In European politics, a Euroregion is a form of transfrontier co-operation structure between two (or more) European countries. Euroregions usually do not correspond to any legislative or governmental institution, do not have political power and their work is limited to the competences of the local and regional authorities which constitute them. They are usually arranged to promote common interests across the border and cooperate for the common good of the border populations. Although the term "euroregion" means a similar thing, it should not be confused with ordinary regions in Europe.

Criteria for Euroregions

The Association of European Border Regions sets the following criteria for the identification of euroregions [1]:

• An association of local and regional authorities on either side of the national border, sometimes with a parliamentary assembly;
• A transfrontier association with a permanent secretariat and a technical and administrative team with own resources;
• Of private law nature, based on non-profit-making associations or foundations on either side of the border in accordance with the respective national law in force;
• Of public law nature, based on inter-state agreements, dealing among other things, with the participation of territorial authorities.

It is difficult to associate one legal framework to the term "euroregion", as they operate across country borders and vary widely in their particular forms.

Naming conventions

The naming convention for euroregions is as varied as the forms of the regions themselves. The most common local names for a euroregion include: euregio, euregion, euroregion, europaregion, euroregiune, grand region, regio or council.

See also

• List of euroregions
• Eurodistrict

External links

• Official pages at the Council of Europe