EUREGIO Tirol - Südtirol - Trentino (Austria-Italy)

• Author: Viaggi, Raffaele; Rubio, Jean; Peyrony, Jean
• Pages: 38-40

ANALYSIS OF THE IMPACT OF BORDER-RELATED MEASURE S TAKEN BY MS IN THE FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19

CASE STUDIES

38

EUREGIO Tirol – Südtirol – Trentino (Austria-

Italy)

Border controls and

cross-border mobility

(Reduced crossings

points, type of controls,

congestion, CB public

transport…)

The three Alpine border crossings were only open to people work-

ing in the critical healthcare sector and citizens going back to their

homeland. In these cases, the crossing was allowed without a

COVID test. By presenting a negative COVID test, the cross-

ing of the Austrian border was always allowed. After April 6th

free circulation was allowed again for CB workers. Apart from CB

workers, other persons had to self-isolate during 14 dayswhen

arriving in the other country.

While freight was always allowed to cross the Alps, passenger

trains stopped several km before the border.

CB coordination and di-

alogue during the crisis

and the de-contain-

ment phase

(Evolution in border con-

trols and effects of the lift-

ing of border controls)

Starting from the beginning of the pandemic in Northern Italy, the

Euregion Tirol Südtirol Trentino established an online CB task

force based on weekly meetings between the Presidents of the

three provinces.

“By also involving health authorities, this task force made the ex-

change of information possible on the necessary equipment stand-

ards to tackle the pandemic in hospitals, as the situation in Austria

had a “delay” on the Italian regions’ one.”

Mattias Fink, EUREGIO Tirol – Südtirol – Trentino

Impact on the users of

cross-border public

services (CPS)

(healthcare, information

to citizens, education…)

Healthcare:

The CB task forcemade the exchange of information possible

on the necessary equipment standards to tackle the pan-

demic in hospitals, as the situation in Austria had a “delay” on the

Italian regions’ one. Moreover, since the number of intensive care

beds soon became almost complete on the Italian side, Tirol (AT)

offered a patient transfer to 8-10 Italian citizens. However,

this healthcare cooperation did not represent something new as it