Overview of the principal forms of institutionalised cooperation existing in Europe before the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon amending the founding treaties of the European Union on 1 December 2009: the international organisations created by the European States, the activities that they exercise, the areas of cooperation that such activities fit into (security, economic cooperation and the human dimension) and the interconnections between the different organisations.

Diagrams showing how the European organisations covered by the CVCE have developed and particularly how the number of their members has increased since 1949.

Interactive map showing the 10 founding members of the Council of Europe in 1949, as well as the subsequent accessions that determined the present composition of the organisation.

Consolidated version of the Statute of the Council of Europe, including successive amendments made to the original Statute of 5 May 1949, the last of which date from April 2003.

Protocol annexed to the Treaties establishing the European Community and the European Atomic Energy Community by the Treaty establishing a single Council and a single Commission of the European Communities of 8 April 1965.

Table showing the number of staff working for the Community institutions from 1970 to 2004.

On 4 April 1973, Sir Christopher Soames, Vice-President of the Commission of the European Communities, gives an address to the European Parliament in Luxembourg on the important role of the European Communities in the liberalisation of world trade and on the potentialities of the GATT Tokyo Round negotiations.

On 5 February 1973, at the Overseas Bankers Club (Guildhall, UK), Sir Christopher Soames, Vice-President of the Commission of the European Communities, gives an address on the external relations of the European Communities. In this address he highlights the importance of Britain’s role in this realm as well as its commitment to cooperation with other countries to develop international free trade agreements.

On 22 June 1973, Sir Christopher Soames, Vice-President of the Commission of the European Communities, gives an address to the Assembly of Western European Union in Paris in which he emphasises the European Communities’ role in the world and the role of Western European Union. He also underlines the need for an economic and monetary union in order to create a more stable monetary order in the world, the importance of trade negotiations for the expansion of world trade, and Europe’s relationship with the United States.

On 29 May 1974, Sir Christopher Soames, Vice-President of the Commission of the European Communities, gives an address at the OECD Ministerial Meeting in Paris. In his address he focuses on the commitment of European governments to greater international cooperation and to the need to increase aid to developing countries, including in matters of trade. He also emphasises the European Communities’ dependence on trade, the need to reduce inflation, and the need to liberalise trade and develop international cooperation to encourage economic development within the European Communities and more efficient global economic management.

On 1 July 1975, Sir Christopher Soames, Vice-President of the Commission of the European Communities, gives an address at a luncheon organised by the Oil Industries Club in London, in which he focuses on international economic relations and a new economic world order. He also explores the interdependence between the European Communities and the world economy, as well as the need to expand world trade. He argues that the European Communities can play an important role in the effective management and trade of raw materials such as oil, and in providing development aid.

On 30 September 1975, at a luncheon given in his honour by the Brazilian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Sir Christopher Soames, Vice-President of the Commission of the European Communities, gives an address on relations between the EC and Latin America. He discusses the challenges of an increasingly complex and interdependent world economy, the need for cooperation between the European Communities and Latin American countries such as Brazil and the potential mutual benefits of such partnerships.

On 28 November 1977, Marie-Thérèse Goutmann, a French politician and Chair of the Communist Group in the French Senate, submits a motion for a resolution on the achievements of and prospects for the Lomé Convention. The document outlines ACP–EEC Joint Committee proposals for a more effective international economic order and, by extension, for a new system of socio-economic cooperation, especially in the industrial sector.

On 13 July 1984, in Saarbrücken, Roland Dumas, French Foreign Minister, and Waldemar Schreckenberger, Junior Minister to the German Federal Chancellor, sign the Agreement on the gradual abolition of checks at the Franco-German border.

On 12 July 1988, two years before the signing of the Schengen Agreement, Emanuele Gazzo, Chief Editor of Agence Europe, criticises the increasingly slow pace at which the Twelve are progressing towards a Europe without frontiers.

On August 1988, the American diplomat George Ball gives an interview in which he refers to the efforts made to encourage British accession to the EEC and African association with the Community.

On 9–12 January 1989, Pierre Uri, Professor of Economics, gives an interview on the origins of the European Union, and more specifically on the origins of supranationalism. The interview highlights the initiatives and actions taken from the very beginning of the European integration process with regard to cross-border political cooperation.

