Collaboration in Geographical Areas Sharing Borders
The past few years have seen significant strides in cross-border cooperation, particularly in the German-Danish border region.
In 2023, the "German-Danish Working Group for Strengthened Cooperation in the Border Region" was established. This group, a product of the Treaty of Aachen signed in 2019, aimed to facilitate the removal of obstacles in border regions and ease the daily lives of people living there.
The working group identified 54 specific mobility obstacles in the areas of "Education and Culture", "Social Security and Digitalization", and "Taxes and Entrepreneurship". These findings served as a catalyst for change, leading to the establishment of the "Danish-German Cross-Border Panel" upon the recommendation of the working group.
In a bid to further enhance cooperation, the Interministerial Working Group on Cross-Border Cooperation was launched in summer 2024 by the German Federal Foreign Office, the Federal Ministry of the Interior, and the Federal Ministry of Housing, Urban Development and Building. However, the public does not yet have information identifying which countries are members of this group.
On the legislative front, the Foreign Office, together with the Federal Ministry of the Interior, ensured that the "Real Labs Act" would improve the conditions for the use of experimental clauses in border regions. A draft of this act was adopted by the federal government on November 13, 2024, defining general legal framework conditions for the use of experimental clauses.
A study on the inventory and potential analysis of Border Scouts, commissioned by the Federal Foreign Office in 2022, demonstrated the usefulness of such border patrol units. The study advocated for best practice exchange and expansion of existing structures. In response, the Federal Ministry of the Interior published the "Funding Guidelines for Border Scouts" in 2024.
Moreover, the AGZ has established the Working Group Border Area Check to develop concrete implementation options for an ex-ante review that aims to prevent potential negative effects from new legal provisions on border regions.
These developments underscore the commitment of the German government to strengthening cross-border cooperation and improving the lives of those living in border regions. As more information becomes available, we will continue to monitor and report on these important issues.
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