Seventh ‘Beyond Borders: Breakfast Debate’ on Border Cities: Champions of Development and Integration in Cross Border Regions

The seventh ‘Beyond Borders: Breakfast Debate,’ organised by the Border Focal Point Network, was held on March 10th, and focused on the key role border and twin cities play in promoting the territorial development of border regions. Border cities are uniquely placed to drive, and act as living laboratories of EU integration. They are characterised by all the challenges, opportunities, and benefits typical to border regions and studying them, therefore, has the potential to reveal wider integration patterns. Practical and first-hand experiences were provided by citizens of cross-border areas, while a more theoretical perspective on policy developments was given in the interventions from professors who contributed to the 2021 book “Border Cities and Territorial Development” edited by Professor Eduardo Medeiros.

The event was opened by Mrs Nathalie Verschelde, deputy Head of Unit at DG REGIO, who introduced the concept and the strategic value of twin cities and cross border areas, which act as the frontline of European cooperation. In fact, integration is much more tangible in these areas because citizens cross borders on a daily basis whether for work, family, or leisure. Citizens in these areas experience the so-called ‘Four Freedoms’ more directly. Unconstrained by physical boundaries they can also benefit from engaging with their neighbouring city’s social and economic frameworks, which may be drastically different from their own: they have the opportunity to take full advantage of the places they live, not simply one half of it. In these areas, the restrictions imposed due to COVID-19 that resulted in the closing of borders and prevented freedom of movement deeply shook the status quo of these cities, prohibiting these citizens from their normal ways of life even more so than most European citizens.

The advantages that stem from living in a cross-border city are numerous, but they are also characterised by persisting difficulties, such as the lack of integration of public transport and lack of harmonisation of regulations in many policy areas such as education. DG REGIO works to support twin cities and other cross border areas via two approaches:

• Financially: Through Interreg programmes, which are an essential source of funding and have been encouraged to invest in these areas;
• Policy: Through initiatives such as the Breakfast Debates and B-Solutions, which are used to increase awareness of border challenges and to support the removal of border obstacles between regions, and the Border Focal Point network which facilities the sharing of expertise and good practices.

As usual the event also provided the opportunity for participants to express their opinions on the topic in discussion. The first poll results showed that none of the respondents thought that living in a cross-border city is only a source of problems. This was a particularly encouraging result for the organisers as it shows that citizens share their enthusiasm for the advantages and benefits of living in these areas and the importance of optimising these benefits through cooperation. There was an almost an equal response to the other options, highlighting that living in a cross-border city enhances the mutual trust among neighbours, increases the access to more advantageous opportunities (such as cheaper markets), fosters European identity because daily life is not limited to national borders, and makes people more open minded to different cultures.

EVIDENCE FROM THE TERRITORIES

The first intervention was made by Ms Hanna-Leena Ainonen, a cross border development specialist in Tornio-Haparanda in Sweden. Tornio-Haparanda is a twin city with 30,000 inhabitants, and it represents the meeting point of three cultures and languages: Finnish, Swedish and the language and culture specific to the area. The twin city environment provides residents with the opportunity to build their lives around these different cultures and countries. Finland and Sweden are physically connected by a bridge but there are two time zones and currencies, which hamper cross-border mobility and add complications to the citizens lives. However, the two countries are collaborating to enhance tourism across the regions and to develop a common transport system. Successful collaboration often results in higher quality and less expensive services for the residents, such as nurseries and schools. Citizens are often involved in cooperation projects. In such an integrated cross-border region, the borders imposed by the COVID-19 crisis had a significant impact on residents’ lives.

The second intervention was delivered by Ms Olga Afonso, a Mathematics teacher living in Vilar Formoso, a village of about 2,000 inhabitants located in Portugal at the border with Spain. Although the cross-border region is significantly integrated from an economical and cultural perspective there are still some considerable challenges, such as the lack of a common health service. Much like the Tornio-Haparanda case, the Spanish and Portuguese administrations of the Vilar Formoso area are cooperating to create an integrated tourist network and education system. The border, however, still often presents an obstacle to finding common solutions to regional issues, a reality that was worsened with the restrictions imposed to prevent the spread of COVID-19, which disrupted the normal habits of the citizens.

