Cross-border cooperation is the collaboration between adjacent areas across borders. In the European Union this is one of the forms of territorial cooperation (in addition to transnational and interregional cooperation). The European model is very diverse with cooperation between border regions or municipalities, or through specific cooperation structures. These structures are usually composed by public authorities (municipalities, districts, counties, regions) from different countries organized in working communities, euroregions or EGTCs (European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation).
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Interreg
European Territorial Cooperation, also commonly known as Interreg, is a key instrument from the European Cohesion policy supporting cross-border Interreg A cooperation across Europe. For the fifth programming period 2014-2020 Interreg A is exclusively funded through the European Regional Development Fund with EUR 6.6 billion for the fifth programming period, amounting for 1.9% of the total EU cohesion policy budget for 2014-2020.
EGTC
The European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC) enables public bodies, regional and local authorities, associations and also EU Member States to create a new cooperation entity with a legal personality. The inception of this new instrument for cooperation at Community level in the framework of regional policy was in 2006. The establishment of a cooperation groupings aims to overcome the obstacles hindering cooperation across borders such as geographical, natural, cultural or administrative borders. EGTC facilitate cross-border, transnational and interregional cooperation by co-financing projects through European funds or without EU financial support. EGTC programmes are regulated under the framework of the Regulation (EC) No 1082/2006.