ÖIR hosted an Online Dialogue on 14 April 2026 focusing on “Cross-border regions: strengthening cooperation through data, evidence and evaluation”. The event brought together over 40 experts and practitioners to discuss key challenges and opportunities in cross-border cooperation, with a particular emphasis on the role of territorial evidence, data availability and evaluation approaches.
Drawing on recent studies and projects, Arndt Münch, Manon Badouix and Sabrina Mansutti (ÖIR) presented insights from a range of ongoing and recently completed projects. These included the evaluation of the Interreg Programme Saxony–Czechia, illustrating participatory approaches to programme learning and governance, as well as ESPON projects such as CROSSGOV, CORE-IB and TNCOOP, which explore cross-border governance mechanisms, territorial evidence and future cooperation needs. In addition, findings from DG REGIO studies on cross-border labour market analysis and data collection for cross-border commuters were discussed, highlighting methodological innovations to improve the availability and comparability of commuter data across European border regions.
The dialogue highlighted both the progress made and the persistent gaps in comparable cross-border data. The exchange underlined the importance of robust analytical methods and improved data collection for supporting effective policymaking and strengthening cooperation across European border regions.
We thank the participants for their interest and constructive contributions to the discussions and stay tuned for more information on the upcoming online dialogues!
