The Federal Office for Building and Regional Planning

Type: Specialist article Date 31 January 2020 European Cross-Border Monitoring Network

In 2018, national and regional representatives in charge of territorial observation in Germany and their neighbours signed a memorandum committing themselves to work together to improve the situation of cross-border data.

Background

Territorial monitoring at the cross-border level is essential to enhance the potential of border areas. Whether it is to foster economic development, to improve employment opportunities or to increase access to services, efficient public policies and cooperation projects in border regions can only be developed if decision-makers are provided with detailed, harmonised, on-going information from both sides of the border, that reflects interactions on the whole territory.

Existing monitoring activities are currently being constrained by the limits of cross-border statistics: lack of comparability, of availability, or of appropriate indicators are common issues encountered by data users and decision-makers at the cross-border scale.

There is a consensus that an improvement of the situation is not possible without further cooperation. The harmonisation of data and the definition of indicators can be reached with increased communication among data providers, and also between data providers and data users. It requires intensified transversal exchanges between European stakeholders at the regional and national level. Existing national and regional initiatives also need to complement each other. In this context, the creation of a network for cross-border monitoring appeared to be necessary to structure long-term cooperation and facilitate communication between relevant stakeholders.

The goal is to improve territorial monitoring in cross-border areas, facilitate access to data and foster the development of specific cross-border statistics. Network members meet on an annual basis to exchange on their activities, work actively towards the definition and harmonisation of cross-border data and indicators, and contribute to the dissemination of their results at the national and European level.

Objectives

  1. Formulating needs and solving obstacles: Network members formulate a common definition of needs in order to identify solutions, solve legal obstacles and define concrete steps towards data harmonisation.
  2. Connecting with national initiatives and stakeholders: In order to have sufficient impact, it is necessary to reach a critical mass of members and to look for convergence with existing initiatives. Networks members actively reach out to other initiatives and networks in order to coordinate efforts towards cross-border monitoring at the European level.
  3. Raising awareness: members contribute in their respective countries and at the European level to raise awareness on the issue of cross-border monitoring. The network can be represented as such at European events and organize its own events.

Current Network members


Map European Cross-Border Monitoring Network (Source: BBSR)

The network membership is flexible, open to interested institutions, and adaptable according to the needs and the situation.


LogoInstitution

Logo of Statistics Poland (Source: Statistics Poland)

Statistics Poland

Logo of Statistics Netherlands (Source: Statistics Netherlands)

Statistics Netherlands

Logo of the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (Insee) (Source: Insee)

National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (Insee)

Logo of the Regional Office for Spatial Planning of the Westpomeranian Voivodeship (RBGP) (Source: RBGP)

Regional Office for Spatial Planning of the Westpomeranian Voivodeship

Logo of the Transfrontier Operational Mission (MOT) (Source: MOT)

Transfrontier Operational Mission (MOT)

Logo of Ministère du Développement Durable et des Infrastructures - Départment de l'aménagement du territoire (Source: Ministère du Développement Durable et des Infrastructures)

Ministry of Energy and Spatial Planning, Department of Spatial Planning

Logo of Agence nationale de la cohésion des territoires (Source: Agence nationale de la cohésion des territoires)

Agence nationale de la cohésion des territoires

Logo of the Austrian Institute for Regional Studies (ÖIR) (Source: ÖIR)

Austrian Institute for Regional Studies (ÖIR)

Logo of Landesbetrieb Information und Technik Nordrhein-Westfalen (IT.NRW) (Source: IT.NRW)

Landesbetrieb Information und Technik Nordrhein-Westfalen (IT.NRW)

Logo of the Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development (BBSR) within the Federal Office for Building and Regional Planning (BBR) (Source: BBSR)

Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development (BBSR)

Logo Center for Border Studies at the University of the Greater Region (UniGR-CBS) (Source: UniGR-CBS)

UniGR-Center for Border Studies (UniGR-CBS)

Logo Federal Employment Agency (Source: Federal Employment Agency)

Federal Employment Agency

Multilingual Logo of the Swiss Government/Federal Office for Spatial Development ARE/Federal Statistical Office FSO (Source: Swiss Government)

Federal Office for Spatial Development (ARE)

Multilingual Logo of the Swiss Government/Federal Office for Spatial Development ARE/Federal Statistical Office FSO (Source: Swiss Government)

Federal Statistical Office

Logo of Observatoire interrégional du marché de l'emploi (OIE)  (Source: OIE)

Observatoire interrégional du marché de l'emploi (OIE)

Logo Institute for Territorial Development (IRT) (BBR) (Source: IRT)

Institute for Territorial Development (IRT)

Logo Système d'Information Géographique de la Grande Région (SIG-GR) (Source: SIG-GR)

Système d'Information Géographique de la Grande Région (SIG-GR)

Logo of Regionaler Planungsverband Oberlausitz-Niederschlesien (Source: Regionaler Planungsverband Oberlausitz-Niederschlesien)

Regionaler Planungsverband Oberlausitz-Niederschlesien

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