On February 1989, Carl Kaysen, Deputy National Security Adviser to US President John F. Kennedy in the early 1960s, gives an interview in which he refers to the US Government’s position in relation to the EEC and to US Government decisions, notably on military and agricultural matters, that had a direct impact on the Community.

On 5 April 1990, the European Parliament’s Institutional Committee publishes a working document on the principle of subsidiarity. This document explores the implementation of this principle in the European integration process, including the internal and external competences of the European Community and the balance of powers between the European Community and the Member States. It also addresses the insertion of the concept of subsidiarity in the EC Treaties, the European Parliament’s position on this concept and the mechanisms introduced to ensure the implementation of subsidiarity.

On 20 June 1990, commenting on the signing, the previous day, by the representatives of Belgium, France, the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG), Luxembourg and the Netherlands, of the Schengen Convention which lays down the conditions for the application of and the guarantees for the implementation of the free movement of persons, the French daily newspaper Le Monde considers the implications and constraints thereof for the signatory countries.

On 20 June 1990, the day following the signing of the Convention applying the Schengen Agreement by Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, the Belgian daily newspaper Le Soir describes the practical difficulties that the free movement of persons may come up against.

On 15 January 1992, in Brussels, the Commission of the European Communities presents a document giving a brief historical outline of the concept of subsidiarity, focusing on its implications for the exercise of the Community’s competences.

In its Communication of 11 February 1992 entitled From the Single Act to Maastricht and beyond: the means to match our ambitions, also known as the ‘Delors II Package’, the Commission proposes adjustments to the structure of Community funding so as to take greater account of each Member State’s ability to pay.

This declaration acknowledges that the outermost regions of the EU (e.g. the French overseas departments, the Azores and Madeira and the Canary Islands) suffer from major structural backwardness from a socio-economic perspective. It recognises the specific needs of these regions and proposes measures to develop their integration in the single market.

On 20 October 1992, in Brussels, the Commission of the European Communities presents a document on the notion of subsidiarity. This document highlights the changing meanings of this concept, including the Calvinist, corporatist and subsidiary theory of a secularised state. It also analyses Althusius’ ‘jus sunbioticum’, which constitutes the root of the subsidiarity principle, and refers to the Anglo-American liberal approach upheld by John Locke in this respect.

On 26 October 1993, the European Space Agency Science Programme Committee publishes a report on cooperation between the ESA and the corresponding agencies in the USA, Russia, China and Japan. The report focuses on agreements and financial support for participation in projects and other collaborative activities with agencies devoted to space exploration, such as NASA.

On 31 May 1994, in Strasbourg, Jordi Pujol, President of the Assembly of European Regions (AER), gives his views to the Assembly of the Council of Europe on the role played by municipalities and regions in forming and developing a European identity for Europe’s citizens.

Distribution graph showing the evolution of Union European expenditure between 1995 and 2005.

On 28 April 1995, as the Schengen Agreement is signed by Austria, the Vienna daily newspaper Die Presse welcomes the principle of the opening of the borders as laid down in the Agreement but is more pessimistic as regards its application.

On 25 October 1995, François-Xavier Ortoli, former Vice-President and President of the European Commission, former French Minister for Economic Affairs and Finance and former President of the oil company Total, gives an address on frontier exploration and oil production in emerging countries. He also emphasises frontier exploration in offshore areas and unconventional crude oils, as well as the partnerships established in this sector by oil companies such as Total.

In this document faxed on 4 June 1996, the President of the European Centre for Infrastructure Studies (ECIS) writes to François-Xavier Ortoli, former Vice-President and President of the European Commission, former French Minister for Economic Affairs and Finance and former President of the oil company Total, about cooperation between the European Union and Mercosur in the area of transport infrastructures and particularly trans-European networks.

On 18 July 1997, the French daily newspaper Le Monde criticises the lack of ambition in the European Commission’s work programme entitled ‘Agenda 2000’.

On 2 April 1998, the French daily newspaper Le Figaro outlines the situation at the Brenner Pass crossing between Italy and Austria following the entry into force of the Schengen Convention on 19 June 1990.

