The document discusses challenges and opportunities for transborder spatial planning cooperation across borders in Europe. It notes that spatial problems do not respect borders, and that cooperation is needed for successful territorial competition. However, there are challenges like unclear competences and different planning systems between countries. The document proposes that a unified spatial data infrastructure could provide a practical basis for integrated transborder planning. It also discusses the need for involvement from local to regional levels, and limitations of current EU support programs. It concludes that further experimentation is needed to develop new models and tools to overcome constraints and enable transnational spatial data integration.

1. REFLECTIONS ON SDI
FOR SPATIAL PLANNING COOPERATION
AND SUPPORT PROGRAMMES ACROSS THE
BORDERS OF EUROREGIONS
Magdalena Belof
Regional Bureau of Spatial Planning in
Wroclaw
Lower Silesian Voivodeship
GI2010-Symposium – Dresden 14/15 Mai 2010

2. Issues to be discussed:
The basic challange for co-operation in
transborder spatial planning
The level of involvement – who should
plan?
EU support programms – practical
dimension
Conlusions
GI2010-Symposium – Dresden 14/15 Mai 2010

3. Do we really need cooperation?
Spatial problems do not respect administration
borders
Free movement of people is already a fact
For successful territorial competition the
common vision is a MUST:
divided territories cannot reach the critical mass to
successfully compete on European level
divided territories compete for EU money instead of better
utilising the external help
Territorial Cohesion includes spatial cohesion –
divided Europe cannot compete on global
market.
GI2010-Symposium – Dresden 14/15 Mai 2010

4. The basic challenges for co-operation
in transborder spatial planning
Unclear competences
Autonomous systems of planning law
Different tools (statistical data,
methodologies, approaches)
Lack of instruments/regulations for free
spatial data exchange
GI2010-Symposium – Dresden 14/15 Mai 2010

5. Solutions ?
The unified Spatial Data Infrastructure can
give practical basis for transnational spatial
monitoring and integrated planning:
Common „language”
Acess to information
Faster and more democratic process of
decission making
GI2010-Symposium – Dresden 14/15 Mai 2010

6. The level of involvement –
who should build the system?
Involvement of local level is crucial
but…
only regional (subregional) level posses the
technical capability, know how and
human capital to create and maintain the
system
but…
The regional level will not be able to do so
without the green light from national/EU
level. GI2010-Symposium – Dresden 14/15 Mai 2010

7. EU support programms – practical dimension
Bilateral transborder cooperation PL - DE
No chance to support the project larger than one program area
Only local (subregional) level involved
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Zachodniopomorskie (PL) Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Zachodniopomorskie (PL)
Brandenburg (D) Brandenburg (D)
Brandenburg (D) Lubuskie (PL) Brandenburg (D) Lubuskie (PL)
Saxony (D) Lower Silesia (PL) Saxony (D) Lower Silesia (PL)
Before accession Transborder programs
GI2010-Symposium – Dresden 14/15 Mai 2010

8. EU support programms – practical dimension
Trilateral transborder cooperation PL – DE - CZ
Interreg III C didn’t take into account trilateral cooperation for 2007-13!
No better opportunities for trilateral cross border cooperation need
IIIA
INTERREG IV A
DE -- PL
D PL
D PL
INTERREG IV A
INTERREG IIIA INTERREG IV
INTERREG IIIA
CZ - DE
CZ - D PL A CZ
-
CZ - PL
CZ
GI2010-Symposium – Dresden 14/15 Mai 2010

9. EU support programms – practical dimension
Trilateral transborder cooperation PL – DE -
CZ
European Territorial Co-operation in 2007-13
Sachsen – Sachsen – Poland -
Czech Republic Poland Czech Republic
€ 207 million € 105 million € 220 million ERDF
ERFD ERFD
GI2010-Symposium – Dresden 14/15 Mai 2010

10. Other solutions:
EUROREGIONS ?
They wrere established in a up-bottom political process
to support integration
Have they really established long-term co-operation networks of
various partners?
From 2004 (Interreg III) they lost substantial influence
on managing financial support for transborder
cooperation process.
What area their actual strength and role today in influencing the
transborder national and regional policies?
Before 2004 the membership was a precondition to get
access to the funds.
What means the euroregional partnership today – what is a role in
formation of a real strategic frameworks?
ARE EUROREGIONS CAPABLE TO FORM THE STRUCTURES FOR
BUILDING TRANSBORDED SPATIAL DATA INFRASTRUCTURE?
GI2010-Symposium – Dresden 14/15 Mai 2010

11. Other solutions - EUROREGIONS ?
NISSE – NISA - NYSA
BERLIN
WROCŁAW
DREZDEN
PRAGUE
GI2010-Symposium – Dresden 14/15 Mai 2010

12. Other solutions:
Europaen Grouping for Territorial
Cooperation?
EGTC – status for 2008
Polish Parliament
adopted the EGTC Act
on the 7th of November
2008
No EGTC exists yet in
Poland
GI2010-Symposium – Dresden 14/15 Mai 2010

13. Other solutions:
Regional & institutional initiatives
EU – supported (Interreg /Territorial
cooperation, e-Content, others)
Oderregio
Plan 4 All
…
Self – supported
DP – PLIS
Lower Silesian – Saxon – Northern Czech
Working Group
Academic initiative for Atlas on Polish-Czech
transborder area
GI2010-Symposium – Dresden 14/15 Mai 2010

14. Other solutions:
National & Regional - National Initiatives
Bilateral Committees and Working Groups
responsible for transborder cooperation (inc.
Committees & Groups for Spatial Development)
Spatial Development Study for Polish-Czech Border Area
Infrastructure investment map for Polish – German
Border Area
Odra Partnership
Vysehrad Group
Common Document on Spatial Development of V4+2
countries (Vysehrad Group + Romania and Bulgaria)
GI2010-Symposium – Dresden 14/15 Mai 2010

15. CONCLUSIONS:
Transnational SDI intergation
CONSTRAINS POSITIVE IMPACT….
LACK OF LEGAL BASIS
EU INFUENCE
LACK OF READY PATTERNS
INFORMATION ERA
LACK OF MONEY
PUBLIC AWARENESS
WEAK POSSTION
OF PLANNING (in POLAND)
HABITS
INTERGARTION BY EXPERIMENT
GI2010-Symposium – Dresden 14/15 Mai 2010

16. CONCLUSIONS:
Transnational SDI intergation
WE ARE IN EXPERIMENTAL PHASE!
We have to:
Form ad hock alliances and test them
Invent and test new cooperation models
Invent tools (legal, financial, technical we
already have!)
Lobby at regional, national and EU level
GI2010-Symposium – Dresden 14/15 Mai 2010

17. Thank you for your attention!
mbelof@poczta.wbu.wroc.pl
GI2010-Symposium – Dresden 14/15 Mai 2010