic cooperation (e.g . strategi c long-term cooperation on cross-border struc-tures) as well as theme-specific cooperation.Further differentiations may be applied to other characteristics such as the legal forms of theEGTC.The different types of EGTC are created by combining the differentcharacteristics of these perspectives.For example, an EGTC may be founded forstrategic long-term cooperation in the frame of different projects in a cross-border regionrelying on EU and non-EU funds.This cooperation may either consider territorial developmentof the members" territory as such or may focus on one theme only, such as the preservationof nature parks.EGTCs may also be established to manage funds for territorial cooperation.In this case an EGTC acts as Management Authority that covers the territory and themessubject to the Territorial Cooperation Programme under question.

4Examples of such agreements bound to the cooperation of specific border regionsare the Karlsruhe agreement(1997), Mainz agreement (1998), Isselburg-Anholt agreement (1991)andthe Benelux agreement (1986). Thefirst agreement in relation to cross-border cooperation isfrom1986. The Protocol of 1998 made cooperationsimilarto that of EGTCs possible and a new 2014 agreement is not yet in force. This shall extendthe previousagreement to border regions outside the external borders of the Benelux.5These types of cooperation (according to financing) may be named'EU supported territorial cooperation"and'general cooperation'.The latter also refers toterritorial cooperation in line with the EGTC regulation, therebydistinguishing this cooperation from private law and other forms of international cooperation.

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2.2.The EGTC legal instrument in EU Cohesion PolicyThe EGTC legal instrument was introduced simultaneously with the Structural Funds for the2007-2013 period. It was part of the Structural Funds regulation package adopted in July2006. The package included the General Regulation, the three regulations for ERDF, theEuropean Social Fund (ESF) and Cohesion Fund and the EGTC regulation. Reference to thenewly introduced EGTC instrument was solely made in the ERDF regulation (Regulation (EC)No 1080/2006).Art. 18, Regulation (EC) No 1080/2006-ERDF regulation 2007-2013European grouping of territorial cooperationMember States participating in an operational programme under the European territorialcooperation objective may make use of the European grouping ofterritorial cooperationunder Regulation (EC) No 1082/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5July 2006 on a European grouping of territorial cooperation (EGTC) with a view to makingthat grouping responsible for managing the operational programme by conferring on it theresponsibilities of the Managing Authority and of the joint technical secretariat. In thiscontext, each Member State shall continue to assume financial responsibility.Based on this article the Grande Région EGTC was founded to act asMAfor the cross-borderprogramme of the Greater Region funded under the European territorial cooperationobjective. This is the only EGTC founded for this purposeso far.With the EuropeanStructural and Investment Funds (ESIF ) 2014-2020 package theEuropean territorial cooperation objective was strengthened. For the first time, it is notregulated as part of the ERDF regulation, but is subject to a separate regulation.Legal linksbetweenthe EGTC regulation and EU Cohesion Policy regulations werestrengthened. References to the EGTC instrument can now be found in both the CommonProvisions Regulation (CPR)6and the ETC Regulation7.The CPR clarifies the rules under whichEGTCs may be represented in themonitoring committee (MC)of programmes establishedunder the European territorial objective.Art. 48 par. 1 (second subparagraph), CPRComposition of the monitoring committeeThe composition of the monitoring committee of a programme underthe Europeanterritorial goal shall be agreed by the Member States participating in the programme and bythird countries in the event that they have accepted the invitation to participate in thecooperation programme. The monitoring committee shall include relevant representatives ofthose Member States and third countries. The monitoring committee may includerepresentatives of the EGTC carrying out activities related to the programme within theprogramme area.So far, no corresponding MC compositionsare known. Many ETC programmes have,however, not yet been adopted for the 2014-2020 period. Thus, it remains to be seenwhether EGTCs may become representatives in MCs of ETC programmes. This may only becomprehensively analysed once all ETC programmes will be adopted and have finalised theirprovisions.6Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 laying downcommon provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund, the Cohesion Fund,the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and layingdown general provisions onthe European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund, the CohesionFund and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 1083/2006 (OJ L347, 20.12.2013, p. 320).7Regulation (EU) No 1299/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013on specificprovisions for the support from the European Regional Development Fund to theEuropean territorial cooperationgoal(OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p.259).

