While citizens' engagement has always been important for building coherent public policies, it has now become essential. Especially in cross-border territories, where freedom of movement has been severely restricted since March 2020, citizens want to be involved. This is about rebuilding trust, rethinking cross-border living spaces and opening up new possibilities for citizens and workers.

But how can engagement work efficiently in this new context? Our workshop will firstly outline the impact of the crisis on citizens in cross-border areas in Europe. Engagement projects will then be presented and innovative methods highlighted. Because engagement has also to be target-oriented, we will reflect in a third step on citizens' engagement while planning cross-border services. Finally, the role of the Committee of the Regions and of the European cross-border citizens' alliance in this area will be explored. Including discussions with the audience, this workshop will discuss and gather practical tools to be implemented in cross-border regions by citizens or organisations that support them.