INCREASING PROSPERITY IN CROSS-BORDER REGIONS – FINDINGS OF THE ESPON CPS STUDY
Over 570 Cross-border Public Services (CPS) are identified across borders in Europe. CPS have the potential to address local development needs and address negative border effects, support cross-border flows of people, or contribute to raising awareness of cross-border possibilities.
In this respect, CPS are located at various borders and contribute to several different policy areas such as environment protection, civil protection, and disaster management and transport. In the future CPS development is expected especially in the fields of spatial planning, economic development, tourism, and culture. Many regions also explore possibilities to establish CPS dealing with health care and labour market challenges.
The targeted ESPON analysis aimed to improve delivery practices of CPS in European border-regions and to increase awareness about the added value of CPS provision. The project produced a first comprehensive overview of CPS across Europe. This overview allowed to explore territorial patterns of CPS provision and to highlight the main features of good practice examples.
So far, most CPS have been identified along the borders of the Benelux countries, France, Germany, and the Nordic countries. However, the analysis could also provide new impetus for enhancing CPS in the Danube Region.
The analysis was carried out by a consortium led by Spatial Foresight (LU), including Eureconsult S.A. (LU), TCP International GmbH (DE), IPoP-Institute for Spatial Policies (DE), IGOT – Lisbon University (PT), Nordregio, International Research Center (SE).
The analysis and all further documents are available on the ESPON/CPS website.
