ESPON CROSSGOV – Governance mechanisms for cross-border functional areas

The ESPON CROSSGOV project (2024 to 2026) explores functional cross-border areas in the European context and their role in fostering territorial integration and convergence. Despite various tools supporting cross-border cooperation – ranging from economic and institutional to functional instruments – significant legal, administrative, political, and cultural obstacles persist. A major challenge remains the development of effective governance mechanisms that respond to the diversity of European border regions.

The project's aim is to advance a comprehensive understanding of the emergence, evolution, and governance of functional cross-border areas. It synthesizes theoretical frameworks and empirical evidence and conducts a multidimensional analysis (spatial, economic, social, cultural, institutional). Based on this, context-sensitive, bottom-up governance models will be proposed to overcome existing barriers and enhance the integration potential of cross-border cooperation.

ESPON CROSSGOV

Key research questions

How can we define cross-border functional areas in a way that reflects the diversity of border types (mountain, river, maritime) and supports real policy processes that improve people’s daily lives? How can theoretical definitions be aligned with everyday realities in these areas?
Which methods are suitable to identify and monitor cross-border functional areas, considering existing territorial evidence, diverse policy approaches, and gaps in comparable data?
What are the main drivers and challenges for the development of cross-border functional areas at the European level? What persistent obstacles hinder their effective governance, and what local opportunities remain underused?
What governance models currently exist, and how can they be adapted to the specific institutional and territorial contexts of different border regions? How can governance systems better reflect evolving cross-border dynamics (e.g., after COVID-19), and how can policy coherence be ensured across different levels and sectors?

The project will deliver a series of evidence formats, including a database, an interactive atlas with regional fiches, a series of reports on pan-European and case study level, as well as a governance compendium.

Geographical coverage and case studies

The project encompasses the entire ESPON program area, including internal and external borders to be analyzed via 10 specific case studies. A prominent case studies will be carried out in the Greater Region.

UniGR-CBS engagement

Estelle Evrard and Isabelle Pigeron-Piroth from the University of Luxembourg (UniGR-CBS) conduct the case study analysis of the Greater Region and are involved in conducting the transversal analysis of governance mechanisms in EU cross-border regions. They are supported by Beate Caesar from the RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau (UniGR-CBS) acting as an external expert.

Project Lead and Partners

Project Lead: Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU)

Project Partners: