Hugo Poelman DG REGIO-GIS hugo.poelman@cec.eu.int GIS as a policy support tool: The case of crossborder cooperation 2007-2013 Hugo Poelman DG REGIO-GIS hugo.poelman@cec.eu.int

Structural Funds interventions 2007-2013 17/03/2006 Context Structural Funds interventions 2007-2013 “Mainstreaming” of INTERREG III Cooperation Objective crossborder cooperation transnational cooperation

Analysis of border regions 17/03/2006 Analysis of border regions Study and analysis underpinning policy conception Contribution to characterisation of borders Inspired by ESPON methodology Data regional socio-economic data border length transport network data contiguity of regions

17/03/2006 Border disparities Disparities between (groups of) regions at both sides of a specific border aggregating regional values at both sides of the border separately quotient of both aggregated values GDP/head and unemployment rate (NUTS-3 level data whenever available) mapped as characteristic of border lines

17/03/2006 Border disparities

Border characteristics 17/03/2006 Border characteristics “Permeability” of borders in terms of availability of crossborder transport links (roads, motorways, railways) border length / number of crossing points problem of non-compatible layers: networks versus boundary data detecting “nationality” of the nearest nodes of each crossborder road

17/03/2006 Border crossings

17/03/2006 Border crossings

17/03/2006 Border crossings

Crossborder cooperation 17/03/2006 Crossborder cooperation (draft) list of NUTS-3 regions for crossborder cooperation 2007-2013 terrestrial border regions continuity of cooperation (INTERREG IIIA) maritime border areas coastal regions max. 150 km away from opposite shore need for identification of maritime « neighbours »

Maritime border regions 17/03/2006 Maritime border regions identify coastline for each NUTS-3 region create 75 km buffer for each NUTS-3 coast

Maritime border regions 17/03/2006 Maritime border regions check that maximum distances between coastal regions are maritime ones

Maritime border regions 17/03/2006 Maritime border regions control for regions along estuaries and along the same coast

analysis of border disparities and border crossings 17/03/2006 Conclusions analysis of border disparities and border crossings helpful tool dependent on quality and availability of (regional) data selection of (maritime) border regions spatial analysis produced useful draft list additional control had to be performed, to take into account specific cases