Italo-Austrian territory wins European award for improving cross-border emergency calls service

The EGTC 'Euregio Senza Confini' is the winner of the 2026 edition of the 'Building Europe across borders' award, assigned every two years by the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) to actions implemented by European Groupings of Territorial Cooperation (EGTCs). The award ceremony took place on 10 June in Brussels.

In border areas, reaching the nearest emergency service quickly is essential to avoid delays and save lives. Until 2024, people calling 112 in the border region between Friuli Venezia Giulia (Italy) and Carinthia (Austria) did not always reach the appropriate operational centre. Due to unintentional roaming, some calls were routed to the wrong country, delaying rescue operations. To address this issue, in April 2025 the Province of Carinthia and the Regions of Friuli Venezia Giulia and Veneto updated the Civil Protection Agreement originally signed in 2014 under the EGTC Euregio Senza Confini.

The coordination of the EGTC has enabled the launch of an innovative system for direct and automated routing of calls between the 112 station in Friuli Venezia Giulia and those in Carinthia, with a concrete and significant impact. In the first year, 75 calls were handled, also thanks to the 24-hour active interpreting service in 17 languages, which improves accessibility. The agreement ensures stable cooperation between the territories involved and will be valid until 2035.

The project was awarded by the jury as a remarkable example of European integration applied to a service essential for the security of citizens, which can represent a replicable model in other cross-border contexts to strengthen emergency systems in the EU and making border regions more resilient.

An honorary mention was awarded to the EGTC Eurorégion Nouvelle Aquitaine - Euskadi - Navarre, located on the Franco-Spanish border, for its 'Empleo Egunak' project supporting cross-border workers and businesses. Part of the Interreg POCTEFA LANEAN project, the initiative includes a one-stop shop, a cross-border coordination forum for public administrations, and a cross-border employment forum.

The award ceremony took place during the two-day annual meeting of the European Cross-Border Platform (ECBP), where experts and political leaders from border regions discussed the needs and potential of border areas, their citizens, and cross-border entities. Co-organised by the CoR and CESCI, the event also marked the 20th anniversary of EGTCs, the first European public authority cooperation structures with legal personality established under EU law.

Quotes

Pavel Branda (CZ/ECR), Deputy Mayor of Rádlo, Chair of the European cross-border platform, CoR member, and chair of the international jury: "This year, it has been 20 years since the EGTC regulation came into force and the annual meeting of the European Cross-Border Platform is a living testimony of our work and how far we've come. Cross-border cooperation, as part of European Territorial Cooperation, provides not only an added value to the border regions themselves, but to the EU as a whole: it gives citizens, businesses and public authorities a direct experience of being European. In this regard, the award 'Building Europe across borders' underlines the role of EGTCs as a lever for economic growth and job creation, environmental and nature protection. It also recognises their role as promotors of education, social inclusion, cultural heritage and European citizenship."

More information

• Pictures of the ceremony.
• The CoR launched the award 'Building Europe across Borders' for EGTCs in 2016, and since then it assigns the award on a biennial basis. More info about the award.
• EGTCs allow regions and cities, associations, or any other public body of different Member States to come together under a new entity to facilitate territorial cooperation in a structured way. They play a key role in fostering economic growth and job creation, environmental and nature protection. The CoR keeps the official register of the 86 EGTCs currently active.
• EGTCs are open to public entities from non-EU countries. A first EGTC with Ukrainian participation was created in 2015 and more are under preparation.

Contact

Matteo MigliettaTel. +32 [email protected]