News

MOT

The MOT on France Inter!

Olivier Denert, Secretary General of the MOT, participated on 3rd of March 2014 in "Service Public" (a radio programme on France Inter, a major French public radio channel).

MOT

New MOT publication on the legal framework for cross-border cooperation

The MOT produced a guidebook entitled “The legal framework for cross-border cooperation. The legal instruments available to cross-border projects” which is aimed at helping cooperation practitioners to choose the legal form that is most appropriate for their needs. The document is available in six languages: French, English, German, Italian, Spanish, Dutch.

EUROPE

Seminar on ECGs

The first seminar on Euroregional Cooperation Groupings (ECGs)* was held under the aegis of the Council of Europe in Ljubljana on 19 February.

EUROPE

The EGTC Platform - The Pyrenees-Mediterranean Euroregion awarded

On 18 February, the Committee of the Regions held the 4th annual meeting of the EGTC Platform, which focused on the role that EGTCs can play in the implementation of the Europe 2020 Strategy.

FRANCE

Présentation de la DATAR sur les fonds européens 2014-2020

Session d’information du Partenariat national sur les fonds européens des 3 et 10 février 2014.

TERRITORIES

Cross-border economic development in Ireland

On 30-31 January 2014 in Cavan (Republic of Ireland), a conference was held entitled “Cross-Border Economic Development and the Border Development Zone (BDZ) Concept”, which was jointly organised by the Centre for Cross-Border Studies (CCBS) and the International Centre for Local and Regional Development (ICLRD).

TERRITORIES

Progress for the "Espace Mont Blanc"

Implementation of a cross-border strategy for the future of the Mont Blanc mountain range took a step forward on 22 January 2014 with the signature of a statement of intent regarding the setting-up of a European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation by the three vice-chairmen of the Mont Blanc Cross-Border Conference.

EUROPE

Changes to the legal regime governing EGTCs

On 17 December 2013, the European Parliament and the European Council approved Regulation 1302/2013 concerning European Groupings of Territorial Cooperation (EGTCs). This new regulation introduces a series of amendments to Regulation 1082/2006, which forms the legal basis for EGTCs. It will help to clarify, simplify and improve the establishment and functioning of EGTCs.

EUROPE

Launch of the 2014 OPEN DAYS

The 12th OPEN DAYS - the European Week of Regions and Cities - were launched on 10 January 2014.

EUROPE

The Public Procurement Directive

On 15 January 2014, the European Parliament adopted on its first reading the proposal for a directive on public procurement, thus opening up interesting scope for cross-border cooperation.

TERRITORIES

Cross-Border Metropolitan Regions in Germany

Final report – “Cross-Border Metropolitan Regions” (MORO IMeG project, Germany)

MOT

The Picardie Region: a new member of the MOT network

The Picardie Region is located at the heart of North-West Europe. This strategic position, with its shared border with Belgium and its maritime border with the United Kingdom, has for nearly 20 years enabled it to be a major actor in cross-border cooperation.

TERRITORIES

Switzerland calls into question the free movement of workers

By endorsing the UDC’s initiative “against mass immigration” on 8 February, the Swiss voted for the introduction of annual quotas for workers, whether from across the border or people that have been granted asylum, thus going against the recommendations of the Federal Council.

FRANCE

The "Metropolitan Areas" Act

The final version of the draft legislation on the “modernisation of territorial public action and the affirmation of metropolitan areas” was adopted by France’s Joint Parliamentary Committee on 19 December 2013

EUROPE

​Award for EGTCs

The Committee of the Regions launches a bi-annual European award named “Building Europe Across Borders” to recognise and give visibility to the best practice of a European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC) related to the creation of growth and jobs in Europe (Europe 2020 Strategy).

TERRITORIES

Maubeuge - Charleroi cross-border meetings

On 16 January 2014 cross-border meetings took place in Maubeuge, organised by the Charleroi-Sud Hainaut region and the Communauté d’Agglomération Maubeuge-Val de Sambre (CAMVS) to reinforce their collaboration initiated in 2011.

EUROPE

A framework for the partnership for the structural funds

On 7 January, the European Commission adopted a code of conduct providing a framework for partnership in the management of the European regional policy with regional and local authorities, economic and social partners and the other representatives of civil society.

FRANCE

France: Partnership agreement

The French authorities officially submitted the partnership agreement to the European Commission on 31 December 2013. This document provides the framework for the programming of the European funds for the period 2014-2020. It will be the subject of negotiations between the European Commission and France.

EUROPE

New regulations for Cohesion Policy 2014-2020 entered into force

The regulations of the new Cohesion Policy 2014-2020 have been formally endorsed by the Council of the European Union and have been published on 20 December in the 'Official Journal of the EU' (L 347).

EUROPE

Health systems and cross-border cooperation

The French-Belgian health monitoring unit (EEIG OFBS) and the Wallonia-Lorraine-Luxembourg cross-border health monitoring unit (EEIG LUXLORSAN) organised a conference on health systems and cross-border cooperation, which took place on 18 December 2013 at the Committee of the Regions offices.

Two contributions by the CECICN for DG REGIO and DG MARKT

In the context of the 2014-2020 programming period, the CECICN1, of which the MOT is a member, in December 2013 officially submitted two contributions to the European Union’s DG REGIO and DG MARKT in order to prepare an upcoming meeting at European level.

TERRITORIES

The Eurometropolis Lille-Kortrijk-Tournai publishes its 2014-2020 strategy

The overall objective of the Eurometropolis strategy is to “proceed from the collective project to practical implementations”.

TERRITORIES

Cross-border cooperation, “lever of peace and development” in Africa

“Build bridges between the States through the construction of development programmes that are going to join together the communities on either side of physical borders” was the objective of the conference on cross-border cooperation which took place on 17 to 19 December 2013 in Dakar, Senegal, under the aegis of the UEMOA1, attended by Aminata Touré, prime minister of Senegal, ministers from Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Benin and Guinea-Bissau, representatives of Côte d’Ivoire, Togo, the African Union and the ECOWAS, and many local elected representatives and experts.

MOT

The President Michel Delebarre and the whole MOT team wish you a very Happy New Year 2014!

EUROPE

"Regions and innovation: Collaborating across borders"

This OECD report, published in December 2013, to which the MOT contributed, analyses cross-border cooperation in the area of innovation, based on the study of six cross-border regions: Oresund (Denmark-Sweden), Helsinki-Tallinn (Finland-Estonia), the Bothnian Arc (Sweden-Finland), Hedmark–Dalarna (Norway-Sweden), Ireland-Northern Ireland, Top Technology Region/Eindhoven-Leuven-Aachen Triangle (Netherlands-Germany-Belgium).