News

  • Statements by French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe on ‘France Television’, March 17, 2020

    COVID-19

    Statements by French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe on ‘France Television’, March 17, 2020

    March 2020

    "Regarding the question of borders, the President of the Republic has made great efforts with all the Member States of the European Union to reach a common position."

  • In the Grand Est Region: a European equation to be found between border closures and economic interdependence

    COVID-19

    In the Grand Est Region: a European equation to be found between border closures and economic interdependence

    March 2020

    Since 16 March, the Strasbourg Transport Company has no longer been authorised to serve Germany, and the tramway going from Strasbourg to Kehl stops at the border. Within a few days, following the spread of the coronavirus in Europe, control and restriction measures were put in place at the Grand Est borders, while population containment was implemented.

  • France-Spain-Andorra: controls and health coordination

    COVID-19

    France-Spain-Andorra: controls and health coordination

    March 2020

    As of March 18, Spain is the second most affected country in Europe by the COVID-19 epidemic with 13,910 diagnosed cases and 623 deaths. Since midnight March 17, Spain's land borders have been closed "in order to reduce the number of people infected with the virus both nationally and in Europe," according to Spanish Minister of Interior Fernando Grande-Marlaska.

  • COVID-19

    The situation at the Franco-British border

    March 2020

    Great Britain is considered as part of the European Union until the end of the post-Brexit transition period in December 2020 and even though it had never been part of the Schengen area, facing the closure of this area to third country nationals since 17 March at 12 noon, the border with France remains open.

  • COVID-19

    The influx of cross-border workers remains essential to the economy of the Swiss cantons

    March 2020

    When looking at the share of people infected per capita, Switzerland turns out to be the second most affected country in the world after Italy. The large flow of workers between the canton Ticino and the Lombardy region, Italy's first region in terms of total number of infected people, has certainly speeded up the process.

  • France-Italy, tighter border controls

    COVID-19

    France-Italy, tighter border controls

    March 2020

    Italy, the first country to be severely hit by this health crisis, recently called for a "European coordination" in the healthcare and economic field to deal with the coronavirus.

  • COVID-19

    Franco-Belgian coordination

    March 2020

    In France, since Tuesday 17 March at 12 noon, for a period of at least fifteen days, and in Belgium, since Wednesday 18 March at 12 noon and at least until 5 April, any unjustified leave from home, any friendly and family meetings and all gatherings are prohibited, on pain of a fine for offenders.

  • TEIN4CITIZENS - a project to involve citizens

    EUROPE

    TEIN4CITIZENS - a project to involve citizens

    October 2019

    "How can we encourage citizens in border regions to take part in the discussions about the future of Europe?" This is one of the questions at the heart of the "TEIN4citizens" project being implemented by nine partners from the TEIN network.

  • Publication of proceedings of the policy forum: "Security and development: how to manage borders?"

    MOT

    Publication of proceedings of the policy forum: "Security and development: how to manage borders?"

    May 2019

    On 7 July 2016 the MOT and Grenoble-Alpes University held at the Assemblée Nationale in Paris a policy forum entitled “Sécurité et développement: comment gérer la frontière ?”, within the framework of an international research project "Borders in Globalization" ("BIG"). The proceedings are now available (in French).

  • "The Return of Frontiers", a documentary broadcast on Arte

    PUBLICATION

    "The Return of Frontiers", a documentary broadcast on Arte

    December 2018

    Documentary by Simon Brunel and Nicolas Pannetier, 53 min, broadcast on Arte on 16 November 2018 at 10:20am.

  • TV programme "Avenue de l'Europe" devoted to cross-border workers

    TERRITORIES

    TV programme "Avenue de l'Europe" devoted to cross-border workers

    May 2018

    "They are French and live in France, but work on the other side of the border, in Italy, Switzerland or Germany. They are known as the 'transfrontaliers' [cross-border workers]… There are 500,000 of them – the highest number in Europe. But is there an entente cordiale between these French people and their neighbours?"

  • Launch of the MOT's online forum

    MOT

    Launch of the MOT's online forum

    November 2017

    The MOT's Forum is up and running!

  • President Emmanuel Macron's visit to French Guiana

    NATIONAL LEVEL

    President Emmanuel Macron's visit to French Guiana

    November 2017

    During his visit to French Guiana in October, the French President, Emmanuel Macron, stressed the importance of France's outermost regions.