The second poll asked about the main challenges faced by cross-border cities. The visual above shows that incompatible national legal frameworks are perceived as the main major obstacle, followed closely by lack of coordination of public administrations and uncoordinated physical infrastructure. Differences such as cultural and social elements were perceived as a barrier, but to a minor degree. While lack of trust amongst cross-border cities was not really considered an issue.

PANEL DISCUSSION

The Panel discussion opened with the intervention by Mr Eduardo Medeiros, Geography Professor and Researcher at the Lisbon University, who outlined the concept of border regions and cities. He argued that a border city should not be defined in terms of physical distance from the border but rather by functionalities and interdependencies: cities can play a crucial role as hubs of innovation, research, and financial and administrative capacities across borders. He discussed Eurocities, which is a network of cities that aims to enhance integration between communities belonging to different countries, by promoting common planning based on joint challenges and development potential. At the Spanish- Portuguese border, for instance, there are 7 Eurocities. The fragility that was revealed during COVID times demonstrated that there is still much progress to be made to effectively address cross-border cooperation.

The floor went then to Mr Christophe Sohn, researcher at the Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research, who focused on joint spatial planning in border regions. He stated that border issues have a symbolic as well as a tangible nature that needs to be taken into account when planning joint solutions. He then outlined the argument he made in his chapter in the book “Border Cities and Territorial Development” focusing on the three most effective ways to mobilise border regions and develop a common sense of belonging among communities:

1. Showcasing the border, taking symbolic actions to celebrate EU integration (monuments, cultural events etc…)
2. Valorising the borders as a space of integration, by developing infrastructures (bridges or cross-border agglomeration, for instance).
3. ‘Invisibilisation’ of the border: making the border seem obsolete through the public discourse. This approach was seriously undermined with the outbreak of the pandemic and through the migrant crisis in 2015, both of which led to the reality of borders being reinforced.

Mr Bernard Reitel, Professor of Political and Urban Geography at the Artois University, who contributed to the book as well then emphasised the importance of urban planning for the development of cross-border cities. He discussed the importance of developing periphery spaces in these cities to strengthen urban continuity and the significance of encouraging the use of public transport, sharing public facilities, and creating shared recreational and green spaces in furthering cooperation. He presented the case of Strasbourg and Kehl conurbation, two towns at the French-German border separated by the Rhine River. In 2017 the existing railway lines were extended with the addition of three more stations on the German side, allowing for the development of new urban districts and better connection between the two towns. This project was in part funded through Interreg IV and V programmes, which helped to finance the preliminary studies and part of the bridge built to cross the Rhine, while other EU funds were used to build a pedestrian bridge and regenerate the riverbanks. This project was replicated both at the Czech Republic-Poland and Germany-Poland borders which reinforce good examples of cross border cooperation.

The last contribution was made by Mr Martin Klatt, Associate Professor at the Center of Border Region Studies, University of Southern Denmark, Sønderborg. He discussed the example of the cross-border area between Denmark and Germany, a border which was re-arranged in the 1920s. Two towns, Padborg (DK) and Niebüll (DE), were developed in order to compensate for the lack of services and administrative vacuum that resulted from the new border arrangement. The new border turned rural towns into central hubs which opened up a lot of opportunities for citizens, but it also resulted in many administrative and governance issues. These issues, however, can be overcome if local actors have the willingness to cooperate and engage in cross-border activity.

In his final remarks Mr Eduardo Medeiros stressed again the important role of border cities in paving the way for cooperation that can be replicated elsewhere. He also recognised that while several barriers remain in cross-border territories in the EU there is also ample evidence of the benefits that are reaped when borders are truly permeable, proving that everyone benefits when we do things together. The event closed with Mrs Nathalie Verschelde reflecting upon the pandemic, which caused disruptions and difficulties to people living in cross-border areas but should be used as an opportunity to shed light on the issues and challenges that characterise these areas, not only during crises. Citizens can take advantage of this situation to influence their country’s agenda to prioritise cross-border issues and work side by side with local institutions with a bottom-up approach.

Watch again

If you could not join us for this event or if you want to watch it again, the recording is available here.