For the first time, several European cross-border cooperation entities with varying degrees of autonomy gathered in Trento for a joint discussion. From October 27 to 28, a conference organized by the Euregio Tyrol-South Tyrol-Trentino was held at the Buonconsiglio Castle, where a number of European Groupings of Territorial Cooperation (EGTCs) from Italy, Slovenia, France, Spain, and Portugal gathered to get to know one another, exchange ideas, and network.
The event, attended by various members of the Trentino Provincial Council—including President Claudio Soini—is part of a series of initiatives by the Department for the Promotion of Awareness of the Autonomy of the Autonomous Province of Trento, promoted by Councilor Simone Marchiori:
“Eighty years after the De Gasperi-Gruber Agreement, we celebrate a vision that has transformed a border region into a bridge of dialogue and coexistence. Our autonomy has never been a means of isolating ourselves, but rather the solid foundation of self-governance that makes us credible players in European cross-border cooperation.”
At the European level, the European Cross-Border Platform (ECBP), established in 2024 by the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), serves as the reference point for EGTCs across Europe. While the network’s annual meeting aims to strengthen horizontal cooperation and consolidate the European cross-border network, today’s meeting focused specifically on territorial entities with special autonomy powers, fostering dialogue among authorities that share similar challenges and prerogatives.
“Platforms like the ECBP demonstrate just how crucial horizontal dialogue is among cross-border territories,” stated Elisa Bertò, Trentino’s representative on the Euregio General Secretariat: “Our goal is not merely to network once a year, but to build stable channels of cross-border cooperation capable of leveraging our special competencies and translating them into concrete solutions for our communities and for all of Europe.”
The discussion on the topics at hand included experts from the political, academic, and research communities: Francesco Palermo (University of Verona), Esther Happacher (University of Innsbruck), Gabrielle Halpern (philosopher and associate expert at the Jean Jaurès Foundation), and Martín Guillermo Ramírez (Secretary General of the AEBR, who participated remotely). The leaders of the EGTCs shared experiences and key projects aimed at promoting and replicating these exemplary models of territorial cooperation.
Further Information
European Groupings of Territorial Cooperation
Seven European Groupings of Territorial Cooperation participated in the conference, all of which share two characteristics:
- As European Groupings of Territorial Cooperation (EGTCs), they are governed by a 2006 EU regulation. This regulation grants interregional cooperatives their own legal personality. This legal basis significantly strengthens and expands the possibilities for cross-border cooperation. Their goal is to strengthen the sense of belonging in their shared border area, improve the well-being of the population, and break down border-related barriers by making daily life easier. This also represents an essential contribution to European integration.
- In each of these EGTCs, at least one territory enjoys a form of autonomy, which provides additional leeway for establishing the EGTC.
Overview of Participating EGTCs
Euregio Tyrol-South Tyrol-Trentino (Italy-Austria)
Tyrol, South Tyrol, and Trentino are linked by a shared history and by geographical, economic, and cultural contexts. Through translingual and transnational projects and initiatives, they aim to continuously improve the quality of life for their citizens.
Euregio Senza Confini (Italy-Austria)
Through joint projects, the regions of Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Veneto, as well as the state of Carinthia, aim to ensure well-being in the shared cross-border area and promote its development, as well as greater economic, social, and cultural cohesion.
GO (Italy-Slovenia)
Gorizia was once a melting pot of languages and cultures. Then, right in the heart of the former imperial and royal city, a border was drawn. Since then, the cities of Gorizia, in the far east of Italy, and Nova Gorica and Šempeter-Vrtojba, in the far west of Slovenia, have joined together in an EGTC. Their goal is to move beyond the mindset of three separate municipalities and to plan and implement projects with the vision of a single cross-border city. A highlight was their joint designation as the 2025 European Capital of Culture.
Hospital of Cerdanya (France-Spain)
Puigcerdà is home to Europe’s only cross-border healthcare center. The governments of Catalonia (Spain) and France jointly manage a hospital that serves the residents and visitors of Cerdanya and Capcir—the territories located on both sides of the border. At the same time, it aims to combine the best aspects of both healthcare systems.
Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Euskadi, and Navarre (France-Spain)
This EGTC connects Nouvelle-Aquitaine, in southwestern France, with the Basque Country and Navarre, in northern Spain, and uses three working languages: French, Basque, and Spanish. Its goal is to promote economic, social, and cultural development and to foster multilingualism, where everyone can communicate, share, learn, and build networks. Across a wide range of areas—such as the economy, employment, education, mobility, the environment, and more—the EGTC aims to make daily life easier for residents and improve their quality of life.
Pyrenees-Mediterranean (France-Spain)
The Pyrenees-Mediterranean Euroregion includes the governments of Catalonia, in northeastern Spain; the Spanish Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean; and the Occitanie region, in southeastern France. The association aims to become a European hub and a Mediterranean center for “green and blue” growth—that is, a center for sustainable development in the northwestern Mediterranean, based on the social, ecological, cultural, scientific, and economic integration of the region. Its goal is to contribute to building a Europe of regions that is unifying, based on solidarity, and close to its citizens.
Galicia-Norte Portugal (Spain-Portugal)
The EGTC between Galicia and Northern Portugal aims to transform a border into a space of opportunity: it builds bridges between institutions, businesses, universities, research centers, organizations, and citizens. The goal is to improve the quality of life for those who live, work, and invest in this Euroregion.
CNR – Italian National Research Council
As part of the ITALIAE Project, the Department for Regional Affairs and Autonomies (DARA) of the Italian Presidency of the Council of Ministers and CNR-ISSiRFA, with scientific support from EURAC Research and the Polytechnic University of Turin – FULL Center, have produced a research report dedicated to the systematic and multidisciplinary analysis of 14 European Groupings of Territorial Cooperation (EGTCs) with Italian participation, out of a total of 88 registered at the time with the Committee of the Regions—to date, the number has risen to 15 with Italian participation and 94 in total across Europe. The study has three objectives: to examine the current state of the European and national regulatory frameworks, to outline practical guidelines to facilitate the establishment and operational management of these entities, and, finally, to define effective organizational models capable of strengthening dialogue between institutions and border regions.
TRENTO (Press office)
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