The governance of cross-border territories:
models and ideas for the Brenner area
Presentation of the outputs of the research project “Crossplan”
22nd March 2010
Faculty of Economics
Conference Hall “Alberto Silvestri”
Via Rosmini 42, Trento
Removal of physical barriers between the states was only a step in eradication of dividing lines in Europe that paved the way to a congruent social and economic development of the regions and the states, by vastly exploiting the best advantages of integrated economic solutions across the borders. This theme prevailed in the presentation of Min. Mykola Melenevskyi, the CEI ES Deputy Secretary General, made at the Regional Conference “The governance of cross-border territories: models and ideas for the Brenner area” (Trento, on March 22nd, 2010). The Conference was the final event of the special research project “Crossplan – Institutional Solutions for Cross-border Strategic Planning”, financed by the Autonomous Province of Trento and carried out by a research group within the Department of Law of the University of Trento.
The project analyzed “strategic planning” tools in a cross-border perspective, with special focus on comparative and European law. The research studied both the law of territorial cooperation at European and comparative national level, and the instruments of strategic planning in order to identify suitable, long-term solutions for strategic territorial cooperation around the Brenner border, with special regard to the role of cross-border infrastructures.
By opening this Conference, Min. Melenevskyi underpinned the CEI interregional policy in application of the new EU instrument - the European Grouping for Territorial Cooperation (EGTC). In particular, he delivered the case study of the CEI “ADRIA A” – one of the EU Projects, administered by the CEI ES in the framework of the INTERREG Programme Italy-Slovenia 2007-2013. It has been the first case when the CEI promoted the establishment of EGTC between the two of its Member States, in the context of the enhancement of cross border, interregional and transnational cooperation.
The CEI was invited by the organizers in order to exchange the experience of the CEI in the field of cross border cooperation. The first panel of the Conference explored the role of the State in territorial cooperation and concluded that there seems to be a shift from a regulatory role to that of an active actor. Mario Panaro from the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spoke about the territorial dimension of Italian diplomacy, underlying the role of the government in regional cross-border cooperation, while Davide Strazzari, researcher at University of Trento, dealt with the specific case of the Trans-European Transport Networks.
The second panel was dedicated to the tools for effective cross-border cooperation, with particular regard to the European Grouping for Territorial Cooperation (EGTC). Alexander Schuster (University of Trento) and Alice Engl (EURAC, Bolzano/Bozen) focused on this new EU instrument, from both the normative and the practical side. Laura Soverino (University of Parma) illustrated how the EGTC could be used as a tool to manage trans-frontier public services.
The last panel focused on cross-border territorial planning and development. Lisa Lanzoni (University of Verona) developed this topic with regard to the case of the operative program Italy-Austria 2007-2013; Mattia Magrassi (University of Trento) examined the available instruments for trans-frontier strategic planning and Fulvio Cortese (University of Trento) looked at the instruments for administrative coordination in a cross-border dimension.
The conference ended with a round table aimed at highlighting the possible institutional solutions for cross border strategic planning in the Brenner area. The coordinator of the research project, Francesco Palermo (University of Verona and EURAC, Bolzano/Bozen), presented the main achievements of the research. The representatives of the Autonomous Province of Trento (Nicoletta Clauser), the Autonomous Province of Bolzano (Klaus Luther) and the Land Tirol (Andreas Greiter) expressed their evaluation and the approach to cross-border cooperation currently followed by their administrations. Ezio Facchin, co-director of the European company in charge of the construction of the Brenner railway tunnel (BBT S.E.), gave an important insight on the practical and legal obstacles that such a trans-frontier project is facing. The research produced both academic outcomes and practical guidelines for decision-makers.
Common elaboration of best solutions on application of EGTC among regional stakeholders is an efficient way to introduce the CEI policies, continuing its practice of fostering cross border cooperation among the CEI Member States.