8 mins
Cross-border cooperation in midst of COVID 19 crisis
The current unprecedented crisis has put to the test all aspects of our life, including cross-border cooperation, which is facing its most challenging times in decades. Overnight, Member States closed their borders across the EU without consulting their neighbours or even local and regional authorities thus effecting everyday lives of people living in border regions. It has also put different sectors of economy into a very difficult position. This was, for example, the case with health and elderly care in some border regions, which depend on the workforce coming from the other side of the border. On the other hand, this crisis also shows the incredible resourcefulness and solidarity between the peoples of Europe, proving once again that cross-border cooperation is not only wanted by Europe’s citizens, but it is also essential for a good living quality of many of them. It has shown us how fragile the results of long-term endeavours are and that we should not take them for granted. It is my strong believe that this crisis is also an opportunity that will help us place even stronger emphasis on the benefits of cross border cooperation and bring it to the centre if the European political agenda.
" One of the most innovative approaches used in the GRETA project was the assessment of the GI contribution to policy objectives related to biodiversity, climate change
The European Committee of Regions (CoR) stepped-in right at the beginning of the crisis in an effort to revive and reinforce cooperation across borders. To look into what was happening on the ground, the CoR launched the COVID-19 platform on its website in March. Shortly after launching this platform, it was clear that we would need to specifically look at the border regions as they were disproportionally affected by this crisis (dedicated section to cross-border cooperation). CoR decided to partner with the European Commission (DG REGIO) and the leading associations; the Association of European Border Regions (AEBR), the Mission Operationelle Transfrontalière (MOT) and the Central European Service for Cross-border Initiatives (CESCI), to pool resources together and publish the many stories and experiences in one place. So far over 100 stories on the cross-border and transnational experiences have been published. These valuable experiences will be used in CoR consultative works and support an in-depth analysis of what the crisis means for cross-border cooperation and how cooperation across borders can help address this new situation in the future. Actually, I hope that instead of closing the borders, the cross-border cooperation should become an integral part of addressing such a complex crisis together.
This experience helped us realize, that we have to look toward a long-term future of cross-border cooperation. While the EU, and its cornerstone policies created many new opportunities in GI offers an economically viable and sustainable means of delivering goods and services, and addresses multiple policy objectives.
Examples include the role of ecosystems in regulating water flows (reducing the need for investment in flood defences), in sequestering carbon, in reducing heat island effects and in improving people’s health. In any case, GI planning should consider synergies among ESs and how to avoid unwanted side-effects (trade-offs).
However, as the introduction of the GI concept, and its implementation, in Europe is relatively recent, long-term analyses (covering 10–15 years) are not yet available.
Furthermore, most studies analyse the role of GI and ESs in reducing the impacts of natural hazards and climate change at the site or local level within urban areas. Not many studies are available at regional level, though.
" By maintaining healthy ecosystems, reconnecting fragmented natural areas and restoring damaged habitats, GI offers an economically viable and sustainable means of delivering goods and services, and addresses multiple policy objectives. "
Therefore, monitoring progress and evaluation remains a barrier to developing effective and adaptive management measures.
New projects rowing in this area
The recently launched ESPON project TITAN (Territorial Impacts of Natural Disasters) aims to contribute to enabling the abovementioned monitoring of progress and evaluation. The project aims to develop a two-step methodology for assessing the direct and indirect economic impacts of natural disasters. Step 1 is a wide-scale methodology that uses existing data covering Europe; step 2 is a more focused methodology for the regional/local scale.
TITAN will also provide an overview of the trends and territorial patterns of natural hazards occurring in different types of European regions as an update of previous ESPON work, i.e. the ESPON Hazards and ESPON Climate projects. We will explore good practices in DRM and CCA at different territorial levels. These findings will support policy recommendations to include considerations of the territorial vulnerability and economic impacts of natural hazards in both DRM and CCA strategies as part of integrated placebased spatial development planning.
