Many people across the EU have been voicing the need to tackle missing transport connections. This proves that cross-border public transport projects can bring people together across borders. For example, small rail links across a border offer sustainable mobility for people in border regions, providing great value at limited cost. In 2018, DG Regional and Urban Policy published a study on missing rail links (in here).

The need for enhanced public transport in cross-border regions is patent. Thankfully, good practices do exist and show that it is possible to achieve effective cross border public transport.

DG REGIO in cooperation with DG MOVE is organizing a conference on Boosting Cross-Border Regions through better transport as a natural follow-up to the study on missing rail links. This conference aims to share the results of the study to a broad range of stakeholders.  It also aims to launch a public debate on the challenges of cross-border public transport services, not only in the railway sector. The outcome of the conference should lead to a strong multilevel engagement to ensure improved accessibility in cross-border regions. 

The conference will take place on 14 November 2019 in Brussels.

The deliberations will be on the following themes:

1. Missing cross-border rail links
2. Public transport services in cross-border regions
3. Other relevant elements - such as synergies between the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) missing links budget line and budgets from the Structural Funds
4. Case studies and stories of restoration of missing rail links and of cross-border public services will be demonstrated to give added input to the debate.

The conference will bring together two types of audiences that do not frequently meet. On the one hand, organisations associated with the provision of transport networks and transport services. On the other hand, organisations involved in cross-border cooperation.

This Interactive exchange will take place with three panels in the morning and three workshops in the afternoon:

Panels

• Socio economic importance of connecting cross-border regions
• Specific challenges for accessibility in cross-border regions
• Supporting instruments already on the table

Workshops

• Restoring missing rail links
• Joint provision of cross-border public transport
• Planning and Governance

Registration will open shortly.  More information will be published on this conference soon on the following platform: 

https://ec.europa.eu/futurium/en/border-regions

Specific queries may be addressed to the following functional mailbox: REGIO-EC-BORDER-FOCAL-POINT@ec.europa.eu