On 3 December 1998, the European Parliament adopts a draft Statute for Members of the European Parliament.

Interinstitutional agreement of 22 December 1998 between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on common guidelines for the quality of the drafting of Community legislation.

On 24 March 1999, at the height of the crisis in the European Commission, the French daily newspaper Libération considers the key issue at stake at the Berlin European Council, namely the adoption of Agenda 2000.

On 25 March 1999, in its conclusions, the Berlin European Council adopts the Financial Perspective for the period 2000–2006.

On 27 March 1999, with reference to the Berlin Summit, the French daily newspaper Le Monde welcomes the Fifteen’s adoption of the proposals put forward by the European Commission for the implementation of Agenda 2000, which lays down the EU’s financial framework for 2000–2006.

Interinstitutional Agreement of 6 May 1999 between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline and improvement of the budgetary procedure.

Comparative table of expenditure and revenue ceilings for the period 2000-2006.

The European Parliament addresses the issue of the implementation of Article 299(2) with a view to the definition of a comprehensive, coherent strategy for the sustainable development of the outermost regions by means of measures tailored to their unique situation and development needs.

On 10 March 2001, in Brussels, the Commission of the European Communities publishes a draft communication on guidelines for European governance. It addresses the forthcoming publication of the White Paper on European governance and the emphasis on governance as a strategic priority, as well as the main players involved and guidelines for more democratic European governance, which include increased transparency, responsibility, participation, decentralisation and integration.

On 21 June 2001, the daily newspaper La Libre Belgique calculates the number of civil servants working for the European institutions in Belgium and the operating expenditure required to support them.

Consolidated version of the Convention of 4 January 1960 establishing the European Free Trade Association, as amended on 21 June 2001.

On 8 November 2001, in Brussels, Michel Barnier, European Commissioner responsible for regional policy and institutional reform, gives an address on the forthcoming European Council meeting in Laeken in which he discusses the usefulness of the Treaty of Nice, especially with regard to the reform of the legal system, the protection of democratic values and the need to improve the mechanism of enhanced cooperation. He refers to the importance of political support for European integration in order to increase the democratic legitimacy of the European Union, enable the development of the European institutions and encourage financial solidarity between states and regions.

On 29 January 2002, at a Governance Lunchtime Seminar, Sylvia-Yvonne Kauffman, Member of the European Parliament, Vice-President of the GUE/NGL Group in the European Parliament, Member of the Committee for Constitutional Affairs and Rapporteur for the Report on the White Paper on European Governance, gives an address on better regulation, political responsibility in decision-making and broader consultation in order to achieve increased transparency and openness at the European level.

On 11 July 2002, Alain Lamassoure, Member of the European People’s Party Group, Member of the European Parliament, former French Minister for Foreign Affairs and Member of the European Convention, discusses European governance and emphasises the need to adapt to a more decentralised, effective and democratic management model in the European Union.

On 15 July 2002, Romano Prodi, President of the European Commission, gives an address at the meeting with the Presidents of the Regions of Europe held in Bellagio, in which he sets out the essential ingredients for good governance. These include the important role that the regions and local authorities could play in this regard, the use of White Papers for the application of the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality, the importance of transparency, the increased participation of civil society and representatives of municipalities, towns and regions, as well as improvements to the quality of EU legislation and EU rules. He also highlights the meaningful division of competences between the Member States and the EU and stresses the need for a simplification of the allocation and exercise of these competences, which are to be regulated by the principles of proportionality and subsidiarity.

Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 May 2003 on the adjustment of the financial perspective 2000-2006 for enlargement.

In this extract from The Secret Story of the European Convention, Alain Lamassoure, former Minister for European Affairs and Member of the European Convention in his capacity as representative of the European Parliament, explains why the Convention did not dare to address the question of the European Union’s borders, in particular because of Turkey’s participation in the work of the Convention.

Overview of the main operational policy areas of the European Union in 2004.

In its communication dated 10 February 2004 entitled Building our Common Future: Policy challenges and budget resources in the enlarged Union 2007–2013, the Commission considers the Union’s policy guidelines and priority objectives for the period 2007–2013 and the budget resources which need to be implemented to comply with them.

