The success of enlargement depends to a large extent on the European citizens, both in the EU and the candidate countries. The public perception of enlargement in EU regions bordering candidate countries is characterised by concerns regarding issues such as increased competition and flows of migration from the future Member States.

In response to these concerns the Nice European Council called upon the Commission to draw up a programme for border regions in order to help strengthen their overall competitiveness and smooth their transition to changing socio-economic conditions.

The definition of border regions designates 23 regions with a population of approximately 33 million people, as specified in the Commission Communication on the Impact of Enlargement in Border Regions of 25 July 2001 ( COM (2001) 437 ):

• Austria: Burgenland, Kärnten, Niederösterreich, Oberösterreich, Steiermark, Wien
• Finland: Etelä-Suomi, Uusimaa
• Germany: Berlin, Brandenburg, Chemnitz, Dresden, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Niederbayern, Oberfranken, Oberpfalz
• Greece: Anatoliki Makedonia -Thraki, Kentriki Makedonia, Kriti, Notio Aigaio, Voreio Aigaio
• Italy: Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Veneto

At the initiative of the European Parliament, a special budget line for pilot projects in border regions was created in 2001.

In 2001, the Commission co-financed to an amount of € 10milion a broad-based SME project.

In 2002, a total amount of € 20milion has been made available under this budget line to support various border region initiatives.

In 2003, € 23 million in total has been made available to support initiatives on the impact of enlargement. The initiatives fall under two components:

1. Preparatory Actions on the Impact of Enlargement in the Border Regions of the EU
2. Enlargement Programme for SMEs

The B.O.S.S project responds to a call for proposal regarding “Regional Partnership Events for Micro-enterprises in the EU Regions Bordering the Candidate Countries” under the first of the two components of the Initiatives on the Impact of Enlargement, published in the Official Journal on 2 September 2003 and won by Eurosportello – Unioncamere Veneto.

For further information on the programme and the financed projects