Evaluation of Border Regions in the European Union
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CXe[\j`ejk`klk]i >\jle[_\`kle[8iY\`k [\jCXe[\jEfi[i_\`e$N\jk]Xc\e Landesinstitut für Evaluation of Border Regions Gesundheit und Arbeit des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen in the European Union (EUREGIO) Final Report Ulenbergstraße 127 - 131, 40225 Düsseldorf Fax 0211 3101-1189 LIGA.Fokus 1 [email protected] order Regions in the European Union (EUREGIO) in the European Regions order www.liga.nrw.de Wissenschaftliche Reihe • Band 25 •Evaluation of B of 25 •Evaluation • Band Reihe Wissenschaftliche www.liga.nrw.de Impressum.qxd 10.06.2008 10:45 Seite 2 This document has been prepared as part of the project "Evaluation of Border Regions in the European Union (EUREGIO)" funded by the European Commission. The project was financed by the European Union, grant No 2003104 (SI2.378322). Sole responsibility lies with the authors. The European Commission is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein. (Permanent or incidental) project partners were: Belgium: Pascal Garel, European Hospital and Healthcare Federation (HOPE) Germany: Prof. Angela Brand, University of Applied Sciences of Bielefeld Peter Schäfer, Ministry of Employment, Health and Social Affairs NRW Hans-Willi Schemken, AOK Rheinland Heike Au, AOK Rheinland Julia Schröder, AOK Rheinland Dr Karl-Heinz Feldhoff, Municipal Health Service of Heinsberg Claudia Meier, Municipal Health Service of Heinsberg Jens Gabbe, Association of European Border Regions (AEBR) Martín Guillermo, Association of European Border Regions (AEBR) Dr Wolfgang Klitzsch, European Public Health Centre NRW Poland: Detlef Lischka, German-Polish Health Academy Netherlands: Prof. Jacques Scheres, University Hospital of Maastricht Contact: Project Team Dr Helmut Brand / Dr Alfons Hollederer / Gudula Ward / Ulrike Wolf Landesinstitut für Gesundheit und Arbeit Nordrhein-Westfalen (LIGA.NRW) NRW Institute of Health and Work Ulenbergstraße 127 - 131 40225 Düsseldorf Germany Tel.: +49 211 3101-0 Fax: +49 211 3101-1189 Printed and published by: LIGA.NRW, Düsseldorf, April 2008 No part of this publication may be produced without written permission from the LIGA.NRW. ISBN 978-3-88139-153-5 2 Innentitel.qxd 10.06.2008 10:47 Seite 3 Evaluation of Border Regions in the European Union (EUREGIO) Grant Agreement No 2003104 (SI2.378322) Final Report May 2007 3 Inhalt.qxd 10.06.2008 10:46 Seite 5 Evaluation of Border Regions in the European Union (EUREGIO) Contents Preface . .9 1 Introduction . .13 1.1 Cooperation between health systems: Discussion processes and activities at the European level . .14 1.2 Information about cross-border activities in health . .17 1.3 The Project "EUREGIO - Evaluation of border regions in the European Union" . .17 1.3.1 Project steps . .18 1.3.2 Networking, exchange of experiences and dissemination of project results . .20 2 Cross-Border Cooperation in Health. Framework Conditions for Taking Measures: "Interreg" Community Initiative and Cross-Border Structures . .23 2.1 The Interreg Community initiative . .24 2.1.1 Background . .24 2.1.2 The role of the Euregios and similar structures under the Interreg initiative . .24 2.1.3 Survey conducted in Interreg IIIA secretariats . .26 2.2 Euroregions and similar structures . .28 2.2.1 Background . .28 2.2.2 Survey conducted in the Euregios, Euroregions and similar structures . .30 2.2.3 Cross-border structures: Case studies . .39 3 Cross-Border Cooperation in Health: Promoting and Hindering Factors . .45 3.1 Introduction . .46 3.2 Internal promoting and hindering factors . .47 3.2.1 Setting up adequate Partnerships . .47 3.2.2 Staff resources and commitment of the actors . .49 3.2.3 Cooperation agreement at project level . .49 3.2.4 Public relations work . .50 3.2.5 Language barriers . .51 3.2.6 Project evaluation . .52 3.2.7 Exchange of experiences and information with other projects . .52 3.3 External promoting and hindering factors . .53 3.3.1 Financing