This declaration made by the EU and the US at the EU–US Summit of 20 June 2005 focuses on improving energy efficiency, enhancing energy security and advancing renewable energy, as well as on the global impact that EU–US cooperation in this field can have on developing countries.

On 30 November 2005, the Council of the European Union sets out the European Union’s strategic commitment to combating global terrorism while respecting human rights. This document emphasises the objectives and requirements of the EU’s counter-terrorism strategy, including the need for cooperation at national, European and international levels.

This Regulation of the European Parliament and the Council establishes a Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument to provide Community assistance for the development of an area of prosperity and good neighbourliness involving the European Union and the ENP countries and territories.

On 30 April 2007, the European Union External Action Service publishes the 2007 EU–US Summit statement about energy security, efficiency and climate change. This statement emphasises the need for enhanced cooperation, global action and the adoption of various regional, national and international policy tools and measures to ensure environmental protection and secure and affordable supplies of energy.

On 12 September 2007, the Commission of the European Communities publishes a Communication on a strategy for the outermost regions, emphasising the goals achieved and outlining a roadmap for future relations.

The United Kingdom Parliament’s Strategy for the outermost regions concludes that the EU’s financial support to the outermost regions may affect the competitive position of these small, remote areas with which the UK has historic connections.

This press release outlines the implications of the Communication adopted by the Commission on the outermost regions, which was presented by Danuta Hübner, Commissioner for Regional Policy. The document reviews the action taken since the previous Communication of 2004 and proposes new measures to secure the future of these regions.

This speech by Danuta Hübner, European Commissioner responsible for Regional Policy, emphasises the idea of continuing the constructive dialogue with the outermost regions. The Commission expresses its intention to fully involve these regions in the Lisbon Strategy and to further develop the competitiveness of their economies.

This document published by EUROMOT sets out good practices and recommendations for cross-border cooperation in Europe.

On 19 May 2008, Danuta Hübner, European Commissioner responsible for Regional Policy, gives introductory and concluding remarks for the debate in the European Parliament on the Sudre Report concerning the strategy for the outermost regions.

In this address given on 31 October 2008, Danuta Hübner, European Commissioner responsible for Regional Policy, presents the contents of the European Commission’s official Communication entitled ‘The outermost regions: an asset for Europe’. She explains how a new strategy has been developed to deal with these regions according to their specific characteristics. The main focus of this strategy is to improve the competitiveness of these regions’ economies and to strengthen regional integration.

On 3 December 2008, in Brussels, Danuta Hübner, European Commissioner responsible for Regional Policy, gives the opening address at the UPEC Conference (Union Économique des Régions Ultraperipheriques de l’Europe Communautaire), which concerns the issues facing the EU’s outermost regions.

Jacqueline Igersheim, Director of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Strasbourg, Roger Somé, Director of the Centre for Research in Social Sciences (CRESS) at the University of Strasbourg, and Martial Libera from the University of Strasbourg each introduce this second study day devoted to examining cross-border cooperation, held as part of the MISHA seminar cycle entitled ‘Anti-Europeanism, Euroscepticism and Alter-Europeanism in European integration history from 1945 to the present’.

In this first half of the second part of the seminar, chaired by Joachim Beck, Director of the Euro-Institute in Kehl, Valentina Guerra from the University of Strasbourg discusses the opposition to Europe of regions within the Council of Europe. Birte Wassenberg from the University of Strasbourg then speaks about past objections to Russia’s accession to the Council of Europe.

In this second half of the second part of the seminar, chaired by Joachim Beck, Director of the Euro-Institute in Kehl, Paulina Gulinska-Jurgiel from European University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder) looks at the role of the Oder-Neisse line in shaping Poland's European discourse. Ismail Ermagan from the University of Erfurt then discusses the origins of Turkish Euroscepticism.

In this first half of the first part of the seminar, chaired by Maurice Blanc from the University of Strasbourg, Bernard Reitel from Upper Alsace University, Mulhouse, discusses the example of the Upper Rhine area in cross-border cooperation. Karen Denni from the University of Strasbourg then looks at the origins of eurodistricts.

