Breakfast Debate #2: Cross-border commuters: A daily journey between obstacles and opportunities

On Thursday 29th April, the Border Focal Point Network organised the second episode of the ‘Beyond Borders: Breakfast Debates’ series, focusing on cross-border commuting.

The session covered the obstacles that European citizens face when crossing borders for work on a daily basis while also discussing the consequences of cross-border labour mobility for the economic development of border regions. Testimonies from the ground brought together evidence of how cross-border projects remove obstacles and discussed the effects of cross-border commuting in regions including the Czech-German border, the Portugal-Spain border and the Sweden-Denmark border. While programmes such as the EURES cross-border partnership have facilitated movement of workers within the EU, the panel agreed that there still exist mental barriers (linguistic, cultural) that need to be overcome. Representatives from the European Commission also contributed to the event with DG REGIO providing an overview of European cross-border projects and DG EMPL discussing their views on the most common barriers that workers face.

The 'Beyond Borders: Breakfast Debates' series has been designed to highlight ways in which cross-border regions can be supported in tackling specific problems, building on their many assets. The debates will provide the opportunity for stakeholders and policy experts to convene and discuss the continued challenges and obstacles to cross border cooperation.

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