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The ETC regulation puts down the rules under which EGTCs may participate in ETCprogrammes for 2014-2020. In particular, the role of EGTCs as MA, which was previously laiddown in the General Regulation, is now clarified in the ETC regulation. Furthermore, in therecitals of the ETC regulation it is pointed out that MS should actively pursue to assign MAresponsibilities to EGTCs. In addition, the regulation now also clarifies specifics of EGTCs thatact asMA as regards the financial management and control of operational programmes.Relevant provisions in the ETC regulationRecital (32)-Member States should be encouraged to assign the functions of themanaging authority to an EGTC or to make such a grouping responsible for managing thepart of a cooperation programme that relates to the territory covered by that EGTC.Art. 22-European grouping of territorial cooperationMember States participating in a cooperation programme may make use of an EGTCfor thepurposes of making it responsible for managing that cooperation programme or partthereof, in particular by conferring on it the responsibilities of a managing authority.Art. 23-Functions of the managing authorityPar. 3-Where the managing authority is an EGTC, verifications under point (a) of Article125(4) of Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013 shall be carried out by or under the responsibilityof the managing authority at least for those Member States and third countries or territoriesfrom whichthere are members participating in the EGTC.Par. 4 (first subparagraph)-Where the managing authority does not carry out verificationsunder point (a) of Article 125(4) of Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013 throughout the wholeprogramme area, or where the verifications are not carried out by or under theresponsibility of the managing authority for those Member States and third countries orterritories from which there are members participating in the EGTC in accordance withparagraph 3, each Member State or,where it has accepted the invitation to participate inthe cooperation programme, each third country or territory shall designate the body orperson responsible for carrying out such verifications in relation to beneficiaries on itsterritory (the 'controller(s)").The interregional component of ETC that principally supports the exchange of experienceshall among others explicitly support the use of EGTCs.Relevant provisions in the ETC RegulationArt. 2-Components of the European territorialcooperation goalUnder the European territorial cooperation goal, the ERDF shall support the followingcomponents:(...)Par. 3: interregional cooperation to reinforce the effectiveness of cohesion policy bypromoting:(...)(c) exchange of experience concerning the identification, transfer and dissemination of goodpractices and innovative approaches in relation to the implementation of cooperationprogrammes and actions as well as to the use of EGTCs.Art. 7-Investment PrioritiesPar. 1 (c): under interregional cooperation: (...)(ii ): promot ing the excha nge of experie nce in or der to reinfo rce the effectiven ess ofterritorial cooperation programmes and actions as well as the use of EGTCs pursuant topoint (3)(c) of Article 2.