In this second half of the first part of the seminar, chaired by Maurice Blanc from the University of Strasbourg, Elodie Piquette and Guillaume Christen from the University of Strasbourg speculate on agricultural practices in relation to the Water Framework Directive. Philippe Hamman from the University of Strasbourg reports on the ambivalent position of cross-border workers. Finally, Bernhard Gross from Cardiff University discusses the treatment by the British media of potential Romanian and Bulgarian immigrants to the European Union.

In his conclusion, Philippe Hamman from the University of Strasbourg particularly emphasises the importance to this study day of the notion of space and regions in all senses of the terms, and develops the various aspects presented in the contributions.

Poster published for the second study day of the multidisciplinary seminar cycle ‘Anti-Europeanism, Euroscepticism and Alter-Europeanism in European integration history from 1945 to the present’, organised by MISHA (the Maison Interuniversitaire des Sciences de l’Homme — Alsace, or Alsace Interuniversity Social Sciences and Humanities Research Institute).

Programme of the second study day entitled ‘Spaces, regions and borders’, held on 26 June 2009 as part of the multidisciplinary seminar cycle ‘Anti-Europeanism, Euroscepticism and Alter-Europeanism in European integration history from 1945 to the present’.

This Issue Paper drawn up by the Conference of Peripheral and Maritime Regions of Europe (CPMR) studies the role of the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument as a key support for cross-border and trans-regional cooperation, as well as fundamental programmes for the gradual economic integration of the regions involved.

This annex, published after the EU–US Summit of 3 November 2009, addresses the collaborative efforts made by the EU and the US to manage major global challenges such as global energy security, new technologies and research. The document emphasises the establishment of the EU–US Energy Council at ministerial level, whose main purpose is to strengthen cooperation between the EU and the US on energy policies and to conduct research on sustainable and clean energy technologies.

On 27 May 2010, the European Commission publishes a speech made by Johannes Hahn, Commissioner for Regional Policy, at the first Forum of the Outermost Regions, in which he focuses on the role and potential of these regions in the area of EU governance.

On 28 June 2010, in Brussels, representatives from the European Union and the United States sign an agreement on the processing and transfer of financial messaging data for the purposes of the Terrorist Finance Tracking Program. This agreement demonstrates the collaborative efforts of the European Union and the United States of America to combat terrorism and the funding of terrorism, and by extension to protect their respective societies, values, rights and freedoms.

Table classifying the European organisations according to various key criteria: composition, constituent instrument, aim, organisational structure, seat, etc. (situation on 1 September 2010).

Monique Jung, Chairman of the Euro-Institut and Vice-Chairman of the Alsace Regional Council, Karl-Heinz Lambertz, Minister-President of the German-speaking Community of Belgium, Birte Wassenberg from the University of Strasbourg and Joachim Beck, Director of the Euro-Institute, set out the aims of the colloquium on ‘Building bridges: towards territorial cohesion in Europe?’.

In the first part of the first workshop at the colloquium ‘Building bridges: towards territorial cohesion in Europe?’, chaired by Eric Jakob (Regio Basiliensis), Violaine Tironi (Espace franco-italien Alcotra), Catherine Romanens (Centre hospitalier de Menton), Xavier Bertrand Sans (Communauté de travail des Pyrénées), Frank Heuberger (Staatskanzlei Rheinland-Pfalz), Hans Martin Tschudi (Basler Pilotprojekt Grenzüberschreitendes Gesundheitswesen) and Dietmar Eisenhammer (Deutsch-französisches Pamina-Netzwerk für Senioren) give some specific examples of cross-border cooperation in Europe.

In the second part of the first workshop at the colloquium ‘Building bridges: towards territorial cohesion in Europe?’ chaired by Laurence Badel from the University of Strasbourg, Sabine Dullin from the University of Paris 1 describes neighbourhood practices and agreements in Eastern Europe in the 1920s. Elzbieta Opilowska from the Willy Brandt Centre and the University of Wroclaw then discusses the quest for a common European identity in the towns of Görlitz and Zgorzelec. Tibor Tõkés and Istvan Süili-Zakar from the University of Debrecen look at the links between cross-border cooperation and the mobility of workers at the European Union’s eastern border. Finally, Rosé Marie Quintana from the University of Perpignan Via Domitia analyses the legal aspects of cross-border cooperation with respect to worker mobility.

