Cross-border planning
Introduction
The Association of European Border Regions (ARFE) is an organization of European regions whose mission is cross-border cooperation in Europe[1] and other continents. The headquarters of the association is located in Gronau, Federal Republic of Germany. It also has a project office in Berlin and two information centers, one for Ukraine in Kharkiv (in collaboration with the Kharkiv National University of Economics) and another for the Balkans, in Novi Sad (in collaboration with the Central European Service for Cross-Border Initiatives (CESCI). Likewise, the Extremadura Office in Brussels functions as an ARFE "antenna" in that city.
The association represents the respective common interests of its members before national and international parliaments, organizations, authorities and institutions.
History
The first initiative that promoted the idea of creating a "union of border regions" was mentioned in 1965 at the International Regional Planning Conference in Basel. After extensive preparation, ten border regions of Europe took the initiative on 17–18 June 1971, creating the Permanent Conference of European Border Regions, which became the current "Association of European Border Regions".[2] They elected Alfred Mozer as the first president of AEBR.[3].
Goals
The ARFE operates in all European border and cross-border regions, setting the following objective:
References
- [1] ↑ Kovziridze, Tamara (2008). id=OHotIDQfHlQC&pg=PA133 Hierarchy and Interdependence in Multi-level Structures: Foreign and European Relations of Belgian, German and Austrian Federated Entities. Asp/Vubpress/Upa. p. 133. ISBN 9789054875369.: https://books.google.com/books
- [2] ↑ Hooper, Barbara; Kramsch, Olivier (2004). Cross-Border Governance in the European Union. Taylor & Francis. p. 175. ISBN 9780203563380.: https://books.google.com/books?id=-3MQzSXosZYC&pg=PA175
- [3] ↑ Jens Gabbe and Dr. Viktor Frhr. von Malchus; Dr. Thomas Stumm (2008). «3.The Association of European Border Regions as an umbrella organization». En Caitriona Mullan, ed. Cooperation Between European Border Regions: Review and Perspectives. Baden-Baden, Germany: Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft. p. 16. ISBN 978-3-8329-3390-6.