The EGTC “Polish-Lithuanian cross-border functional area” operates under Article 5 of the Convention, pursuing comprehensive objectives to strengthen cross-border cooperation and territorial cohesion between Polish and Lithuanian regions.
📍 Primary Mission
Supporting, promoting, facilitating and deepening Polish-Lithuanian cross-border cooperation for strengthening economic and social cohesion of the Polish and Lithuanian borer area. The EGTC serves as the formal governance structure for the cross-border functional area, ensuring coordinated development across national boundaries.
⚡ Energy Security & Sustainability
Supporting energy security in the region through diversification of energy sources, with particular emphasis on renewable energy development. This includes facilitating cross-border energy infrastructure projects and promoting energy efficiency initiatives across member territories.
🏭 Strategic Economic Sectors
Supporting strategic sectors including agriculture, forestry, industrial production, and tourism. The EGTC facilitates cross-border value chains, promotes innovation in traditional industries, and develops joint marketing strategies for regional products and services.
👥 Demographic Development
Cooperation in ensuring demographic development through supporting young people in utilizing their regional potential. This includes creating attractive employment opportunities, supporting entrepreneurship, and developing programs to retain talent in the cross-border area.
🏥 Healthcare & Social Infrastructure
Creating an efficient healthcare system for the elderly, comprehensive social services infrastructure, and security systems for all vulnerable groups. The EGTC coordinates cross-border emergency services and facilitates access to specialized medical care across national boundaries.
🚄 Transport & Connectivity
Reducing territorial isolation through improved access to transport services, IT infrastructure, and communication networks. Supporting development of cross-border transport systems and promoting sustainable mobility solutions.
🎓 Education & Innovation
Supporting research, development, and innovation in connection with education and entrepreneurship. Facilitating joint educational programs, research collaborations between universities, and knowledge transfer between academic institutions and businesses across the border.
💼 Cross-border Labor Market
Supporting the development of an integrated cross-border labor market, removing barriers to employment mobility, harmonizing professional qualifications recognition, and facilitating cross-border commuting for workers.
🎭 Culture & Sports Exchange
Supporting cultural and sports activities in both territories, promoting shared heritage, facilitating cultural exchanges, organizing joint events, and developing cross-border tourism products based on cultural assets.
🌳 Tourism Development
Strengthening joint tourism development strategies, creating cross-border tourism routes, developing shared tourism infrastructure, and promoting the region as a unified tourism destination in European markets.
🤝 Project Implementation
Facilitating the creation, application, and implementation of joint projects. The EGTC can participate in EU-funded programs, manage European Regional Development Fund resources, and implement projects financed from various EU and national sources.
🏛️ Local Governance Quality
Cooperation in improving the quality of local government operations, sharing best practices in public administration, coordinating public services delivery, and developing joint e-governance solutions for citizens on both sides of the border.
Legal Framework
The European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation ‘Polish-Lithuanian Cross-Border Functional Area’ with limited liability is a grouping operating on the basis of Regulation (EC) No 1082/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 July 2006 on a European grouping of territorial cooperation (EGTC) (OJ EU L 210 of 31.07.2006, p. 19) as amended by Regulation (EU) No 1302/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 amending Regulation (EC) No 1082/2006 on a European grouping of territorial cooperation (EGTC) in order to clarify, simplify and streamline the process of establishing such groupings and their functioning (OJ EU L 347 of 20.12.2013, p. 303), hereinafter referred to as ‘Regulation 1082/2006’, and the Act of 7 November 2008 on the European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (Journal of Laws of 2021, item 1219)