Saarbrücken, 22.09.2022 - The European Parliament has adopted a report entitled "Border regions in the EU: real laboratories of European integration" with proposals for solutions to the economic problems in border regions. Among other things, it calls for additional funding of one billion euros for investments in border regions. Manuela Ripa, Member of the European Parliament for the Ecological Democratic Party (ÖDP) and Member of the European Parliament for Saarland, sees this as positive news for her federal state: "Saarland and the Greater Region would also benefit from such additional funding. This money could be used, for example, to finance more cross-border environmental and climate protection projects, such as a direct rail link between Brussels and Strasbourg via Saarbrücken. The entire European Parliament has to move from Brussels to Strasbourg once a month. A direct connection via Saarbrücken would increase the attractiveness of Saarland. In addition, this train connection could provide sustainable mobility for 250,000 commuters in the Greater Region every day."

150 million people in Europe live in border regions - in total, border regions make up more than 40 percent of EU territory. Border regions face particular challenges due to their location. "It is high time to compensate for the structural disadvantages of border regions through a separate regional aid scheme specifically designed for border regions," emphasizes Manuela Ripa, Member of the European Parliament for the ÖDP in Saarland.

The coalescence of the Saar-Lor-Lux Greater Region has been promoted for years with many cross-border projects. "There is still a lot of room for improvement. The Greater Region can work together on many supra-regional projects to strengthen environmental and climate protection, the circular economy, the labor market, healthcare and sustainable tourism. However, there is often a lack of funding and this should now be addressed," said the MEP, commenting on the European Parliament's report.

The ÖDP politician therefore welcomes the proposal to reserve an additional billion euros in EU funding for EU border regions such as Saarland in order to better meet their needs. As part of the next multiannual financial framework, the common EU budget, additional funds are to be made available for all EU border regions from 2028 under the name "Borderland Billion". Specifically, one billion euros is to be reserved specifically for border regions at the beginning of each budget period before the distribution of EU structural funds to the individual member states.

The EU Parliament is also proposing to simplify the administration of funding. The "Borderland Billion" is to be allocated directly by the European Groupings for Territorial Cooperation (EGTCs). In future, EGTCs are also to be increasingly used as the administrative authority for the cross-border INTERREG programs, which are currently managed by the federal states in Germany. "Strengthening EGTCs in the allocation of European funding means more proximity to citizens, as these associations are made up of municipal decision-makers from both sides of the border. They know the needs of the residents best. And the removal of administrative hurdles is a crucial step towards faster implementation of cross-border projects for sustainable local development," concludes Ripa.

The EU Parliament's report is not legally binding, but provides impetus for the next EU budget period. The MEPs' demands must therefore still be confirmed as part of the preparation of the next EU Multiannual Financial Framework.