ECR Member Pavel Branda was invited as panellist at the Association of European Border Regions (AEBR) Annual Conference in Tyrsil, Norway. Speaking in the session on "Cooperation and Security in Practice", Mr Branda presented his ongoing CoR opinion on "Solving obstacles to the cooperation of emergency services in the EU's border regions", highlighting the urgency to tackle cross-border obstacles in emergency services. 

"On many borders, ambulances or fire trucks cannot cross the border despite this endangering people's lives, and people cannot use the hospitals closest to them as they are on the other side of the border. Examples like this call for all levels of government to work together to address these obstacles, which are still too widespread in border regions across the EU," Branda said.

Mr Branda was also re-elected AEBR Vice-President during the three-day event.

Mr Branda's opinion on cross-border emergency services will be voted in the European Committee of the Regions Plenary Session in November. The opinion was adopted by unanimity in September by the COTER Commission.