CBC is not about conveying additional powers to border communities or authorities. Rather, CBC is a more efficient way of exercising their powers. Communities located in border areas seek to build up cooperation across borders in order to:

1. Promoting the socio-economic development of the border area (e.g. attracting new financial resources; efficiently using local capital (nature, finance, culture, organisations, relationships, etc); improving employment opportunities, etc).

2. Developing economies of scale to provide better services (e.g. providing high-quality health-care and education; efficiently managing natural resources (i.e. rivers); upgrading transport infrastructures, etc.)

3. Widening cultural perspectives (e.g. promoting bilingualism and minority groups rights; promoting cultural diversity within educational curricula; promoting a non-ideological interpretation of history and mutual knowledge and trust, etc.)

Stage 1 – No relations

Initial phase. Inward looking border area characterised by stereotypes and diffidence.

Stage 2 – Info exchange

Parallel identification of border as common generator of problems and resources.

Stage 3 – Consultation

The cross-border interdependency is understood. Actions separatedly carried out but envisaging joint actions.

Stage 4 – Cooperation

Common goal is set and actions are carried out according to a shared agenda (and within the limits of each actor’s competencies and authority).

Stage 5 – Harmonisation

Policies are designed taking into consideration the cross-border nature of the area.

Stage 6 – Integration

Borders are virtual. CBC is fully integrated in the policy making process.

• CBC may positively influence management practices in partners’ institutions as each partner seeks to emulate the best practice of others or of the CBC body itself (e.g. peer-to-peer and on-the-job learning).
• CBC may encourage a more co-operative culture both among different partners and within the same type of partner. Competitive behaviour is turned into cooperation for the common interest.
• The process of jointly applying for external funding may help to develop the will and capacity of each partner for partnership-working with other public, private and voluntary organisations both within and beyond the CBC arrangements.
• If a CBC body is established and is responsible for a number of issues which would have been otherwise under the direct management of LAs, elected representatives can focus more on their strategic responsibilities, using CBC as an effective tool to achieve them.
• Since CBC is not a statutory obligation on local authorities, it is implemented only when its benefits can be felt. This increases accountability and transparency since promoters will act to take credit for it.
• Partners may develop a greater sense of solidarity; this contributes to the amelioration of the social environment.
• CBC is an integration practice in line with the priorities and values of the European Union. It fosters the sense of belonging to a common Europe.
• CBC may create more opportunities for engaging local organisations and citizens in local self government, fostering citizens’ sense of ownership of local and European democratic institutions.
• CBC may bring opportunities to participate in Inter-Municipal Cooperation (IMC) activities and to develop them at a cross-border level (e.g. Euro-Districts, Euroregions).
• CBC encourages public-private partnerships (PPPs).

• CBC encourages the harmonious cultural growth of border areas, builds up social capital and

  promotes the peaceful co-existence of people.

CBC Useful Materials

• C2C – City-to-City Cooperation
• Manual on Removing Obstacles to Cross Border Cooperation
• CBC – Cross-Border Co-operation
• Handbook on Transfrontier co-operation