The EGTCs in the new Cohesion Policy INTERACT pilot activity on Cooperation in the Investments for Growth and Jobs goal of Cohesion Policy – art d) – Kick off meeting Milano, Italy 16 September 2014 Alfonso Alcolea Committee of the Regions of the EU

Intro: Europe without borders?

Former checkpoint dismantled between Frankfurt am Oder and Słubice © A. Alcolea, 2008 Europe without borders?

 Disparities European Commission 6th Cohesion Report Europe without borders?

Impact of the crisis (2010) Growth of GDP in real terms. Negative in regions in orange or in red 6th cohesion report. EC Europe without borders?

The European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation

EGTC – European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation  At the beginning, an idea of the Committee of the Regions  Created by Regulation (EC) 1082/2006 amended by Regulation (EU) 1302/2013  Public entities from different Member States can get together under an entity with European legal 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. The amended Regulation entered into force on 22 June 2014 What is an EGTC?

Decisions corresponding to the Member States  Define the EGTC as entity of public or private Law  Define the applicable Law  The seat determines the applicable Law  BUT the Convention can foresee exceptions: staff – procurement - audit - others  Authorize the convention and the statutes  The Convention has primacy over the national legislation  3 months; 6 months under new Regulation, but tacit approval  Authorize the EGTCs with non-EU countries  Register and publication at national level and at EU level  Decision and validation of the financial control  Recognition of the EGTCs based in other countries  Inclusion of the EGTC in the operational programmes What is an EGTC?

Figures  47 EGTC set up, according to the Register of the CoR  More than 650 LRA involved  A reality in 19 Member States  Impact on the life of 30 Mo Europeans EGTC trends and developments

 National implementation varies, but also national approaches  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 only regions or only municipalities  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 EGTC trends and developments

Grande Région  Only EGTC to be management authority of a programme  Involves FR, DE, LU, BE, seat at Metz (FR)  EGTC trends and development

Three joint statements The revised EGTC Regulation The final version of the EGTC regulation contains several statements agreed between the European Parliament, the Commission and the Council: I. The Institutions intend “to improve the visibility of the possibilities to use EGTCs as an optional instrument for territorial cooperation available in all EU policy areas”. II. The institutions engage themselves to undertake “actions of coordination and communication among national authorities and between authorities of different Member States in order to ensure clear, efficient and transparent procedures of authorization of new EGTCs”. III. The Member States will endeavour to apply the rules of the Regulation on law applicable to contractual obligations for the staff hired under private law and the principle of territoriality for staff hired under public law.

New elements – Operational  EGTCs can be:  managing authorities of programmes or of part of a programme  Beneficiaries of programmes  Intermediate authorities of Integrated Territorial Investments  Implementing bodies of Joint Action Plans and of CLLD  Managing authority or implementing body of a major project  Operational Programmes can contain provisions on cross-border cooperation, transnational and interregional actions (Art (d) CPR). The new Cohesion Policy

The EGTCs and Art 96.3(d) CPR  Coordination of the OPs  In national or regional OPs, the actions must be included in all the OPs concerned  Which level of concretion for the actions foreseen?  Different role for the EGTC as Managing Authorities or as beneficiaries  What about EGTCs as managing authorities part of a programme?  Are there major projects in the radar?  The EGTCs can be existing ones or to be created in the future The new Cohesion Policy

The challenge of implementation The view of the Committee of the Regions

 How will the revised EGTC Regulation be implemented?  What will the future EGTC conventions look like? Are the Member States ready to approve exceptions in the conventions?  How will the Rules of the staff of the EGTC be applied?  What is the involvement of EGTCs in the process of preparing the Operational Programmes?  Will the Operational Programmes foresee actions to be implemented by an EGTC according to Art (d) of CPR?  How will the EGTCs participate in JAP, ITI, CLLD and other instruments?  What will be the role of the EGTCs in the macroregions? The challenge of implementation Open questions

The challenge of implementation Question: Are the EGTCs interested in new instruments?  According to the respondents:  Joint Action Plan (JAP): 10 EGTCs  Community-Led Local Development (CLLD): 9 EGTCs  Integrated Territorial Investment (ITI): 15 EGTCs  Major projects: Not reported EGTC monitoring report 2013 Towards the New Cohesion Policy

EGTC monitoring report 2013 Towards the New Cohesion Policy The challenge of implementation Question: Are the EGTCs involved in the programming process ?  10 EGTCs have elaborated a position paper or key study that was presented to the Programming Group  5 EGTCs are represented in the Programming Group (risk of conflict of interests due to the later role of EGTC as beneficiaries)  4 EGTCs intend to take over a function in management and implementation of programmes (Grande Région, Euroregione Senza Confini, EUKN, possibly ESPON)

Participation in Operational Programmes The challenge of implementation  Border regions and EGTCs need to be consulted in the programming as part of a structured dialogue (cf. Art. 5 Code of Conduct)  The national authorities should consider the specific needs of border areas and the potential of the EGTCs for the ETC CoR-AEBR Seminar “The participation of citizens from border regions in the Operational Programmes – The Case of the EGTC”, Brussels, 19/11/2013:

Dialogue with National Authorities The challenge of implementation  Need for awareness  The aspects of cooperation are neglected in most of the 28 PAs and around 300 Ops  Need of participation and effective involvement of the EGTCs CoR-Greek Presidency Workshop on “Implementing the New Legislation on EGTC – Dialogue with National Authorities”, Brussels, 26/06/2013:

Other activities

 Platform of EGTC since 2011, grouping all players in EGTC and cross-border Monitoring Assistance and support Political input  European register of EGTC in the CoR  Face-to-face communication: Open Days  8/10/2014, the EGTCs and Interregional cooperation Thematic portal Social networks The EGTC Platform

The award ‘Building Europe across Borders’  Bi-annual EGTC award of the CoR Focus on implemented actions related to growth and jobs  2014 awardee: Euroregion Pyrenees Mediterranean Honourable mentions to ‘Gate to Europe’ and ‘Tyrol-South Tyrol-Trentino’

 Follow-up to Art d CPR  Communication instruments in preparation  Comic, and Video clipping, material needed!  Boost the European Cooperation Day  European Entrepreneurial Region award open to cross-border territories  Open Days Workshop of the EGTC Platform 8/10/2014, the EGTCs and Interregional cooperation Edition of a flyer about the activities related to the EGTCs in the Open Days  CoR opinion on the 6 th Cohesion Report  CoR study on Cohesion policy after 2020 The EGTC Platform Future cooperation with INTERACT

“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 … Last reminder

Thank you! Committee of the Regions Directorate E – Horizontal Policies and Networks Alfonso Alcolea Martínez Administrator EGTC & territorial cooperation FB group: EGTC LinkedIN: EGTC