New forms of transborder and inter-territorial cooperation at the local and regional level, recommendations

Over the last two decades we have witnessed a major growth in transborder and inter-territorial cooperation by local authorities and regions in Europe, as a result of ongoing European integration. Such cooperation can take many different forms, depending on the concrete needs of the local and regional entities involved, on the one hand, and the room-of-manoeuvre and the respective competences of the local and regional actors, on the other hand. The workshop discussed this increased heterogeneity and the reasons for (different forms) of cooperation. In addition common factors for successful cooperation were identified. Attention was also paid to the organizational framework for transborder and inter-territorial cooperation and the initiatives taken by both the Council for Europe and the European Union to create common legal provisions in this field. In this workshop report, we will first highlight the main outcomes of the workshop delegates’ presentations and deliberations, focusing on: • different forms of cooperation; • the added value of cross-border cooperation; • factors that contribute to successful cross-border cooperation; • (common) legal frameworks for cross-border cooperation. Subsequently, recommendations will be presented.