In the first part of the second workshop at the colloquium ‘Building bridges: towards territorial cohesion in Europe?’ on the contribution of cross-border areas to regional cooperation and European integration, chaired by Birte Wassenberg from the University of Strasbourg, Steffen Rubach from Euregio presents a case study of interactions between the region of Salzburg, the Land of Berchtesgaden and the town of Traunstein. Hartmut Kowalke from the University of Dresden, Christian Preusscher (Euroregion Elbe/Labe) and Milan Jeøábek from the University of Ústi describe the example of the border zone between Saxony and Bohemia. Jörg Scheffer from the University of Passau looks at the case of the cross-border region shared by Germany, the Czech Republic and Austria. Norbert Weixlbaumer from the University of Vienna then considers the possibilities for cross-border cooperation in the south-eastern Alps, describing the experience of an inter-university trip from Vienna to Trieste. Finally, Rob Belemans (FARO, Flämisches Kulturzentrum, Brüssel) discusses cross-border language policy, using the example of Limburgish, which is spoken in Belgium and the Netherlands.

In the second part of the second workshop at the colloquium ‘Building bridges: towards territorial cohesion in Europe?’ on the contribution of cross-border areas to regional cooperation and European integration, chaired by Andy Pollak from the Centre for Cross Border Studies in Armagh, Gert Battrup from the University of Southern Denmark describes police cooperation between Germany and Denmark in the Schleswig/Southern Jutland region. Martin Klatt from the University of Southern Denmark looks at national minorities as a model of cross-border integration. Finally Dorte Anderson from the University of Southern Denmark talks about the development of a specific identity in the border region between Croatia and Slovenia.

To start the second day of the colloquium ‘Building bridges: towards territorial cohesion in Europe?’ Antonela Cagnolati from the Council of Europe sets out the framework of the work carried out by the Council of Europe’s Congress of Local and Regional Authorities. Karl-Heinz Lambertz, Minister-President of the German-speaking Community of Belgium, chairman of the working group on cross-border cooperation at the Congress and President of the Association of European Border Regions (AEBR), then presents the results of this working group.

On the second day of the colloquium ‘Building bridges: towards territorial cohesion in Europe?’, during a round table on the value of interdisciplinary research into cross-border cooperation chaired by Joachim Beck, Director of the Euro-Institut, and Birte Wassenberg from the University of Strasbourg, Joachim Beck starts by describing the contributions that the science of administration can make to cross-border cooperation. Philippe Hammann from the University of Strasbourg then looks at the sociological aspects of cross-border cooperation. Simon Lang (DHV Speyer) explains the viewpoint of political science, Martial Libera from the University of Strasbourg takes a historian’s viewpoint, and Bernard Reitel from the University of Haute-Alsace considers the geographical aspects. Finally, Alexander Bartling from the Council of Europe’s Congress of Local and Regional Authorities sheds light on the cultural aspects of cross-border cooperation.

In the first part of the third workshop at the colloquium ‘Building bridges: towards territorial cohesion in Europe?’ on governance and networking of cross-border areas, chaired by Jean-Christophe Romer from the University of Strasbourg, Martin Heintel from the University of Vienna discusses cooperation between the bordering countries Austria, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Anaïs Marin from the University of Helsinki focuses on Euroregions with eastern borders, particularly looking at the question of cross-border water management. Julia Scharting from the University of Innsbruck continues the workshop by examining regional governance at the external borders of the European Union, taking the Alpine Rhine Valley as an example. Finally, Mariska van der Giessen from Radboud University Nijmegen presents her research on cross-border cooperation between Germany and the Netherlands.

In the second part of the third workshop at the colloquium ‘Building bridges: towards territorial cohesion in Europe?’ on governance and networking of cross-border areas, chaired by Michel Catala from the University of Nantes, Estelle Evrard from the University of Luxembourg gives a presentation on the workings of cross-border polycentric metropolitan regions. Jordi Gomez from the University of Paris 2 focuses on the establishment, aims and projects of the ‘Catalan Cross-Border Area’ Eurodistrict.

