​The European Committee of the Regions recognizes the best European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation generating growth and jobs

Raffaele Cattaneo, Chair of the Commission of Territorial Cohesion of the European Committee of the Regions, delivered the award 'Building Europe across Borders' to the EGTC Hospital de Cerdanya in recognition of its value as example for the cross-border cooperation in Europe as instrument of integration of a territory beyond borders and of generation of growth and development at local level. The hospital has been set up by Catalonia and Languedor-Rousillon to provide health service to 34,000 permanent inhabitants and a floating population 120,000 in the Cerdanya valley, in the middle of the Pyrenees.

The ceremony took place on 20 April during the 6th annual meeting of the EGTC Platform of the CoR. Mr Cattaneo, who coordinates the Platform and chaired the jury, stated that 'The jury was impressed by the dimensions of the project, which goes far beyond the usual projects of cross-border cooperation and which really brings European added value to the citizens in their day-to-day lives'. 'This example shows that the EGTC is a very useful legal tool to bring big projects into reality at cross-border level, integrating territories and solving important problems', he added.

Dr Jordi Gassió, Director of the Hospital, explained that there are still many obstacles to overcome from the fact of being a cross-border hospital, like the authorisation of medicines for both countries, the transfer of corpses or the place of birth of the children of French mothers, and called the national authorities to adopt ad hoc solutions for the hospital and similar permanent structures of cross-border cooperation.

One honourable mention was awarded to the EGTC Europaregion Tyrol - South Tyrol - Trentino in recognition of the project 'Euregio Science Fund'. In this project, the three member regions of this EGTC have mutualised 3 million Euro to fund trilateral cross-border research projects between 2015 and 2018, establishing a Euroregional Research Advisory Board.

The jury of the award 'Building Europe across Borders' was chaired by Mr Cattaneo and was constituted by representatives of the European Committee of the Regions, the European Economic and Social Committee, the European Commission and the Association of European Border Regions.


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