Will reducing border barriers via the EU’s b-solutions lead towards greater European territorial integration?

ABSTRACT

Despite the positive contributions of several European Union (EU) policies to reduce border barriers, the EU Cross-Border Review (CBR) initiative reaffirmed their relevance and persistence. Since 2018, the EU has supported the b-solutions initiative, specifically focused on tackling legal and administrative border obstacles, aiming to highlight replicable solutions which can contribute to reducing these obstacles. This article critically assesses the b-solutions and its contribution to reducing administrative and legal border obstacles, with an eye to promoting a more integrated European territory. It is concluded that b-solutions is a valid, yet insufficient, initiative to provide replicable solutions to mitigate cross-border barriers.

KEYWORDS:

• b-solutions
• barrier effect
• border obstacles
• European territorial integration
• European territorial cooperation

JEL:

• R5
• R58

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors are grateful for the constructive comments and suggestions offered by two anonymous referees and the editor.

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. See https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/sources/policy/cooperation/european-territorial/cross-border/factsheets/list.cfm.

2. See https://ec.europa.eu/futurium/en/system/files/ged/pub_pap_em_should_eu_cross-border_cooperation_programmes_focus_on_reducing_border_obstacles_documents_danalisi_geografica.pdf.

3. See https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/newsroom/events/2019/11/boosting-cross-border-regions-through-better-transport.