problems . .53 3.3.2 Bureaucratic problems concerning (Interreg-)funding . .54 3.3.3 Willingness and unwillingness of actors . .54 3.3.4 Need for information and coordination . .56 3.3.5 Political support . .57 3.3.6 Need for legal certainty . .57 5 Inhalt.qxd 10.06.2008 10:46 Seite 6 Contents 3.4 Further hindering and promoting factors . .59 3.5 Evaluation of promoting and hindering factors seen from the point of view of the responsible project bodies . .60 4 Cross-Border Health Projects: Analysis of the Project Landscape . .63 4.1 Introduction . .64 4.2 Method . .64 4.2.1 Identification of contact partners of cross-border projects in health . .64 4.2.2 Survey among the responsible project bodies of cross-border health-related projects . .65 4.3 Results . .67 4.3.1 Project development state, project term and countries involved . .67 4.3.2 Priority issues . .68 4.3.3 Clarification of needs and requirements . .71 4.3.4 Target criteria . .72 4.3.5 Target group(s) . .73 4.3.6 Cooperation based on partnership . .74 4.3.7 Sustainability . .76 4.3.8 Evaluation . .77 4.3.9 Public relations work and documentation . .79 4.3.10 Analysis of the project landscape: Comments and summary . .81 5 Conclusion and Recommendations for Action . .83 5.1 Conclusion . .84 5.2 Recommendations for action concerning quality development and strengthening of cross-border cooperation . .90 Literature . .95 Downloads . .103 Annexes . .105 Annex 1: Events at which the project was presented . .106 Annex 2: Overview of project publications as well as newsletters, position papers and articles in learned journals in which the "EUREGIO" project is mentioned . .109 Annex 3: List of interviewed Interreg IIIA secretariats . .112 Annex 4: Interreg IIA and IIIA programmes: health-related priorities, measures and numbers of projects (overview) . .115 Annex 5: List of interviewed cross-border structures: Euregios/Euroregions/Working Groups . .126 Annex 6: Euregions and similar structures - General information . .129 Annex 7: Euregios, Euroregions and similar cross-border structures - Overview of health-related working groups . .133 Annex 8: List of reported cross-border health-related projects, sorted by regions . .139 6 Illustrations.qxd 10.06.2008 10:45 Seite 7 Evaluation of Border Regions in the European Union (EUREGIO) List of Illustrations, Tables and Boxes Illustrations Illustration 1 Methods and project development of the "EUREGIO"project . .18 Illustration 2 Results of the survey conducted in Euregios, Euroregions and similar structures – Tasks under the Interreg IIIA programme . .25 Illustration 3 Participation of EU Member States and EU Non-Member States in the 67 interviewed Euregios and similar structures . .32 Illustration 4 Importance of the "health" issue . .34 Illustration 5 Geographical overview of health-relevant working groups in Euregios and similar structures along the internal and external borders of the EU . .36 Illustration 6 Euregios and similar structures – tasks of health-relevant working groups . .37 Illustration 7 Number of cross-border health projects by start of the project for the period before 1999 and for 1999 up to 2005 . .67 Illustration 8 Number of cross-border health projects by participating states . .68 Illustration 9 Main issues of cross-border projects in the health sector . .69 Illustration 10 Regional distribution of selected priority issues in the areas of Northern Europe and the Baltic Sea region, Central and Eastern Europe, North-West Europe as well as the region of the Alps and the Danube . .70 Illustration 11 Number and regional distribution of the projects which, by their own account, are dealing with the issue of quality assurance and/or quality development, simplified use or accessibility of health services abroad, with information and transparency of counselling services or telemedicine . .71 Illustration 12 Answers given by the projects (in %) in reaction to the question "Was a clarification of needs and requirements carried out before the start of the project . ..