From 9 to 11 June, representatives of the EGTC GO took part in the European Cross-Border Platform (ECBP) annual meeting in Brussels, a key gathering of European institutions, regional authorities and cross-border stakeholders. The event focused on the challenges and opportunities facing border regions, including cooperation frameworks, policy developments and the future of EU territorial programmes.

EGTC GO Director Romina Kocina contributed to the session “The EGTC tool at 20 years: future perspectives, needs and challenges.” She spoke during the panel on visibility and recognition of EGTCs at national and European levels, highlighting EGTC GO’s experience as a well-established cross-border governance structure and stressing the need to further strengthen institutional recognition and political support for EGTCs across Europe.

Within the same framework, project manager Micaela Passon took part in the closing conference of the BorderLabs CE project, held at the European Committee of the Regions. She intervened in the round table on “Enhanced integration through the elimination of cross-border legal and administrative obstacles”, presenting EGTC GO’s concrete experience in addressing administrative barriers and promoting integrated solutions for cross-border territories.

The programme of the ECBP annual meeting also included debates on the future of Interreg beyond 2027, the role of cooperation networks and the challenges facing border regions within the Schengen area. In parallel, the BorderLabs CE final conference addressed key themes such as strategic cross-border planning, participatory governance and the removal of legal and administrative obstacles, culminating in the launch of a Charter for a more integrated Central Europe.

EGTC GO’s participation reaffirmed its active role in contributing to European-level discussions and in advancing practical and innovative approaches to cross-border cooperation.