Transport, housing, health, employment, governance: these are some of the key subjects addressed in the 55 concrete proposals aimed at ‘removing everyday obstacles’ and ‘strengthening cross-border dialogue’. In our exclusive interview with Brigitte Klinkert, MP for Haut-Rhin and author of the report, find out more about the concrete proposals on these key topics.
At the invitation of its partner, the French Network of Urban Planning Agencies (FNAU), the MOT led a one-day workshop as part of the 45th national meeting of urban planning agencies, which took place in Saint-Omer from the 9th to 11th of October 2024. Organised by an MOT network member, the Pays de Saint-Omer urban planning, development and heritage agency (AUD), the theme of the event was ‘public spaces’.
Law 2016-41 of 26 January 2016 on the modernisation of France's healthcare system introduced a new "Regional Health Project" (PRS), maintained in principle, with three new components: a 10-year Strategic Orientation Framework (COS), a single 5-year Regional Health Scheme (SRS) and a Regional Programme on Access to Prevention and Care for the Most Deprived (PRAPS).
A new initiative in the cross-border legal field, the "Justice without borders" pilot project acts as a Franco-German access point to law in Kehl.
The new allowance designed to protect the purchasing power of civil servants in the Franco-Swiss cross-border area, announced on September 28th, 2023 by Stanislas Guerini, the French Minister for Transformation and the Civil Service, was extended on December 12th to 133 municipalities, instead of the 61 initially announced.
MOT president Christian Dupessey, mayor of Annemasse, reflects on the issue of housing in border areas, following Minister Stanislas Guerini's announcement of a cost-of-living allowance for public servants affected by the real estate pressures associated with Switzerland's proximity. Read his editorial!
With the signing of an agreement between Bas-Rhin and Rhineland-Palatinate on September 27th in Mulhouse, French and German firefighters can now work together throughout the cross-border area along the Rhine, in the event of fire or disaster.
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 conference to launch the new cross-border legal access point, located at the heart of the Strasbourg-Kehl conurbation, was held on May 10th, 2023 at the Strasbourg judicial court. Its chairman, Thierry Ghera, gives us his view on this new service, the first of its kind in Europe.
At the conference "Border Region Academy: Border regions of Germany with its neighboring countries" organized by the German Federal Office for Spatial Planning on April 20th and 21st in Berlin, in which the MOT participated, several significant studies for cross-border cooperation were presented.
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.
On March 24th, 2023, the Franco-German citizen portal "FRED.info" was put online. Developed in the framework of a partnership between the Land of Baden-Württemberg and the Grand Est Region, the tool is managed by the Franco-German Institute (DFI).
Marie-Antoinette Maupertuis, President of the Corsican Assembly and member of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), answers our questions following the publication of her report to the CoR on regions with "geographic and demographic handicaps". What about border areas?
At the end of 2022, the Commission published its report "Cross-border public services: CPS inventory analysis and policy recommendations".
At the request of Greater Geneva, the MOT produced a note in September taking stock of the methods of financing mobility and the financial resources allocated.
Close to the Franco-German and Franco-Luxembourg borders, Bouzonville and Sierck-les-Bains are drawing up their cross-border goals with the help of the MOT.
As part of a study for the European Commission on the impacts of the measures taken on borders during the pandemic, the MOT went to Forbach on 26 April to meet users of the cross-border territory.
The Occitanie Region, the Pyrénées-Orientales Department and the Generalitat de Catalunya have announced that five cross-border bus services launched as part of the European project "ConnECT" are to be made permanent.
In order to answer the numerous questions about public services with a cross-border dimension from users of travelling and permanent "France Services" advice points run by the Nord Department, the latter commissioned the MOT to carry out an experimental study in 2021.
To coincide with the updating of the section of its website devoted to public services, the MOT is publishing a new edition of its brochure "Focus" (in French).
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.
With about 30% of the EU population living in internal border regions, the new DG REGIO publication contributes to the growing recognition of the importance of cross-border public transport services (CBPT) and their role in facilitating cross-border activities central to the development of border regions.
At a time when the closure of borders highlights the issues relating to cross-border living areas and their cohesion, the provision of public services specific to these territories was the subject of a dedicated workshop at the FNAU’s last national conference.
Between June and September 2021, the MOT was commissioned by the Lille Metropolis Development and Urban Planning Agency (ADULM) to conduct an analysis of the consequences of the border restrictions in the territory of the Lille-Kortrijk-Tournai Eurometropolis. The aim was to identify the issues highlighted and revealed by the crisis and the brakes on/levers for the development of the cross-border territory.
