The environment, resources and waste

• Introduction
• Value added of cross-border actions in the area of the environment
• Possible types of action
• Example of concrete projects
• Recommendations
• Legal framework and reference documents

Possible types of action

Several kinds of cross-border cooperative actions can be instituted in the fields of environmental protection and management of waste and resources.

Preservation of natural spaces

• The management of cross-border natural areas (cross-border natural parks or collaboration between parks in border regions): strategies or action plans (coordination and drafting of common documents), communication aimed at the general public, joint actions for the protection of nature, etc.
• Cross-border green infrastructures (ecological corridors, green and blue networks)   including Natura 2000 sites and offer cross-border territories with a view to promoting the protection and restoration of biodiversity and ecosystem services.
• Actions aimed at reducing pollution (air pollution, groundwater, watercourses, coastlines, natural areas, marine basins, etc.), and notably atmospheric pollution linked to transport.
• The preservation and promotion of the cross-border cultural heritage (in rural and urban settings).

Resource and waste management systems

• Cross-border management of waste, in particular through recycling, energy recovery from waste (district heating networks, “smart grids”, etc.) and, in the case of non-recyclable materials, reuse and recovery.
• Collaborative management of cross-border watercourses and coastal or marine areas (rivers, remediation, wastewater treatment contracts, etc.)
• Improving the effectiveness of the supply of water, the treatment of waste water and the reuse of water, including the drawing up of management plans for river basin districts.
• Cross-border actions aimed at the refurbishment of buildings to equip them with insulation, combating energy insecurity, the promotion of eco-materials and the creation of a local cross-border market.

Governance and observation

• Structuring the sharing of knowledge: observation and monitoring (example: biomonitoring of the impact of dioxins) to be carried out locally with the support of the higher levels including the European institutions (example: SGI pilot project on the Tisza River; Joint Association for the Study and Development of the Garonne River – SMEAG).
• Structuring of consultation, joint planning, ensuring the coherence of projects (example: cross-border water management master plan (SAGE)).
• Cross-border management structures (example: LGCC in the France-Vaud-Geneva region).
• The diversification of local cross-border economies.