b-solutions is a pilot project to collect concrete & replicable actions which aim at identifying & testing solutions to cross-border obstacles of legal and administrative nature in EU internal land borders in 5 fields: employment; health; public transport of passengers; multi-lingualism; institutional cooperation.
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b-solutions is promoted by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Regional & Urban Policy (DG REGIO) & managed by the Association of European Border Regions (AEBR). The Call for Proposals closed on 30th April 2018.
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Thirty-six applications have been submitted, while thirty-one were under the Selection Committee’s assessment. The most popular topic is “institutional cooperation”, followed by “employment”, “public transport of passengers”, “multilingualism” and “health”.
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On Friday 29 June 2018, all applicants have been informed with a letter of award or rejection.
The following 10 cases have been selected as “successful”:
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#Apprenticeships
Cross-border mobility in dual education in the Eurometropolis
EGTC "Eurometropolis Lille-Kortrijk-Tournai"
Belgium - France
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Obstacle:
Many obstacles were found in terms of cross-border mobility of French and
Belgian apprentices. In particular, different dual education contract systems and labour agreements linked to different legal statutes of the apprentice lead to an ineffective cross-border cooperation in this matter.
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Proposed Solution:
Providing a framework agreement feasible for all competent authorities of the territory and implementing a field experiment to test the cross-border apprenticeship contract, allowing
some apprentices to perform their apprenticeship on both sides of the border.
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To know more click here.
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#LabourTaxation
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XBORDER-WORK - Tackling administrative issues that hinder free movement of workers
Slovenia - Italy
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Obstacle:
Cross border workers who are residents in one country but live in another have to deal with over taxation and limitations concerning the access of social security benefits.
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Proposed Solution:
Creating a bilingual form through which the cross-border worker can share data concerning his/her income in one country and report it to the tax authorities and social security services in the other.
To know more click here.
#ProfessionalQualifications
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Roadmap for recognition of qualifications for highly demanded professions
Germany - The Netherlands
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Obstacle:
Procedures concerning recognition of qualifications are often non-transparent, complex and time-consuming. This, discourage the mobility of citizens and prevent the developement of an effective cross-border labour market.
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Proposed Solution:
Producing practical documents with the involvement of competent authorities, namely a
roadmap and a factsheet to provide clear information for the recognition of qualifications concerning highly demanded professions.
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To know more click here
#IntegratedMobility​
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CB-PUMP - EGTC GO Cross-border Public Urban Mobility Plan
Italy - Slovenia
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Obstacle:
The restrictions on cabotage operations at cross-border level, the different pricing systems and the difficulties caused by the presence of information on two different languages, prevent the creation of an integrated public transportation network operating in the territory of the EGTC GO.
Proposed Solution:
Mobilising relevant actors at local, regional and national level to conclude a cooperation agreement to develop a cross-border urban transport system.
To know more click here.
#EmergencyIntervention
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When EMS (emergency medical system) erase borders
Consortium of the Pyrenees Working Community
Spain - France - Andorra
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Obstacle:
Without the validation of a diploma by the Order of Doctors and Nurses of the neighbouring country, healthcare professionals from the other side of the border are not authorised to intervene anywhere except on the territory where they obtained their diploma.
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Proposed Solution:
Achieving collaboration agreements among the French State, the Spanish Autonomous Communities and the Principality of Andorra that allows the signature of a convention that erases administrative problems and makes cross-border emergency health interventions possible.
To know more click here.
#HealthInsurance
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Cooperation protocol on administrative procedures on health insurance for frontier workers
France - Germany
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Obstacle:
A number of administrative difficulties contribute to making labour cross-border mobility a negative experience with many financial consequences for the frontier workers insured in one country and benefiting from health services in the other one.
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Proposed Solution:
Creating an inventory of administrative difficulties faced by border residents, discuss them with the competent administrative authorities and drawing up an action protocol between French and German health insurance funds.
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To know more click here.
#GroundwaterManagement
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Lithuanian – Latvian institutional cooperation on cross-border groundwater management
Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre
Latvia - Lithuania
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Obstacle:
Different rules and methodologies across the border prevent the creation of a joint system for preserve the water quality and conservation.
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Proposed Solution:
Improving the data exchange, harmonising the methods for groundwater monitoring and developing a long-term monitoring plan and a preliminary transboundary river management plan.
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To know more click here.
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#GeodataHarmonisation
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EGTC Grand Region - Summit Secretariat
Belgium - Luxembourg - France - Germany
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Obstacle:
At the level of the Greater Region, the agencies responsible for producing cartographic data not only work independently, but also according to different legal, organisational and technical principles, preventing the cooperation across the borders in hydrographic analysis matters.
Proposed Solution:
The objective is to geometrically harmonise the topogeographic reference datasets creating a comparable reference digital terrain model, DTM, of all the partners in order to eliminate all gaps and overlaps.
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To know more click here.
#LocalProducts
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CrossMarket – Enhance cross-border selling at local farmers’ market
Croatia - Hungary
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Obstacle:
Lack of information, language knowledge gaps, administrative difficulties and tax differences hinder trade and cross-border cooperation among the farmers and market players.
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Proposed Solution:
Analysing the needs and expectations of local farmers as well as their difficulties and comparing these findings with the actual regulatory and administrative framework, in order to identify the main legislative and administrative areas that need to be addressed in order to support the cross-border selling of local products.
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To know more click here.
#PrimaryEducation
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Bilingualism in the Tri-Border Region AT-HU-SK
Lower Austrian Government, Department of Pre-Schools/Kindergartens and Schools
Austria – Hungary - Slovakia
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Obstacle:
There is no legal framework allowing for children from Hungary and Slovakia to be accepted at Austrian primary schools or kindergartens. Federal authorities can provide such an option at a secondary education level but since primary schools and kindergartens are managed by local entities without legal competence on this matter pupils cannot attend schools in the neighbouring country.
Proposed Solution:
Analyse the legal and administrative roots that cause the obstacle in order to propose a legal framework to change the situation, promoting multilingualism and raising awareness among the respective authorities for the creation of cross border kindergartens and schools.
To know more here.