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The ETC regulation furthermore clarifies how EGTCs may be involved in specific instrumentsof European territorial cooperation, i.e. in case an EGTC is a beneficiary of a Joint Action Planor how to manage an ITI in a cooperation programme.Relevant provisions in the ETC regulationArt. 9-Joint Action PlanWhere a joint action plan referred to in Article 104(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013 iscarried out under the responsibility of an EGTC as beneficiary, staff of the joint secretariatof the cooperation programme and members of the assembly of the EGTC may becomemembers of the steering committee referred to in Article 108(1 ) of Regulat ion (EU) No1303/2013. The members of the assembly of the EGTC shall not form the majority withinthat steering committee.Art. 11-Integrated territorial investmentFor cooperation programmes, the intermediate body for carrying out the management andimplementation of an integrated territorial investment as referred to in Article 36(3 ) ofRegulation (EU) No 1303/2013shall be either a legal body established under the laws ofone of the participating countries provided that it is set up by public authorities or bodiesfrom at least two participating countries, or an EGTC.Finally, the ETC regulation also points out therole of EGTCs when it comes to the selection ofoperations.Art. 12 par. 3 (first subparagraph), ETC regulationSelection of OperationsNotwithstanding paragraph 2, an EGTC or other legal body established under the laws ofone of the participating countries may be the sole beneficiary of an operation provided thatit is set up by public authorities or bodies from at least two participating countries, in thecase of cross-border and transnational cooperation, and from at least three participatingcountries, in the case of interregional cooperation.The ESPON Programme 2014-2020 makes use of this rule. The ESPON EGTC does not act asMA, but as sole beneficiary of the ESPON Programme 2014-2020. It was founded with fourmembers only: Luxembourg and three Belgian regions. The programme area, however,covers all MS plus Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. All countries participatingin the ESPON Programme 2014-2020 have representatives in the MC.All these provisions specify how EGTCs may support the implementation of EU CohesionPolicy 2014-2020. In the recitals of the ETC regulation it is furthermore clarified that EGTCsshould be used for strengthening an integrated and inclusive approach for enhancing localdevelopment whenever appropriate.Recital (22), Regulation (EU) No 1299/2013-ETC regulationIn line with the Union strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, the EuropeanStructural and Investment Funds should provide a more integrated and inclusive approachto tackling localproblems. In order to strengthen such an approach, support from the ERDFin border regions should be coordinated with support from the EAFRD and the EMFF andshould, where appropriate, involve European groupings of territorial cooperation (EGTCs)set up under Regulation (EC) No 1082/2006 as amended of the European Parliament and ofthe Council (1) where local development is one of their objectives.These provisions are complemented by the provisions of the Common Strategic Framework.They encourage the use of EGTCs to create synergies with the European NeighbourhoodInstrument. This is furthermore considered in the Council Decision on the association ofoverseas countries and territories with the European Union ('Overseas Association Decision")(Art. 93 par. 1 (h), Council Decision 2013/755/EUof 25 November 2013), which points outthat EGTCs are eligible for regional financing, and in the guidance on the funding of joint

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projects between the European Development Fund and the ERDF (Europea n Commission,2014) . Th e us e o f th e EGT C instrumen t fo r cooperatio n wit h neighbourin g countrie s isdiscussed below in section 4.2.1.Annex I, Common Strategic Framework, section 4.9 par. 2,-CPRTo support deeper territorial integration, Member States shall seek tocapitalise onsynergies between territorial cooperation activities under cohesion policy and the EuropeanNeighbourhood Instruments, in particular with regard to cross border cooperation activities,taking account of the potential offered by EGTCs.Asindicated above, these provisions have not yet been fully applied since the OperationalProgrammes under the European territorial cooperation objective have been either adoptedonly recently (Spring 2015) or are still under preparation or adoption. Thus, the remaininganalysis of how EGTCs are to deliver EU Cohesion Policy under the new regulations"framework is future-oriented. This is discussed further in Chapter 4.2.3.EGTCs in practiceAfter the EGTC regulation was adopted in 2006and national provisions were resolved, thefirst EGTC establishment processes started and resulted in thefirst few EGTCcreationsin2008.Thereafter the foundation processes were intensified leading to the current number of54EGTCs(as of 24April2015).8Since the adoption of the amended regulationfewnew EGTCs have been registered,butmoreare in the process of establishmentand areexpected to be founded later in 2015.The large majority of existing EGTCs were created for cross-border cooperation. Onlyafew ofthese cross-border EGTCs cover large territories on either side of the border, and mostcoverrelatively small areas. Corresponding examples may be found,e.g. along the Slovakian-Hungarian border.The large majority of existing EGTCs can be considered as cross-sectorEGTCs that focus on more than one theme of regional development and buildon general cooperation.This is also mirrored by the fact that many EGTCs, at least in thepast, did not make use oftheresources available for European Territorial Cooperation co-financed by the ERDF.EGTCswith such a cross-thematic approach oftendeal with political development, strategydevelopment as well as specific actions-with or without financial support from ETC. Theyalso take new approaches of governance and tacklecohesion issues in a future-oriented way.Such approaches are characterised by political debate between stakeholders thatdid notmeetregularly in the past. Implicitly they aimto overcomepurely local interests and tocontribute to a broader regional development strategy(Committee of the Regions, 2011, p.8).Over the past eight years,such EGTCs have been established invarious border regionsacross the EU.The focus of mostEGTCsis relatively broad although there are a few exceptionswith a narrowerfocus.One exampleisthe Grande Région EGTC thatwasestablished asaManaging Authority for a cross-border programme andthe EGTCTATRYLtd.as an agency formanaging the cross-border SmallProjectFund (SPF).9Thus, these EGTCs were set up forconducting specific tasks.10The EGTCsSecrétariat duSommet de la Grande Région, Parco8This includes all EGTCs of the latest update of the EGTC list of the Committee of the Regions and one additionalEGTC founded on 24 April 2015.9Despite this originally intended role of the EGTC TATRY Ltd., it will not manage the SPF but may only act aspotential beneficiary (c.f. conventionof EGTC TATRY Ltd.).10Their actual role and perspectives in EU Cohesion Policy are discussed further below.

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Europeo/Parc Européen Alpi Marittime-Mercantour and Hospital de la Cerdanya are themost prominent examplesofEGTCs with a thematic focus. Theywerefounded for verydifferent reasons,but all aimtofoster territorial cooperation in their specific field, i.e. theorganisation and management of the regional summit, nature park managementand natureconservationand the set-up and running of a cross-border hospital.Figure3:Evolvement of total number of EGTCs by selected types of EGTC

Source:Author.In recent years,EGTCs have increasingly been established beyond cross-border cooperationin the context of transnational or interregional cooperation. However, they are still a minorityof EGTCs. So far,just one of these EGTCs is only constituted by MemberStates, i.e.theEuropean Urban Knowledge Network (EUKN ). Ot her theme-specific EGTCs with a largerterritorial coverage beyond cross-border cooperation focus on specific sectors, such astransport or ceramics. Regional and local authorities and national associationsconstitutethemembers of the EGTCs. The latest EGTC,theInterregional Alliance for the Rhine-AlpineCorridor EVTZ (CODE24)alsorepresentsthis type oftheme-specific EGTC in a transnationalcontext. It is one of the first EGTCs that wasfounded accordingto the amended EGTCregulation and has a considerable variety of members that include a harbour, an associationof chambers of commerce as well as regional and local authorities (Art. 7, Statutes CODE242015) . Thes e example s sho w tha t no t onlyhavethe variations in applying the EGTCinstrument increased over time, but also the extent to which different types of players, whichmay become members according tothe amended EGTC regulation (Art.3,Regulation (EC)No1082/2006as amended),has recently increased.Despite theincreasing territorial coverage of EGTCs in the EU,they areused to very differentextents in different partsof the EU.While the EGTC instrument is widely used alongHungarian, Slovakian, French, Spanish and Portuguese borders there arehardlyany or no EGTC memberships in most northern countries, Ireland, the UK and theBaltic countries.At least for Scandinavian countries,this may be the result of establishedcooperation structures, which are considered to be sufficient for facilitating territorialcooperation. In such cases, no added value is seen in setting up EGTCs(Dizdarevic, 2011, p.

