On July 21st, 2023, France and Germany signed an agreement on the development of cross-border apprenticeships. This "major bilateral cooperation project" involves establishing a secure legal framework to enable apprentices from both countries to complete the practical or theoretical part of their training in the neighboring country.
On both sides of the Pyrenees, the border territories have a long history of cooperation and are involved in a multitude of cross-border projects in all fields, testifying to the vitality of exchanges across the border.
Following the launch of the Franco-Italian Border Cooperation Committee, and more recently of the "Observ'Alp" project, which brings together numerous partners between France, Italy and Monaco, Christian Estrosi answers our questions on the major cross-border challenges facing the Metropolis with its border neighbors.
This was the wish expressed by the Franco-German Cross-Border Cooperation Committee (CCT) at its second annual meeting on October 23rd, 2023, in Offenburg, chaired by the Secretaries of State for Europe and General Secretaries for Franco-German Cooperation, Anna Lührmann and Laurence Boone.
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.
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 the border between France, Germany and Luxembourg, the cross-border territory hosting the MOT’s general assembly on June 27th and 28th, 2023, in Metz is a hub for cross-border news, projects and issues. Joint interview with Patrick Weiten, president of the department of Moselle and former member of Parliament, and François Grosdidier, president of Metz Eurometropolis and mayor of Metz.
The 7th Franco-Luxembourg Intergovernmental Commission (IGC) was held in Thionville on April 17th, 2023, in the presence of Laurence Boone, Secretary of State to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, responsible for Europe, and Corinne Cahen, Minister for the Greater Region of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.
Six years ago, the Association of European Border Regions (AEBR) started the Interreg Volunteer Youth (IVY) initiative.
On March 8th, 2023, the French Minister of Labor, Full Employment and Integration, Olivier Dussopt, presented to the Council of Ministers the draft law establishing a legal framework for cross-border apprenticeships.
Supported financially by the Interreg ALCOTRA programme, the "Developing Active Citizenship" (DAC) project aims to raise citizens' awareness of the challenges of the Green Pact for Europe.
The European Commission organized a major conference on cross-border employment on January 18-19, 2023, in Brussels and online. It addressed different key topics related to cross-border employment such as the access to cross-border labour markets, education, the recognition of qualifications, social security aspects, taxation and teleworking.
At the invitation of the Regions of France and the Grand Est Region, a meeting between representatives of the French regions and members of the Conference of Ministers of European Affairs was held in Strasbourg on the 17th and 18th of January 2023.
With a track record of more than 24 years, the "Living Pyrenees Education" network brings together more than 85 structures specializing in environmental education on the Pyrenean cross-border scale between France, Spain and Andorra.
In the most integrated cross-border regions, economic and academic interdependencies are increasingly strong. Join us in exploring the challenges and the opportunities related to the implementation of these innovative cooperations between neighbouring universities. The workshop takes place on October 11th. Registration is open until September 30th!
Within the framework of the 11th World Urban Forum, which took place in Katowice on 26-30 June, the PFVT (the French platform for urban development internationally) has published 14 booklets produced by all of the stakeholders involved in the French partnership during an intensive period of work in 2021.
Focus on two border initiatives at the heart of the European project.
On 24-25 March 2022, at the invitation of the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis, the MOT had the pleasure of facilitating a Franco-Italian citizens’ forum against a very positive backdrop: the start of the European Year of Youth, the publication of the findings of the Conference on the Future of Europe, France’s presidency of the EU Council and the recent signing of the Quirinal Treaty between the two countries’ governments.
In January 2022, the Summit of Greater Region Executives took stock at the midpoint in France’s presidency, particularly with respect to the industrial, digital and energy transitions, flood and drought risk prevention, food and promoting short supply chains, culture, youth, sport and tourism, healthcare and security.
More than 30 years after the creation of the INTERREG programme, the European Commission has teamed up with some of the most renowned experts* in the field of ETC to produce the very first MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) entirely dedicated to European Territorial Cooperation!
AEBR and the European Commission’s DG REGIO have released a series of publications aiming at raising awareness of cross-border cooperation. These showcase relevant information gained through the implementation of the b-solutions initiative, which AEBR has managed on behalf of DG REGIO for the past four years.
The 3DS bill (standing for differentiation, decentralisation, deconcentration and simplification of local public action) was adopted in its final reading at the Assemblée Nationale and the Senate in France on 8-9 February. The MOT is delighted about the inclusion for the first time of a chapter devoted to cross-border cooperation in a piece of legislation.
The Occitanie Region, the Generalitat of Catalonia and the government of the Balearic Islands approved in Brussels on Thursday the creation of a Youth Parliament. An initiative of the Occitanie Region, and its Vice-President, Nadia Pellefigue, which holds the rotating presidency of the Euroregion until the end of the year. We may recall that 2022 is the "European Year of Youth".
From 1 January until 30 June 2022, France holds the presidency of the European Union Council, for the 13th time. At a press conference on 9 December, President Emmanuel Macron set out the presidency’s three main themes: "recovery", "power" and "belonging". On this last point, he emphasised that the feeling of belonging to the European region had "declined" in France, as in other EU countries.
