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Cross-border
economic
development
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Practical guide : promoting projects
Which support measures
and tools should be used?
It is important to adapt support measures to the target audience and
use several types of tools in one cross-border territory.
Comparative data sheets
describe the situations on
both sides of the border with
respect to aspects such as
procedures for establishment,
import/export, government
aid, business creation and
acquisition, taxes, labour laws,
real estate, patent law, etc.
Each (public or private-sector)
support structure may compile
sheets depending on its
expertise, and make some of
the information available free of
charge and the rest, if need be,
for a fee (especially for private
structures).
E x a m p l e :
The Union Lémanique de
l’Artisanat et des Métiers
(ULAM)
has drawn up practical
factsheets to guide craft
enterprises that wish to work in
the neighbouring country (France
and Switzerland). The factsheets
address several topics grouped
under four categories: permits
and licenses, trade, customs,
presentation and VAT.
http://www.ulam.info/The Greater Region’s CICM
(Interregional Council of the
Chambers of Trades)
has
produced practical factsheets for
craft enterprises that wish to extend
their activities to the other side of
the border.
http://www.cdm.lu/about-us/cicmMore details may be found in the factsheet on
the project.
Location advisory services
aim
to help businesses to set up on
both sides of a border.
E x a m p l e :
EUREX
, a group of chartered
accountants, consultants and
auditors, highlights the advantages
of setting-up in France and/
or Switzerland (description of
services on offer and examples of
advantages on each side).
http://www.eurexfrance.com/Training
provides more in-
depth information about each
country’s specific features
and on how to adapt. Training
courses may address cultural
differences in the business
world or specific characteristics
of management.
Identifying support needs
It is essential to identify the needs of economic project developers in order to ensure that the support services provided are
relevant and useful, and to adapt support resources. This may be done by
surveying businesses in order to identify their
needs.
A common methodology may be established at the network level and then applied by each structure to the project
developers they support.