A conference on “The future of frontier Regions in Europe” opened at Saarbrucken (Germany) in early July. It was attended by over 150 European regional delegates, as well as many representatives of national governments and EU institutions. During her intervention, EU Commissioner for Regional Policy Danuta H?bner presented the new GECT (European Regrouping of Territorial Cooperation) – inserted in the new Regulation on Structural Funds 2007-2013 -, in compliance with which the regional and local authorities now have the faculty to create a cross-border association (regrouping) endowed with juridical personality, without any need for the member states concerned to conclude a bilateral treaty. During the next planning period, cooperation will constitute one of the three major objectives of regional policy, with a budget equivalent to 7.75 billion uro: economic and social development, healthcare services, employment, culture and transport are the priority sectors of activity.
