On September 14th and 15th, 2023, the Regional Cooperation in Maritime Areas (ReCMA) symposium was held, organized by the Territories, Cities, Environment & Society (TVES) laboratory of the University of Lille and the MOT. The operational and academic approaches of the various speakers provided an overview of cooperation in the maritime basins bordering France.
At the "Mediterranean of the Future" event held in Marseille on September 22 th, 2023, Renaud Muselier, President of the South Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Region, announced plans for a Mediterranean-wide macro-region.
This online course, featuring videos, expert interviews, toolboxes, quizzes and more, covers the origins of territorial cooperation, European policies and major themes such as health, regional planning, the environment, culture and mobility.
In border areas, living and employment areas are closely intertwined. Differences between planning tools and the organisation of the relevant authorities can hamper integrated regional development. These issues were at the heart of "MORO," a Franco-German spatial planning pilot project. In order to report on the results of this project, the ANCT and the MOT are organising a webinar on 1 December entitled "How to move forward with spatial planning in border areas".
"At a time when much work is being done on the concept of cross-border living areas, the department of Pyrénées-Orientales, the Generalitat de Catalunya and the Diputació de Girona have agreed on the definition of a space for exchange and collaboration, shaped by a shared history, culture and language.
As the new "functional area" of the Spain-France-Andorra Interreg programme (POCTEFA 2021-2027), the Catalan Cross-Border Area will soon be funding cooperation projects worth over €4 million.
With the joint hosting of the cross-border start of the Tour de France in 2023 and the second edition of the cross-border summer universities, there is a great deal going on in the French-Spanish Basque Country. At a meeting in July, elected representatives from both sides of the border emphasised their desire to take cooperation further.
On September 5th, 2023, the Commission adopted a proposal aimed at facilitating the cross-border activities of non-profit associations in the European Union. The proposal aims to introduce a "legal form of a European cross-border association (ECBA)".
On July 6th, the MOT led the final steering committee of the study conducted with its member, the Maubeuge Val de Sambre conurbation, on a strategy for the cross-border Sambre Avesnois.
At the end of 2022, the European Territorial Authority of Alsace adopted an "Alsace cross-border cooperation plan". In June 2023 it launched a "cross-border cooperation fund" to help finance the projects included in this plan, as well as other projects with a cross-border impact.
On September 4th, 2023, Jean Peyrony, director general of the MOT, and Aurélien Biscaut, secretary general, were in Strasbourg to hold the MOT's office hours, which are now held every three months.
In June 2020, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg launched an innovative process: "Luxembourg in transition – Territorial visions for a zero-carbon and resilient future for the functional Luxembourg region". Its aim was to bring together strategic proposals for spatial planning and produce scenarios for ecological transition by 2050 for the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and its border territories.
A bilateral agreement on cross-border apprenticeships was signed between France and Germany on July 21st, 2023. French and German apprentices will now be able to complete the practical or theoretical part of their training in the neighbouring country.
Find the proceedings of the webinar of March 29th organised by the General Inspectorate for the Environment and Sustainable Development (IGEDD), in partnership with the MOT, on the question: "How do cross-border territories organise themselves to meet the challenges of the ecological transition?
As part of the Interreg Titan-E project (Trinational Innovation and Technology Advanced Networks of Enterprises), ADEUS has produced a dynamic map of health technologies in the Upper Rhine.
Since September 6th, 2023, the "Kita-Salut" cross-border crèche, located in Saarbrucken and only a 20 minute drive from Sarreguemines, has been welcoming French and German children.
On July 5th, 2023, at the invitation of the Secretary of State for Europe, Laurence BOONE, the MOT took part in a discussion for European associations and think tanks aimed at preparing for the European elections from June 6th to 9th 2024.
Every year, Cerema, the Gustave Eiffel University and the STRMTG (Ministry of Transport) organise the "Mobility Days of the Scientific and Technical Network". This year they were held in Metz from July 3rd to 5th.
The Platform on the perception of borders, the final product of the FRONTEM project, as well as the toolkit on the five borders studied, have been put online.
Introduced by Elisa Ferreira, European Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms, the group of experts on the future of cohesion policy met for its 5th session on the theme of "Strengthening territorial cooperation and meeting the challenges of European integration".
The Franco-German Cross-Border Cooperation Committee (CCC) was set up in 2020, in accordance with Article 14 of the Treaty of Aachen signed on January 22nd 2019.
As part of the Frontem project, a conference entitled "Cross-Border Relations on the Canada/United States Border and the European Union: MultiLevel Governance?" was held on July 6th and 7th at the University of Victoria in Canada, with Jean Peyrony, Director General of the MOT.
France has signed the agreement that maintains the possibility for cross-border workers to work remotely for up to 50% of their working time, announced Olivier Dussopt, Minister for Labour, Employment and Integration, in a press release dated June 30th.