Policy Department B: Structural andCohesion Policies 26

22ff.).In addition, as a resultof Nordic governance and administration structures,administrations in these countries could gain more influence from EGTCs.As this is notintendedandshouldbe avoided, EGTCs in these countries are not perceived to be anappropriate instrument for themes that represent considerable political challenges(Nordregio, 2011).In other border areas a low level of use of the EGTC instrument can belinked to the availability of other strong institutions in terms of organisational capacity and along history of cross-border cooperation.In these cases,an EGTC may only be established ifthe other instruments do not provide similar advantages as the EGTC legal instrument.Apart from the imbalanced territorial distribution of EGTCs, theaforementionedoutline oftypical EGTC tasks indicates thatthe instrument is very rarely used for some of theoriginally envisaged objectives and tasks, especiallyin terms ofthe managementand implementation of ETC programmes.In contrast,general territorial cooperationnot explicitly focusing on the use of European ETC funds isfoundrather frequently.The box belowthe maphighlights a few examples of EGTCs to illustrate the wide variety ofmembers and tasks of EGTCs as they currently exist.

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Figure4:Location and distribution of EGTCs in Europe,June2015

Source:Spatial Foresight 2015.

Specific members not displayed in theEGTCterritory:1: French National State, Region of Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Department du Nord (both FR), Belgian Federal State, Region and Community of Flanders, Province of WestFlanders, Region of Wallonia, the French Community of Belgium and the Hainaut Province (all BE)2: Italian Association of Small Islands (ANCIM), ARCES University College (both IT), Local Development Agency of Larnaca (CY)3: French Government4: French National State, Region of Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Department du Nord, Department of Pas-de-Calais, Urban Planning Agency Flanders-Dunkirk (AGUR) (all FR),Belgian Federal State, Flemish Parliament and the Flemish Government (all BE)5: Government of Catalonia (ES), French Government, French National Health Insurance and Languedoc-RoussillonRegional Health Agency (FR)6: Province of Oost-Vlaanderen, Intermunicipal partnership for the Waasland region in Flanders (Interwaas) (both BE) and the Province of Zeeland(NL)7: Agency for the Environment of Corsica (FR)8: Museum of the Argentona Cantir, Museum d'Esplugues de Llobregat, Association "Lo Cadub" de La Galera, Association of Ceramic Cities in Spain (all ES), Associationof Ceramic Cities in France (FR), Association of Ceramic Cities in Italy (IT), Association of Ceramic Cities in Cyprus(CY) and Association of Ceramic Cities in Romania (RO)9: All EUKN members are the respectively relevant national authorities10: University of Pécs (HU)11: RABC Vidin (BG) and Institute of Urban Environment and Human Capital of Panteion University (GR)12:Uniontrasporti (IT)13:Members of the ESPON EGTC are the Brussels Capital Region, the Flemish Region, the Walloon Region (all BE), and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, but the ESPONProgramme refers to the territory of the EU28 plus Switzerland,Liechtenstein, Iceland, and Norway.

The Territorial Dimension of EGTCs, June 2015LegendCross-border EGTCsTransnational EGTCsTransnational EGTCsArchiMed EGTC2Central European TransportCorridor EGTC (CETC-EGTC)12European Node for TerritorialEvidence (ESPON EGTC)13Interregional Alliance for theRhine-Alpine Corridor EGTCNetwork EGTCsAgrupación Europea de CooperaciónTerritorial Ciudades de la Céramica(AEuCC EGTC)8European Urban Knowledge Network(EUKN EGTC)9Network of European Cities forSustainable Development(EGTCEFXINI POLI)11EGTC Amphictyony of TwinnedCitiesand Areas of theMediterranean

