News

TERRITORIES

"The cross-border dimension – a new impetus for the territory"

Editorial by Tristan Atmania, Deputy Director of the Territorial Attractiveness and Competitiveness Department – Saint-Avold Conurbation: "In this crucial year for Europe, our territory of the Moselle, at the crossroads of the founding countries of the European Union, and also of the Saar-Lor-Lux Greater Region, is at a turning point in its history. In this respect, the cross-border cooperation that is already being forged in all areas of daily life represents a major asset to be developed in the context of the competition that we face with the other regions of the world. [...]"

TERRITORIES

The Saint-Avold Conurbation – a new member of the MOT’s network

Individual decisions carry important weight in a world brimming over with vitality. Decisions that affect many people and that, taken together, have an impact on certain regions’ demographic developments and economic strength. Such changes can only be managed if we are willing to evolve. The Saint-Avold Conurbation is rising to this challenge and is taking advantage of synergies to pool skills for the benefit of all.

MOT

Study on cross-border employment for the Lille European Metropolis

The MOT has produced a study with the aim of informing the Lille European Metropolis about the socioeconomic features of Belgian Flanders, and the way its economic fabric and employment sector function.

EUROPE

Switzerland's border regions write to the Commission

On 2 September, the leaders of nine Swiss border regions sent a letter to the President of the European Commission in which they expressed their concerns about the state of the relationship between the European Union and Switzerland. They fear that a rejection in a referendum of the framework agreement would undermine the basis of the bilateral treaties – with adverse economic consequences for the border regions.

TERRITORIES

Design'In – a project to revitalise city centres along the Franco-Belgian border

Within the framework of a project funded by the Interreg V France-Wallonie-Vlaanderen programme, the cities of Tournai, Mons, Courtrai and the Lille European Metropolis have set themselves the challenge of strengthening and stimulating the development of their city centres by making use of design.

TERRITORIES

Franco-Belgian agreement on emergency services

On 18 July 2019, framework agreement concerning the cross-border intervention of emergency services was signed by the Belgian Minister of the Interior, Pieter De Crem, and his French counterpart, Christophe Castaner.

PUBLICATION

Practical guide: Border cities and climate change in Africa

This practical guide, published by the secretariat of the Sahel and West Africa Club, has been produced with assistance from the MOT. It offers many insights on the legislative and financial levers for developing cross-border initiatives on resilience to climate change in West Africa.

PUBLICATION

Borders and mobility in day-to-day life: ways of life in the Basel trinational conurbation

Yann Dubois, Editions Alphil-Presses universitaires suisses, Collection "Espaces, mobilités et sociétés" No. 9, 613 pp, 2019 - in French.

EUROPE

DG REGIO is drawing up a list of cross-border information centres, as well as of cross-border observatories

Following the Communication "Boosting growth and cohesion in EU border regions” in September 2017, DG REGIO has been trying to identify existing cross-border information centres (Interreg funded or otherwise) that aim to give information to inhabitants who regularly cross a border, on topics such as work, tax and social security.

MOT

Proceedings of the MOT's annual conference on cross-border investment

The proceedings of the MOT’s annual conference that took place on 21 March 2019 as part of its general assembly in Annemasse and Geneva are online on the MOT’s website.

FRANCE

New look for the "Europe in France" website

Designed to be the entry point to find out about European funds in France, the new website gives access to: a resource centre, the information platform on state aid in France, the information platform for the Europe urban network, and the official webpage of the EMFF programme.

FRANCE

Legal guide for local authorities’ external action

Published by the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, this guide aims "to provide a comprehensive and up-to-date analysis of the rules that apply to this type of intervention by local authorities, acting on their own initiative within the framework of multilevel diplomacy".

EUROPE

Committee of the Regions opinion on the "cross-border dimension in disaster risk reduction"

Local and regional elected representatives are calling on the European Commission to provide more incentives at their respective levels to promote cross-border cooperation in the area of risk reduction. An opinion of the European Committee of The Regions to this effect was adopted on 27 June in Brussels.

FRANCE

The National Territorial Cohesion Agency is taking shape

The bill providing for the creation of the National Territorial Cohesion Agency in France was adopted on 9 July in its final reading in the Assemblée Nationale. The Agency will be operational from 1 January 2020.

MOT

Towards the creation of a network of cross-border observatories

On 26 June 2019, the General Commission for Territorial Equality (CGET) hosted, with support from the MOT, another meeting of the Cross-Border Strategic Committee on observation (CSC).

EUROPE

"Fair distribution of taxes in trans-frontier areas"

On 13 June 2019, Karl-Heinz Lambertz, Vice-President of the Council of Europe’s Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, presented a report entitled "Fair distribution of taxes in trans-frontier areas". It will be submitted for adoption at the 37th Congress session in October.

EUROPE

The Commission has circulated orientation papers by border

In the context of the preparation of its 2021-2027 programmes, DG REGIO has drawn up 38 Border Orientation Papers (BOPs) for all of the EU’s land borders. Six of these BOPs relate to France’s borders.

TERRITORIES

Healthcare cooperation: concrete progress

TERRITORIES

The Ardennes Department – a European and cross-border location

TERRITORIES

Editorial by Boris Ravignon, Mayor of Charleville-Mézières and President of Ardenne Métropole

"One of the main features of the French department of the Ardennes is without doubt its proximity to Belgium. This proximity is geographical, of course, but also cultural, historical, economic and societal.

TERRITORIES

A cross-border strategy for the Franco-Belgian Ardennes

In May 2019, Ardenne Métropole and the Belgian association of municipalities Idelux embarked on the drawing-up of a “Strategic plan for the development of the cross-border territory of the Franco-Belgian Ardennes”.

PUBLICATION

Large increase in cross-border workers working in Switzerland and Luxembourg

In 2015, more than 360,000 inhabitants of border areas in France worked in a neighbouring country, near to the border. The economic dynamism of neighbouring countries such as Luxembourg, Switzerland and Monaco, together with the salaries offered, have encouraged working-age people living in France’s border areas to go and work there.

TERRITORIES

"Competitiv'Eko" – stimulating innovation

The results of this project were presented on 16 May 2019 in Biarritz. Launched in 2016, it has built a network of economic players to stimulate businesses’ innovation and competitiveness across three neighbouring territories: Euskadi, Navarra and Aquitaine.

EUROPEAN ELECTIONS

Let’s support the setting-up of an intergroup on cross-border issues at the European Parliament

Editorial by Anne Sander, MEP, Vice-President of the MOT.

MOT

Network of Cross-Border Cooperation Strategies

With the support of the MOT, Lille, Strasbourg and Nice are the three French border region metropolises that have embarked on drawing up a "Schéma de cooperation transfrontalière" (Cross-Border Cooperation Strategie, CCS), introduced by the Maptam Act* in 2014. Through its network, the MOT enables the three metropolises to share experiences and information regarding their methodologies, the obstacles encountered and the local political contexts, as well as to relay their needs to the national and European authorities.