Establishment of cross-border coordination points
1. Member States may establish, on the basis of their institutional and legal framework, one or more cross-border coordination points at national or regional level in accordance with paragraphs 2 and 3.
Where a Member State decides to establish one or more cross-border coordination points only for some of its border regions, it shall not be required to establish cross-border coordination points for its other border regions.
Where a Member State has both land and maritime borders with another Member State and decides to establish one or more cross-border coordination points, it shall not be required to establish a cross-border coordination point for any of its maritime border shared with that Member State.
2. Two or more neighbouring Member States may decide to establish a joint cross-border coordination point competent for one or more of their cross-border regions.
3. Where a Member State decides to establish one or more cross-border coordination points, each cross-border coordination point shall be established either as:
(a)
a part of an existing authority, public law body or permanent entity, including by entrusting that authority, public law body or permanent entity with the additional tasks of the cross-border coordination point; or
(b)
a separate authority, public law body or permanent entity.
4. Member States shall ensure that, within two months of the adoption of a decision establishing a cross-border coordination point, its contact details and information relating to its tasks:
(a)
are made available on the website of the authority, public law body or permanent entity that has been established as a cross-border coordination point and on the websites of the relevant Interreg A programmes referred to in Article 36(2) of Regulation (EU) 2021/1059; and
(b)
are at the same time transmitted electronically to the Commission in accordance with the Annex to this Regulation.
Member States shall ensure that those contact details and information are kept up to date.
Member States shall ensure visibility and accessibility of the cross-border coordination point.
Main tasks of the cross-border coordination points
1. Each cross-border coordination point shall liaise with the initiator as provided for in Articles 9 and 10 and, where applicable, Articles 11 and 12.
The cross-border coordination point to which the initiator submits its cross-border file, irrespective of whether it is national, regional or joint, shall constitute the sole contact point for the initiator with respect to the assessment of the cross-border file under Chapter III and, where applicable, Chapter IV.
2. Member States shall decide whether cross-border coordination points may act upon a cross-border file on their own behalf or whether they shall be responsible only for communicating with the initiator on behalf of the competent authority in accordance with paragraph 1.
3. Member States shall determine, either individually in the case referred to in Article 4(1) or jointly in the case referred to in Article 4(2), the distribution of the following tasks and procedures established under Chapters II and III and, where applicable, Chapter IV between the cross-border coordination point and the competent authority:
(a)
carrying out an assessment of all cross-border files, in accordance with Article 9;
(b)
ensuring transparency and access to the information referred to in Article 4(4) and the Annex;
(c)
preparation and implementation of solutions to cross-border obstacles concerning their territory in accordance with Articles 9 and 10 and, where applicable, Articles 11 and 12;
(d)
liaising with the cross-border coordination point or points or, in the absence thereof, with the relevant authority or authorities in the neighbouring Member State or States, in accordance with Article 9(4);
(e)
liaising with the Commission and supporting it in carrying out the coordination tasks referred to in Article 13, in particular the updating of the register as referred to in Article 13(1), point (a), by providing at least once a year information about each cross-border file processed, in accordance with the Annex.
Information on the relevant authority
1. Where a Member State has not established one or more cross-border coordination points, it shall submit information on the relevant authority to the Commission in accordance with Article 13(2) and the Annex.
2. Paragraph 1 of this Article shall apply only to those Member States that have land border regions as referred to in Article 2(1).