Policy Department B: Structural andCohesion Policies 28

Variety of EGTC members,objectives and tasks11Based onabouttwo decades of institutionalised inter-communal cross-border cooperation,theEurométropole Lille-Kortrijk-Tournai(FR/BE)was the first established EGTC. With14 founding members representing the Member States, regional authorities and inter-communal authorities the EGTC covers the territory of altogether 147 municipalitiesintheFrench-Belgium border region. It is built ona strategy that aimsto promoteintegratedterritorial development in relation to socio-economic development, mobility and the livingenvironment. (www.eurometropolis.eu)TheEurodistrict Saar Moselle(FR/DE)was institutionalised in 2010 with eightmemberswho represent one German region and seven French municipalities. It aimstosupport thesustainable development of the border area in particular by developing cross-bordernetworks, conducting citizen relevant projects and representing the Eurodistrict"s interests.Corresponding projects arerealised in the fields of transport, research and innovation,health, education, bilingualism and tourism. (www.saarmoselle.org)TheNovohrad-Nógrád EGTCLtd.has twomembercities that are located in the area ofthe cross-border geopark with the same name. Itwasestablished around the idea ofinstitutionalizing pre-existing forms of cooperation between the two municipalitiesinHungary and Slovakiaand focuses on integrated geopark management, sustainabledevelopment and the stimulation of economic activities to reduce unemployment.(http://nnegtc.eu)TheEUKN EGTCLtd.is the institutionalised form of a previouslyinformallyorganisednetwork of currentlynineMember States. It is the sole EGTC that is an intergovernmentalnetwork of countries represented by their national ministries responsible for urban policywith the aim of supporting sustainable urban development by stimulating the Europeanexchange of urban knowledge and experiences. (www.eukn.eu)TheEGTC Interreg"ProgrammeGrande Région"was founded by eleven membersrepresenting national and regional authorities of the corresponding Interreg IVAprogramme. It isresponsible for the management and monitoring of the programme andexpenditure control.TheEGTCParc Marin International desBouchesde Bonifacio(IT/FR)wasconstitutedin 2013by two members-the environmental agency of Corsica and the neighbouringSardinian national park. It focuses on the maritime development of the strait of Bonifacioand the protected areasneighbouringit. (www.pmibb.com)TheEGTCHospital de la Cerdanyais so far the only EGTC established for providingservices of general interest. The EGTC was created in 2010 to allow the joint construction ofthe hospital and itsfurther management;in September 2014 it was opened to the public.This EGTC is a legal solution and binational governance tool for operating a cross-borderhospital providing health care toboth theSpanish and French population in a remote areaof thePyrenees. The EGTC members are the French government, the Catalonian region andthe corresponding healthandinsuranceagencies. (www.hcerdanya.eu)

11For a better overview, in those examples that draw on EGTCs not covered in the selected case studies, theabbreviations of the involved countries are provided in brackets. The first country always represents the seatcountry of these EGTCs. For the country involvement of the case study EGTCs see table 1.

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TheEGTC Secrétariat duSommet de la Grande Région(LU/DE/BE/FR)was founded in2013withthe sole aim toestablish a permanent office for coordinating the summit of theregion. This office ensures continuity of the summit"s working groups and betweenpresidencies of the summit,and is furthermore the main contact forplayers and citizensinterested in summit activities. Its members are the national and regional authorities thatare part of the Grande Région in general. (www.granderegion.net)One of the most recentlyfounded EGTCs is theEGTCCiudades de la CerámicaLtd.(ES/FR/IT/RO)which is composed of four national associationsthat represent municipalitieswith ancient ceramic traditions, covering97 ceramic-producingcitiesin Italy, France, Spainand Romania.Theaim of theEGTCis todevelop projects and services for the stakeholdersof the ceramic sector. (www.aeucc.eu)TheESPON EGTC(LU/BE) acts as sole beneficiary of the ESPON Programme 2014-2020.While only three Belgianregions and Luxembourg are the members of the EGTC, all otherMember States and countries participating in ESPON are members of theMC.(www.espon.eu)TheInterregional Alliance for the Rhine-Alpine Corridor EGTC(CODE24)(DE/NL)wasthe first EGTC founded under the rules of the amended EGTC regulation. It is based on atransnational Interreg IVB project andhasaimed from the very beginning at ensuring along-term cooperation beyond the limited project period by establishing an EGTC. It isconstituted byseveral different types of members relevant for transport corridordevelopmentand is the first EGTCresultingdirectly from a transnational cooperation project(Interreg B). (http://egtc-rhine-alpine.eu/)

