1. The cross-border cooperation component shall provide assistance to the following:
(a) cross–border cooperation between one or more Member States and one or more beneficiary countries;
(b) cross-border cooperation between two or more beneficiary countries.
2. The Community assistance under paragraph 1 shall be aimed at strengthening cross-border cooperation through joint local and regional initiatives, combining both external aid and economic and social cohesion objectives. In particular, the cooperation shall pursue one or more of the following broad objectives:
(a) promoting sustainable economic and social development in the border areas;
(b) working together to address common challenges in fields such as environment, natural and cultural heritage, public health and the prevention of and fight against organized crime;
(c) ensuring efficient and secure borders;
(d) promoting joint small scale actions involving local actors from the border regions.
3. The objectives referred to in paragraph 2 may in particular be pursued by:
(a) encouraging entrepreneurship, in particular, the development of small and medium-sized enterprises, tourism, culture, and cross-border trade;
(b) encouraging and improving the joint protection and management of natural and cultural resources as well as the prevention of natural and technological risks;
(c) supporting links between urban and rural areas;
(d) reducing isolation through improved access to transport, information and communication networks and services, and cross-border water, waste and energy systems and facilities;
(e) developing collaboration, capacity and joint use of infrastructures, in particular in sectors such as health, culture, tourism and education;
(f) promoting legal and administrative cooperation;
(g) ensuring efficient border management, facilitating legal trade and passage while securing borders against smuggling, trafficking, organised crime, communicable diseases and illegal migration, including transit migration;
(h) encouraging cross-border contact at regional and local level, enhancing exchanges and deepening economic, social, cultural and educational cooperation between local communities;
(i) promoting the integration of cross-border labour markets, local employment initiatives, gender equality and equal opportunities, training and social inclusion;
(j) promoting the sharing of human resources and facilities for research and technology development.
4. The cross-border cooperation component may also support, where appropriate, the participation of eligible regions of the beneficiary countries in transnational and interregional programmes under the European territorial cooperation objective of the Structural Funds and in multilateral sea basin programmes under Regulation (EC) No 1638/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1). The rules governing the participation of beneficiary countries in the above programmes shall be established in the relevant financing agreements.