In the fourth workshop at the colloquium ‘Building bridges: towards territorial cohesion in Europe?’ on cross-border areas as models for territorial cohesion, chaired by Marie-Thérèse Bitsch from the University of Strasbourg, Jean Peyrony from the European Commission’s DG Regio gives an introduction on the concept of territorial cohesion. Martin Kurt Weber from the University of Basel looks at the prospects for territorial cohesion in the trinational metropolitan region of Basel. Marco Trienes from RWTH Aachen University examines the possibilities for innovation in life sciences within the Meuse-Rhine Euregion. Olivier Thomas Kramsch from Radboud University Nijmegen analyses the extent to which cross-border cooperation can serve as a model for European integration in general. Frédéric Durand and Antoine Decoville from the GEODE Department at CEPS/INSTEAD in Luxembourg shed light on the concept of cross-border metropolitan integration in Europe. Finally, the presentation by Raymond Woessner from the University of Strasbourg focuses on the role of bridges over the Rhine in the Upper Rhine Conference.

The concluding round table by the ‘Pyrenees–Mediterranean’ scientific group at the colloquium ‘Building bridges: towards territorial cohesion in Europe?’ on prospects, concepts and tools for cross-border cooperation in Europe is moderated by Sylvain Schirmann from the University of Strasbourg and Olivier Martin from the Alsace Region. Martine Camiade from the University of Perpignan Via Domitia, Michel Casteigts from the University of Pau and Pays de l’Adour and Robert Botteghi from the University of Nice give an account of their experience of cross-border cooperation.

This speech by Johannes Hahn, Commissioner for Regional Policy, emphasises the involvement of the EU in the outermost regions and announces an increase in the budget allocated for these regions.

This Communication from the Commission of the European Communities sets out the main guidelines in trade and investment policy to contribute to the objective of sustained economic growth so as to create more jobs and safeguard the welfare state within the EU. The Commission also notes that this will require a strong commitment from all stakeholders, including EU institutions and Member States.

In this table dated April 2011, the European Commission identifies the national targets set for the European Union for progress by 2020 in areas such as employment, education, research, poverty reduction and social inclusion.

This European Commission document explains how EU funding works and emphasises the importance of regional cooperation to enhance EU governance.

European Commission President José Manuel Barroso delivers his State of the Union speech pleading for the launch of a wide-ranging public debate for a major transformation of the European Union into a ‘federation of nation states’.

This conference paper discusses the changing position of the outermost regions and Overseas Countries and Territories and their influence in enhancing the international role of the European Union in the world.

This report, dated 12 October 2011, addresses the relationship between Europe’s outermost regions and the single market, particularly emphasising the impact of these regions on the EU’s role and influence in a global context.

On 28 November 2011, the European Commission publishes a memorandum on the EU–US Summit joint statement that emphasises the need for collaboration between the EU and the US so as to address new global challenges. The main areas of cooperation to be strengthened in this respect are climate change, energy security, health, labour, development and human rights.

This ET2050 Outermost Regions Report analyses the development of ultra-peripheral European territories.

Nuno Severiano Teixeira, Member of the European Parliament, presents his views on why cohesion policy must take into account the outermost regions so that they can also contribute to the EU2020 objectives. He goes on to explain the need for a differentiated treatment for these regions.

This Communication from the Commission analyses the role and potential of the outermost regions of the European Union, paying special attention to the efforts for enhanced cooperation between the Commission and these regions.

José Manuel Durão Barroso, President of the European Commission, speaks about the importance of cohesion in the framework of EU governance, outlining the mutual benefits both for the EU as a whole and for the specific regions involved.

This speech by Johannes Hahn, Commissioner for Regional Policy, draws attention to the fact that the European Union is fully committed to helping its outermost regions to overcome their major challenges, namely isolation, unemployment and the socio-economic effect of the European debt crisis.

This report outlines the objectives of the ET2050 ESPON Applied Research Project (Territorial Scenarios and Visions for Europe), which aims to provide support for policy makers in the area of EU territorial development.