In order to overcome regulatory and administrative obstacles that prevent businesses from exploiting the full potential of the Single Market, the European Commission (DG GROW) relaunched „Call for expression of interest for border regions to participate in a pilot to overcome barriers to cross-border business activities“ on 15 January 2021. The call was launched for the first time in 2020.
Objectives of this pilot is to mobilize border regions that have already acknowledged and experienced market access barriers due to regulatory or administrative obstacles, and to diminish or abolish market access barriers through existing legal frameworks (but it may also include some further legislative actions), guidance in finding common solutions (sharing good practices for the same barriers in other border regions) or helping volunteer border regions in thinking out-of-the box to resolve existing obstacles.
Each group of applicants (the pioneer partnership) should identify one or more barrier(s) they would like to address together in maximum three areas, such as posting of workers, recognition of professional qualifications, cross-border provision of (digital) services, licensing and other related requirements, etc.
Eligible participants are regional authorities forming the pioneer partnership with their co-partners in two or maximum three, neighboring border regions that oversee implementation of the focus areas. Equally eligible are Euregios provided they have legal personality and any European Groupings of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC) representing a pioneer partnership.
For more information, please visit https://ec.europa.eu/growth/content/call-expression-interest-border-regions-participate-pilot-overcome-barriers-cross-border_en
Deadline for submitting Applications is 15 March 2021, 17.30 (CET)
