The Border Focal Point Network, a European network for cross-border cooperation, supports border regions within the European Union by helping local and regional authorities to overcome administrative and legal barriers. The regions concerned account for nearly 40% of the European Union’s territory and are home to around a third of its population.
Created by the European Commission as part of the communication ‘Boosting Growth and Cohesion in EU Border Regions’, the online platform brings together experts, local authorities and institutional stakeholders to facilitate exchanges and strengthen cohesion between border regions.
Through this platform, the European Commission aims to create a genuine European community of border regions. It is a resource worth exploring and utilising.
A European network for European border regions
The Border Focal Point Network is one of ten measures proposed by the European Commission to improve interactions in regions along the EU’s internal borders. The aim is to reduce the administrative complexity, delays and costs associated with cross-border activities, whilst encouraging the pooling of public services and joint projects.
The network is primarily aimed at national, regional and local authorities, but also at territorial cooperation bodies, researchers and economic stakeholders. It provides a space for dialogue and the sharing of experiences regarding the challenges faced in European border regions, whether in relation to mobility, health, energy, employment or data management.
A platform for exchanging best practices
One of the key roles of the Border Focal Point Network is to disseminate concrete examples of successful cooperation. The platform lists several initiatives developed in various European regions to inspire other territories facing similar challenges.
Recent examples include the micro-project run by the Pirineos–Pyrénées European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation, which supports joint initiatives between local authorities on both sides of the Pyrenees. Other examples include sustainable mobility in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine–Euskadi–Navarre Euroregion, the creation of shared cultural routes between Romania and Hungary, and the development of cross-border heating networks between Germany and France.
The platform also highlights projects related to the green transition, cross-border public transport and maritime cooperation in the Adriatic, in line with the objectives of the European Green Deal.
Recent initiatives from the network
Over the past few weeks, several initiatives have been published on the platform. In particular, the Baltic States have announced a strengthening of their cross-border health cooperation to improve crisis preparedness between Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
The network has also publicised the launch of a public consultation on the future European Youth Strategy post-2027, as well as a call for contributions regarding the future ‘Right to Stay Strategy’, aimed at regions facing population decline.
Other projects concern infrastructure and mobility. A new rail link between Finland and Sweden is set to enter service in June 2026. Meanwhile, the region of Galicia and northern Portugal are continuing to develop a cross-border innovation ecosystem in the field of biotechnology.
The Border Focal Point Network is also monitoring the work of the ESPON COREIB project, which has just finalised forty-eight territorial profiles dedicated to European border regions in order to improve data collection and analysis for future Interreg programmes.
“B-solutions” to overcome administrative barriers
The platform also hosts information on “B-solutions” initiatives, a European project aimed at identifying solutions to resolve cross-border obstacles without amending existing legislation.
Several new projects have recently been selected. Some focus on the joint management of water resources between Romania and Hungary, whilst others concern academic cooperation on the energy transition between Greece, Albania and North Macedonia.
A pilot project between Ventimiglia and the French Riviera also aims to improve cross-border mobility, whilst an initiative concerning the tri-national RE18 train seeks to harmonise regulations between Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany to facilitate passenger travel.
The programme also supports initiatives related to river tourism, environmental protection and inclusion in cross-border universities.
