Pavel Branda, ECR member and Deputy Mayor of Radlo Municipality, has been appointed rapporteur for the European Committee of the Regions' opinion on 'People-to-people projects and small scale projects in cross-border cooperation programmes'.

Mr Pavel Branda has initiated the Committee of the Regions work on small scale projects in the EUs cross-border cooperation programmes. The objective of the opinion for which he is now rapporteur, will be to look at the added value of people-to-people and small scale projects so as to help guide the debate on the future of the cohesion policy and the review of the EU's cross-border cooperation programme.

"People-to-people projects and small scale projects play an essential role in cross-border cooperation programmes and have contributed greatly to their success. They form a basis upon which further cross-border cooperation in different areas can be developed as they contribute to making contacts across border, normalise relationships between neighbouring regions, building trust among partners and overcoming prejudices. Nevertheless they are being questioned as they are not anchored in the cohesion policy regulations," explained Pavel Branda.

The importance of cross-border cooperation is highlighted in the EU treaties in relation to achieving economic, social and territorial cohesion. Article 174 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union stipulates that particular attention should be paid to cross-border regions.

Expanding on the importance of small projects, Pavel Branda said "they are delivered in a decentralised way where local and regional authorities bring the projects closer to the citizens. This is why I strongly believe in promoting the benefits of people-topeople projects, and look forward to providing strong arguments in my opinion on why sustaining this aspect of cross-border cooperation should be secured."

Mr Branda is also the Chair of the Committee of the Regions' interregional group on cross-border cooperation. Underlining the importance of cross-border cooperation, the rapporteur underlined that "37 % of citizens in the EU live in cross-border areas along some 38 internal borders."