Policy Department B: Structural andCohesion Policies 30

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3.GENERAL LESSONS FROMPRACTICAL EXPERIENCESKEY FINDINGS•While there is a widevariety of potential motivationsand benefits forfoundinganEGTC, in practice a few motivations seem to dominate the decision for establishingEGTCs. These include: (a) creating an integratedstrategic approach, (b) stabilisingcooperation structures andcontinuityof actions, (c ) improvingtransparency andvisibilityof cooperation and (d ) impro ved possibil ity toparticipate in EU pro-grammesasasingle beneficiary.•Despite several years of general experience with the EGTC instrument,administrativeprocedures still contribute to delaysresulting from national implementation rules,uncertainties or missing knowledge.•Despite the creation of theEU-wide legal instrumentEGTC,national legal systemsstill have a large influenceon the design of an EGTC, namely in all aspects that arenotcontrolled by the regulation.•Typical tasks of EGTCs are conducting joint projects, communication, facilitating ex-change and learning, developing and managing mutual infrastructure and developingthematic plans, strategies or visions. These tasks are conducted for different thematicfields, foremost in the areas ofspatial development, transport, tourism, environ-ment and culture. Few EGTCs focus on a single sector or field of activity.•Legal links between the EGTC regulation and EU Cohesion Policy regulationswere strengthenedwith the adoption of the ESIF regulations 2014-2020. The role ofEGTCs is now clarified in the Common Provisions Regulation and the ETC regulation.•Therelevance of EU Cohesion Policy for the EGTC is not related to the EGTC"ssize,neither in terms of members nor in terms of covered population or territory. In-stead, other factors such as the EGTC"s own resources oravailability of EU project callsare decisive for theuse ofEU Cohesion Policyresourcesbythe EGTC.•EGTCs contribute to economic, social and territorial cohesion also by usingresourcesother than EU Cohesion Policy funds. The provision ofservices of general interestdoes not yet play an important role for EGTCs.•Despite the theoretical option of EGTCsto beprivateentities,they are (nearly) allpub-lic entities.Liability decisionsare often influenced by national rulesof the seatcountry rather than the result of a decision of the EGTC members.•Location decisionsare mostly the result ofassessments of selectedcriteriaor arebased on one player"scommitmentorparticularly strong role in the initiation process.3.1.Main motivations and factors facilitatingthe creation ofEGTCsTheEGTC legalinstrument is widely used for consolidating and/or deepening generalcross-thematic cross-border cooperation. Mainly local and regional authorities make use of it;stakeholders from the national levelareinvolvedin onlyafew cases.EGTCs are, on the otherside,rarely used for consolidating and/or deepening general theme-specific cross-bordercooperation. Even though the potential for future foundations is considerable, only a fewEGTCs exist for providing specific public services or solving specific problems. This fact is alsounderlined by experiencesfrom general cross-border cooperation.General cross-bordercooperationis oftenbased on other legal instruments deriving from bilateral and

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multilateral agreements.In these cases,cooperative structures were and are establishedsuccessfully for the joint provision of local public services.This includesfire control, civilprotection, drinking water supply, waste water management, flood protection, promotion ofculture and tourism, management of protected areas and business parks,etc.Apart from cross-border cooperation, the EGTC legal instrumentisincreasinglyused for theestablishment and consolidation of general (non EU-funded) interregional cooperation.Thisapproach is based onmotivations linked to"thematic proximity", in contrast to cross-bordercooperation which is rather based on the principle of geographicalproximity. Despite(partially ) gr eat geographi cal distances,partners share the same interests ordeal withproblems thatcommonlyoccurin their areas.The ambition behind the foundation of an EGTC is often to establish a visible andpermanent stquotesdbs_dbs31.pdfusesText_37

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