The 8th meeting of the Working Group on innovative solutions to cross-border obstacles was held on 28 June 2018 at the European Committee of the Regions in Brussels.
France’s borders can be found not only in Europe, but also in the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean, and the Pacific. France’s overseas territories are all concerned by cross-border issues. At the Assises des Outre-mer (“Overseas France Conferences”, promised in President Macron’s election campaign), the Minister for Overseas France, Annick Girardin, presented the President on 28 June with a ‘blue book’ detailing the roadmap and the priorities for these territories for the President’s five-year term.
During its General Assembly in May 2018 in Nice and Ventimiglia, the MOT held two round tables on the topics "Local cross-border cooperation in the French-Italian border area" and "The French-Italian-Monacan Metropolitan area under construction", which were complemented by a presentation of cross-border projects within the Nice Côte d’Azur metropolis.
On 15 June 2018, the French Ministry of the Interior’s Centre for Advanced Studies (CHEMI) organised with the MOT a day of reflection on cross-border cooperation for the benefit of prefects.
Around 50 young workers from the border region between Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Liechtenstein got together in June 2018 for the first transnational symposium of young workers.
The first day of French-Andorran exchanges on the topic of energy was jointly held in April 2018 by the Pyrénées Orientales and Andorran chambers of commerce and industry, brought together within the PirineusMED Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the context of the Interreg POCTEFA 2014/20 programme and the DERBI competitiveness cluster. High attendance of French and Andorran entrepreneurs contributed to the day’s success.
More than 100 people gathered on 12 June 2018 in the ancient Vaucelles Abbey (Cambrésis, Nord) for the first Departmental Meeting on Cross-Border Cooperation organised by the Nord Department.
Ten projects have been selected within the framework of the "b-solutions" call for projects launched by DG REGIO on the theme of overcoming cross-border obstacles.
On 30 May 2018, the Caisse des Dépôts launched the "Banque des Territoires" ("Bank for the Regions") – a new instrument aimed at territorial authorities and other local public bodies to help them to carry out future projects. Through this tool, it intends to offer a set of support and financing solutions for projects, with particular attention being given to small territorial authorities and territories facing difficulties. Border territories are directly concerned and were mentioned at the launch conference. The MOT promotes this initiative within its network. More info
On 21 June in Luxembourg, the 28 EU Employment Ministers adopted the revision of the regulation on the coordination of social security systems in the EU, which provides for reform of unemployment benefit for cross-border workers. Currently, cross-border workers pay into the unemployment benefit system of the country in which they are employed, but have their benefit paid by their country of residence when their contract comes to an end. This will be reversed under the reform.
This new issue of "InfObservatoire" sets out the cross-border forecasts of the North Lorraine Urban Planning Agency (AGAPE): "With 150,000 French cross-border workers in Luxembourg in 15 years and huge movement of goods, isn't it time […] to make the cross-border dimension a priority issue?"
The Jura Arc Cross-Border Statistical Observatory has published statistical portraits of four cooperation territories identified along the Franco-Swiss border as part of the 2016-2020 strategy of the Trans-Jura Conference.
The executives of the Bas-Rhin and Haut-Rhin Departments have submitted to the Prefect of the Grand Est Region a proposal for an authority with special status, based on the views of 13,000 citizens.
The General Commission for Territorial Equality (CGET) has just published its 2017 annual report. An extensive chapter looks at the dynamics of cross-border employment. Border issues are also discussed in other sections of the report.
The European Commission has published a report on the existing rail transport connections and the "missing links" on the EU's internal borders. It provides a comprehensive inventory of the 365 cross-border rail links which are underexploited or not exploited at all. In total, there are 176 missing rail links and, after consultation of the stakeholders and competent authorities, 48 of them – 9 of which are located along France's borders – were assessed as "potentially beneficial projects".
The observation of cross-border territories, which is now recognised as a priority by European countries, is moving towards overall coordination. The MORO project launched in Germany has accelerated this progress.
"Reducing inequalities and making urban life easier for everyone while respecting of the environment: these are the aims of the eight projects that have been selected as winners of the European competition "Le Monde - Smart Cities". The "Transfermuga" scheme in the Basque Country is one of these eight projects – well-deserved recognition for this European project that aims to "boost Franco-Spanish cooperation with respect to all modes of transport, thus reducing the dominance of individual car use".
This catalogue of good practices is designed to be a practical guide that gives people a better understanding of the "Euroregions": definition, list, typology, historical and geographical development, their role in cross-border governance, sectors of cooperation and the Euroregions' projects, etc.
The MOT took part in a conference entitled "Cross-Border Cooperation In Europe: Decentralisation, legal frameworks, and practice", organised under the aegis of the Council of Europe on 25 May in Dubrovnik.
On 29 May, the European Commission published its draft regulations for cohesion policy in the 2021-2027 period.
Among the European Commission's draft regulations is a new regulation on "a mechanism to resolve legal and administrative obstacles in a cross-border context". The regulation is based on the work over the past three years carried out by Luxembourg and France, with support from the MOT.
It is a great honour for me today to take up my post as the MOT's President and to follow in the footsteps of my predecessors – Michel Delebarre, Pierre Mauroy, Roland Ries – all great champions of the cross-border and European cause.
Some 130 people gathered in Nice and Ventimiglia on 22-23 May 2018 for the MOT's General Assembly. The unanimously-elected new president, Robert Herrmann, thanked the Nice-Côte d'Azur Metropolis, a member of the MOT since 2012, for hosting the assembly in this "city that is emblematic of France's international standing, but also of its profoundly European history".
Two roundtables devoted to cooperation between France, Italy and Monaco were held in Ventimiglia on 23 May following the MOT's General Assembly. They brought together many local elected representatives, such as Enrico Ioculano, Mayor of Ventimiglia, Jean-Pierre Vassallo, Mayor of Tende and Vice-President of the French Riviera Conurbation Community, Fabio Natta, Mayor of Cesio and President of Imperia Province, Frederico Borgna, Mayor of Cuneo and President of Cuneo Province and Marine De Carne-Trecesson, France's Ambassador to Monaco.
