Practical guide for cross-border cooperation Mrs. Monika Wulf-Mathies, Commissioner responsible for regional development, and the Association of European Border Regions (AEBR) will present a "Practical Guide for Cross-Border Cooperation", a handbook for practitioners that contains practical information to the successful ... Mrs. Monika Wulf-Mathies, Commissioner responsible for regional development, and the Association of European Border Regions (AEBR) will present a "Practical Guide for Cross-Border Cooperation", a handbook for practitioners that contains practical information to the successful planning and implementation of cross-border projects. The European Commission supports the exchange of experience between regions and has provided finance and advice to the LACE pilot project (Linkage Assistance and Cooperation for the European Border Regions) of the AEBR. This project concentrates on the provision of services to the border regions, namely the provision of consulting services, seminars and experts opinion. By drawing on the concrete experience of the LACE project, the guide book contains practical information, gives examples and offers lessons that will promote the transfer of good practice to others. The timing of the publication of this guide is particularly important, because cross border cooperation in the European Union is set to increase in significance, partly due to the participation of regions in and with the new member states. New cooperation projects will also be possible with regions in Central and Eastern Europe and regions in the Mediterranean area, as the Community's INTERREG II initiative also applies to border regions with countries in these areas.
