Why borders still distort reality — and how data can help fix thatIf you live in a border region, you already know this:the economy doesn’t stop at the border — but data often does.Jobs, commuting, housing, services, supply chains… all work across borders.Yet decisions are still too often made with incomplete or incompatible data, as if borders were walls instead of lines on a map.That’s why cross-border observatories matter.In late November, 21 observatories from across Europe came together in Brussels to do something very concrete: compare how they collect data, how they make it understandable, and how it can actually help decision-makers improve life in border regions.What they found is telling:📊 data exists — but it’s fragmented🧩 national systems don’t talk to each other👷 labour markets are shared, but rarely analysed together🔍 huge economic and social potential remains hiddenDespite very different geographies, the challenges were almost identical. And so was the conclusion: working alone doesn’t work.These observatories — many built with EU support — show that when data is shared, harmonised and visualised across borders, it becomes more than numbers.It becomes a tool to understand reality — and act on it.Because better data doesn’t just inform policies.It helps border regions unlock what they already are: shared spaces of opportunity.#BorderRegions #DataForPeople #CrossBorderLife #TerritorialReality