Historically, all border regions in Europe have been disadvantaged in many respects due to their peripheral location. This has only changed for the better in the recent past due to the EU and especially the Schengen area. In some parts of Europe, border regions have benefited particularly from the common internal market and its deepening due to the abolition of border controls and the expansion of cross-border cooperation. One such region is the greater SaarLorLux region. But even there, the experiences are mixed and the potential for improvement is still great.

Only a few figures suffice to show the importance of border regions for the development of the EU:  One third of the EU population lives in border regions, which make up 40 percent of the EU territory. Some small countries consist only or almost only of border regions. More than two million EU citizens cross a national border every day as "cross-border commuters" to get to their place of work.

The aim of the conference is to exchange ideas on experiences ("best practice") and on the potential of cross-border cooperation between academics, politicians and practitioners from Germany (NRW, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland), France, Belgium and Luxembourg on the one hand and Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia and Serbia on the other.

 Programme

Thursday, 14 October

18.30 Opening Remarks

Professor Dr. Zoltán PÁLLINGER

Rector, Andrássy University Budapest

Michael WINZER

Resident Representative, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, Hungary

18.50 Introduction of the two Ministers

Dr. Heinrich KREFT

Holder of the Chair of Diplomacy II and Head of the Centre for Diplomacy at the AUB

The Importance of Cross-border Cooperation in Europe from Hungarian and Croatian perspective

19.00 Judit VARGA (TBC)

Hungarian Minister of Justice

19.30 Natasa TRAMISAK (TBC)

Croatian Minister for Regional Development and EU-Funds

Reception

Friday, 15. October

8.30 Short Thematic Introduction

Dr. Heinrich KREFT

Holder of the Chair of Diplomacy II and Head of the Centre for Diplomacy at the AUB 

       8.45 The Development of Cross-border Cooperation in the "Greater Region" "SaarLorLux" between Germany (Saarland/Rhineland-Palatinate), France (Lorraine/Grand Est), Luxembourg and Belgium (East Belgium/Wallonia/Brussels)

Jun.-Prof. Dr. Florian WEBER 

European Studies/ Focus on Western Europe and Border Areas, Faculty of Empirical Human Sciences and Economics, Saarland University

Successes and Challenges of Cross-border Cooperation in the "Greater Region" - Insights from Practice

9:30 North Rhine-Westphalia and the Development of Cross-Border-Cooperation

Mark SPEICH

State Secretary for Federal, European and International Affairs, State of North Rhine-Westphalia 

The Political Project of Cross-border Cooperation from a German perspective

Bernhard KASTER MdB a.D.

Mayor (ret.) Trier-Land

Cross-border Cooperation – the Outcomes of the Franco-German Reconciliation

Christophe AREND

Member of the Assemblée Nationale, France (via ZOOM)

10.30 Coffee Break

11.00 Successes and Problems - Insights from Practice (Part II) 

The Legal Challenges of Cross-border Cooperation

The Concept of the "Cross-Border Mechanism" – a Luxembourg Proposal

Léon GLODEN

Member of the Luxembourg Parliament and Mayor of Grevenmacher

Cross-border Economic and Cultural Cooperation

Ralf BRITTEN

Head of Department of the City of Trier and President of the German-Luxembourg Business Initiative

Cross-border Cooperation in the Areas of Safety and Health – Experience with the Corona Pandemic

Günther SCHARTZ

Prefect,  District Trier-Saarburg

The Importance of INTERREG Projects for Cross-border Cooperation

Pascal ARIMONT

MEP, full member of the Committee on Regional Development, INTERREG negotiator. EPP Vice-Coordinator in the East Belgium Regional Policy Committee (participation via ZOOM)

13.30 Lunch

14.30 Hungary's Relations with Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia

An Overview of Contemporary History

Ferenc NÉMETH

Research Fellow, Institute for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Budapest

Status and Potential of Cross-border Cooperation

From Hungarian Perspective

Gyula OCSKAY

Head of European Institute of Cross-Border Studies and Secretary General of CESCI

From Croatian Perspective

Minister Natasa TRAMISAK

Ministry of Regional Development and EU-Funds, Croatia

From Serbian Perspective

Aleksander SIMURDIC 

Director of the European Affairs Fund of AP Vojvodina

From Slovenian Perspective

Tina VUGA (TBC)

Head of the Unit for International Cooperation, Ministry of Education, Slovenia

16.30 Coffee Break

17.00 Status and Potential of Cross-border Cooperation from the Perspective of Hungarian, Slovenian, Croatian and Serbian Border Municipalities (panel discussion between local politicians and municipal representatives)

Zoltán BALI (TBC)

Deputy Mayor, Zalaegerszeg, Hungary

Janesz MAGYAR 

Mayor, Lendava, Slovenia 

NN (TBC)

Croatia

Sanda SIMIC STAMBOLIC 

Assistant Director, Department for Cross-border and transnational cooperation Programmes, Ministry of EU-Integration, Government of Serbia

18:00 Pre-Dinner speech 

„Do we need a European Business Law?“

Roland THEIS

State Secretary for Europe, Ministry for Europe, Justice and Finance, Saarland

Saturday, 16 October

9:00 Presentation of the INTERREG Projects Programme of the EU

Katalin KOVÁCS-TOPERCZER

Senior Economic Advisor 

Representation of the European Commission in Hungary

9:45 Coffee break

10:15 Similarities and Differences between the "Greater Region" (SaarLorLux) and Hungary-Slovenia-Croatia-Serbia.

Moderated Discussion between all Speakers with Questions from the Audience

Moderation: 

Dr. Heinrich KREFT

Holder of the Chair of Diplomacy II and Head of the Centre for Diplomacy at the AUB

12.00 Lunch

Covid Information

The 3-G rule (tested, recovered or fully vaccinated) applies throughout the campus of the Andrássy University Budapest. Proof of this must be presented when entering the university. In the case of testing, official proof of a negative PCR test (not older than 72 hours) or an antigen test (not older than 48 hours) must be presented.

Please note that it is compulsory to wear a mask in closed rooms at the AUB (except the speaker in a speech).

For further information please visit this site: Covid Information