„More regions in the Romania-Ukraine border area should be part of AEBR”. Once you think about it, it means that the annual events organised by the Association of European Border Regions have been particularly interesting and had a great impact on those present.

In Szeged, Hungary, on 28.09.2022, the Cross-Border School was organised in Szeged, Hungary, which provided the optimal framework to discuss ways to retain young people and talents in cross-border regions, concrete measures to ensure an adequate cross-border education system, improve mobility in the border area and potential opportunities in the cross-border area.

The action moved across the border to Novi Sad in Serbia, where a series of activities followed, excellently organised by the AEBR together with the DKMT (Danube-Cries-Mures-Tisa) region and the Assembly of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina. Thus, on 29-30.09.2022, on the occasion of the AEBR Annual Conference, various stakeholders from Europe and neighbouring countries engaged in interactive discussions on a new financial perspective of the European Union, public service offers in cross-border areas, cross-border cooperation as well as the support provided to Ukraine by the European Union during the active programming periods (2014-2020, 2021-2027).

The AEBR events gave us the opportunity to meet many colleagues from different cross-border regions of Europe, as well as the chance to strengthen relations with participants from Romania and Ukraine. Maramureș County Council, Satu Mare International Airport, Lower Danube Region, Carpathian Region were among those with whom we exchanged views and discussed examples of good practices shared by the speakers, as well as examples from the border regions that each of them represents. The DKMT (Danube-Cries-Mures-Tisa) Euroregion could be an example to be followed by the Euroregions on Romania's borders with Ukraine and Moldova.

Cross-border co-operation is a crucial factor for development and territorial cohesion in the Romania-Ukraine border region and must be intensively supported in this period of crisis. In the working groups organised, the representatives of the BRCT underlined the importance of adapting the pilot initiative of the AEBR, B-solutions, The EU's external borders and the need to continue support for Ukraine's war-affected population.

On this occasion, we would like to congratulate all AEBR members who were newly elected or re-elected at this year's General Assembly.

BRCT is member of AEBR with active presence in the Task Force External borders.

More information and access to the event registration is available on the official AEBR website https://www.aebr.eu/.