Green infrastructure could facilitate cross-scale and crossstage collaboration between disciplines
GI could be used as a mechanism for further collaboration between different disciplines, including spatial planning, DRM and CCA. GI is an asset for adaptation, capacity building and knowledge exchange, and can help to build a common understanding among professionals operating at
ESPON GRETA resources for policy-makers and practitioners
In a series of three briefings, the ESPON GRETA project provides resources for those interested in understanding and integrating the benefits and challenges of GI in decisionmaking, addressing how to:
think more strategically about GI and ESs, to inform spatial and urban planning;
consider GI as an integrated concept and approach to knowledge-based decision-making.
These resources are relevant for individuals making decisions on the monitoring, planning and development of GI on all scales – urban, peri-urban and rural.
GRETA Briefing 1 explores the key features of GI, and analyses the main benefits and challenges in environmental, social and economic terms. It provides practical examples of how cities and regions throughout Europe use GI, to illustrate the many different reasons to create or enhance GI and to integrate GI activities into policy-making.
GRETA Briefing 2 delivers insights on how the GI and ESs concepts and approaches could be operationalised best in the context of a strategic environmental assessment.
GRETA Briefing 3 provides an overview of the methods developed for and used in the GRETA project; these are applicable to considerations in relation to GI and ESs. Methods could be applied on all scales, depending on data quality and availability.
The GRETA project’s findings and the tools, policies and processes suggested for implementing GI that were found to be appropriate for CCA and DRM are listed below.
Diagnosis: methods for the assessment of the current state of GI are provided, for instance for assessing what natural and semi-natural features are currently present in a geographical area. By identifying these elements and understanding their states and capacities to supply specific ESs (multifunctionality) that support policy objectives, it would be possible to identify the potential of GI as an asset for CCA and disaster risk reduction (i.e. recreational areas or farming systems in flood prone areas; sustainable forest management for soil erosion control and stabilisation; urban greenery to mititgate heat stress).
Evaluation and prioritisation of actions: GRETA also provides methods for prioritising actions and identifying investment opportunities. A cross-sectional analysis of the vulnerability and risk maps (i.e. flooding, heat stress, desertification, soil erosion, wildfires, etc.) with the potential GI, and a quantification of the ESs provided would allow the prioritisation of interventions to mitigate impacts by (1) enhancing and maintaining the current GI and its services (i.e. risk preparedness); and (2) creating new GI where it is currently lacking (i.e. response and reconstruction). Economic valuation methods could also be used to gain evidence-based information and to identify opportunities for action and investment that would allow adjustments to the supply of ESs, to cope with a particular hazard through GI without compromising its multifunctionality.
Informing decision-making: the prioritised actions and opportunities can inform decision-making and investments, assisting a cost–benefit analysis of actions, while keeping in mind synergies and trade-offs between ESs provided by GI.
Good practice example of green infrastructure for climate change adaption and disaster risk management: the Basque Country
The spatial planning guidelines of the Basque Country explicitly recognise GI as relevant for CCA and sustainable territorial development. The Basque Country has a mature spatial planning system, which allows the incorporation of operational measures to cope with climate change, and the choosing of scientifically based and responsible action. It is markedly a cross-cutting policy that includes the deployment of other policies, and it coordinates the actions of the region’s administration, on multiple scales (regional, supra-municipal and local), and other local stakeholders.
The key elements of the spatial planning guidelines of the Basque Country that articulate GI, ESs, CCA and DRM are:
natural capital and GI are key elements of the existing territorial model and the proposed spatial development strategy and regulation;
the implementation of the EU Floods Directive and the Basque Country’s related flood management plan, which have important nature-based solutions and ecosystem-based interventions, is anchored in binding land use regulation;
climate projections and municipal climate risks are included as part of the guidelines’ baseline information, being among the regulated land use limitation factors in spatial planning on the intermediate and local scales;
GI is specifically promoted as one of the key approaches to CCA and DRM in spatial planning on the intermediate and local scales, as a mechanism to regenerate ecosystems and maintain and improve territorial resilience.
References
Climates Adaptation Strategy in the Basque Country KLIMA2050
Climate Change Adaptation in the Spatial Planning Instruments in the Basque Country Region: review of the Spatial Planning Guidelines Climate Change and Spatial Planning in the Basque Country
Good practice examples of implementing GI and nature-based solutions in the Basque Country: creating an urban green infrastructure, or ‘Green Belt’, in Vitoria-Gasteiz creating a linear parc in Nervión