One of the aims of the b-solutions’ initiative is to draw the attention to innovative proposals that can inform further development and implementation of future approaches by national and regional authorities and/or via EU instruments.

Among them, particular attention is given to the so-called European Cross-Border Mechanism (ECBM), a legal tool to enhance cooperation along the internal borders of the European Union, which has been proposed by the European Commission in 2018 (COM/2018/373 final - 2018/0198).

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This concept is the result of the work undertaken by the Luxembourg Presidency of the Council in 2015, which led to the establishment of an informal working group where several member states explored options to manage persisting border obstacles when implementing cross-border projects.

Border and cross-border regions and institutions have already asked for such an instrument for quite some time, and so it was identified during the Cross-Border Review and related consultations implemented by the European Commission’s DG Regio between 2015-2017. The Commission’s Communication Boosting Growth and Development in EU Border Regions included this among its ten-points action plan.

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In their final reports, the experts who advise the cases selected under b-solutions are asked to pre-assess whether the European Cross-Border Mechanism (ECBM) could serve as a tool to overcome the obstacle identified, in case it is finally adopted.

The benefits of its potential applicability have been already outlined several times in the course of the past b-solutions’ calls for proposals, stressing the fact that its implementation would significantly ease cooperation processes along various borders.

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In light of this, b-solutions is the perfect tool to keep testing its potential applicability and to support its adoption in favour of a strengthened and more efficient European cross-border cooperation.

 

Below you can find some useful links to learn more about the ECBM and the legislative process that the European Commission’s proposed regulation is currently undergoing: 

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• Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on a mechanism to resolve legal and administrative obstacles in a cross-border context (COM/2018/373 final - 2018/0198 (COD);

• Legislative schedule of the proposed regulation; 

• European Parliament’s opinions; 

• CoR’s opinion; 

• European Commission’s video explanation; 

• Informal working group on the ECBM; 

• Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament "Boosting growth and cohesion in EU border regions" {SWD(2017) 307 final}; 

• Cross-Border Review.