Brussels, 17/02/2012 (Agence Europe) - Behind the complex name of the “European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation” (EGTC), are hidden concrete cross-border or inter-regional achievements, says the Committee of the Regions (CoR). This is an instrument we must continue to use, and in that sense, the revision of its regulation proposed by the Commission is a step in the right direction, said the members of the CoR, who adopted the opinion of Michel Delebarre, Mayor of Dunkerque (PES, France). “It is now a question of transforming the experiment at political level to two levels: on the one hand, we must ensure that the EGTC becomes a natural instrument for institutionalised cooperation between local authorities in Europe, and we must also stress its potential for 'transcending borders' in other Community policies, such as the single market or innovation”, he said (translation). The representatives want the revised regulation to be approved as quickly as possible, by separating it from the legislative package on the structural funds, in order to “avoid pointless hostage-taking regarding the budgetary stakes on the future cohesion policy”. (MD/transl.fl)