  • Castle Talks on Cross-Border Cooperation

    NATIONAL LEVEL

    Castle Talks on Cross-Border Cooperation

    November 2017

    On 8-10 November 2017 in Strasbourg, the MOT took part in the third edition of the "Castle Talks on Cross-Border Cooperation".

  • The Committee of the Regions' annual monitoring report on EGTCs

    PUBLICATION

    The Committee of the Regions' annual monitoring report on EGTCs

    April 2017

    This publication looks at developments in EGTCs during 2016. Based on an updated overview and case studies, the report aims to highlight the EGTCs' main areas of action, their involvement in cohesion policy, and their achievements and the obstacles encountered.

  • Committee of the Regions conference on natural disasters in cross-border areas

    EUROPE

    Committee of the Regions conference on natural disasters in cross-border areas

    February 2017

    Jointly organised by the Committee of the Regions and the MOT, this conference brought together more than 60 participants, on 3 February in Brussels. Its objective was to present best practice in the area of risk prevention and crisis management in cross-border zones: forest fires (ES-PT), flooding in the Nisa Euroregion (DE-CZ-PL), seismic risks in the Alps (FR-IT-CH), risks in mountainous regions (FR-ES) and more generally, civil protection (EGTC Euregio Senza Confini IT-AT).

  • NATIONAL LEVEL

    Impact in border territories of the law on public security, in France

    February 2017

    The vice-president of the MOT; Joël Giraud, member of parliament for Hautes-Alpes, is demanding special arrangements in border areas for authorisations for minors leaving the country.

  • TERRITORIES

    The ALARM Project: “For security without borders”

    February 2017

    “A shared region and shared risks must not be faced with obstacles to the carrying out of missions by emergency services in emergency situations.”

  • The Atlas of Borders: Walls, Conflicts, Migrations

    PUBLICATION

    The Atlas of Borders: Walls, Conflicts, Migrations

    December 2016

    "There are borders that can be easily crossed and others that are impassable; there are visible borders and invisible borders; there are political, economic and cultural borders… This first atlas devoted to borders helps us to better understand the issues that are concealed behind the lines that separate or link peoples."

  • The "ACTS" project (Support for cross-border cooperation in the Sahel)

    NATIONAL LEVEL

    The "ACTS" project (Support for cross-border cooperation in the Sahel)

    September 2016

    The "ACTS" project* was launched in February 2015 by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development.** It is a Priority Solidarity Fund project financed by France. It aims to help Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso preserve their sovereignty through better management of border regions with respect to security and local development.

  • Findings of the policy forum "Security and development: how to manage borders?"

    MOT

    Findings of the policy forum "Security and development: how to manage borders?"

    September 2016

    The migrant crisis and threats to security have placed borders centre stage. Having become an extremely political topic, the public authorities still perceive them in a fragmented way.

  • "The migrant crisis: the return of borders"

    NATIONAL LEVEL

    "The migrant crisis: the return of borders"

    September 2016

    TV programme "C dans l'air" on France 5 - Broadcast on 10 August 2016

  • MOT Annual Conference: "Borders: a 'resource' for the inhabitants of border regions"

    MOT

    MOT Annual Conference: "Borders: a 'resource' for the inhabitants of border regions"

    June 2016

    The Annual Conference of the MOT brought together 150 participants on 24 May 2016 in the Palais de la Porte Dorée, home of the French National Museum of the History of Immigration, in conjunction with the exhibition “Frontières” (“Borders”) currently on view.

  • Parental authorisation needed for minors to leave the country?

    NATIONAL LEVEL

    Parental authorisation needed for minors to leave the country?

    June 2016

    The legislation to strengthen the fight against organised crime, terrorism and the financing adopted on 26 May 2016 provides for the reintroduction in France of required authorisations for any minor leaving the country.

  • TERRITORIES

    Effects of the reintroduction of border controls: the example of Strasbourg-Kehl

    May 2016

    Intended to form an integrated urban entity within the framework of the "Two Banks" initiative structured around a tramline, which is scheduled to start running in 2017, the cities of Strasbourg and Kehl constitute an interesting barometer for the consequences of the reintroduction of controls along the French-German border.