At the research seminar "The model of the Franco-German border – Reconciliation, cooperation, integration", organised by the Jean Monnet FRONTEM network, a "Manifesto on the future of cross-border cooperation in Europe", addressed to France’s presidency of the EU, and to the Conference on the Future of Europe, was published.
Jean Peyrony, the MOT’s Director-General spoke at two conferences:
This European Commission report, published on 13 July, looks at the lessons of the Covid crisis and the initiatives carried out since the publication of its 2017 Communication “Boosting growth and cohesion in EU border regions”.
Adopted on 1 July, this resolution constitutes an official contribution from the CoR to the Conference on the Future of Europe. It sets out the concrete proposals of the CoR and the European Cross-Border Citizens’ Alliance (AEBR, MOT and CESCI) to put cross-border cooperation back at the top of the EU's policy agenda after a year disrupted by the pandemic.
What have been the different forms of border crisis since the start of 2020? Alongside the joint initiatives to manage the crises, what are the obvious imbalances they have revealed? To answer these questions, the MOT is publishing a summary of one year of reflections by its “Territorial Solidarities” working group.
Organised by the European Committee of the Regions in association with the other founding partners of the European Cross-Border Citizens Alliance (the MOT, AEBR and, CESCI), on 5 July the Conference on the Future of Cross-Border Cooperation brought together nearly 200 participants.
The latest Franco-German Council of Ministers, which met on 31 May 2021 alongside the meeting between Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel, took stock of the implementation of the Aachen Treaty and the substantial advances in Franco-German cooperation over the past few months. It was also an opportunity to launch new cooperation initiatives, notably in the areas of healthcare, culture and youth, as well as to prepare for the major upcoming international and European events.
The health crisis put the inhabitants of border regions in an unprecedented position that placed a strain on all aspects of their daily lives. In this case, the daily lives of the inhabitants of the cross-border living area of the Lille-Kortrijk-Tournai Eurometropolis were seriously disrupted. The concrete effects of these restrictions need to be analysed in greater depth to learn the lessons in order to act better in the future.
Since 2018, the advances in Franco-German relations are major: the signing of the Aachen Treaty, the creation of the Franco-German Committee on Cross-border Cooperation (CCT) and the Franco-German Parliamentary Assembly. These democratic innovations, a first in Europe, are enabling us to identify territorial dissonances and to take action to harmonise our national legal frameworks.
Feedback on the MOT Network’s Working Groups: Since 2020, the working groups of the MOT network have been bringing together MOT members at regular intervals to share the experiences of border areas and encourage the emergence of propositions for action. Here we present the findings of the first three groups established.
This new observatory (French level) presented its preliminary findings at a webinar on 19 March, entitled “What is the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on territories’ economic and social dynamics?”, in which the MOT participated.
On 16 March 2021, French Parliament definitively adopted the draft legislation aimed at simplifying and developing local experimentation initiated by territorial authorities.
The DG REGIO has launched a study to identify all existing cross-border public transport services and related legal obstacles. The contributions to this survey are crucial to ascertain the number of existing services and to gather information on the challenges that need to be overcome.
At a time when we are seeing fresh border closures, the MOT is proposing to take a step back and to analyse the first phase of the crisis and its impact on cross-border living areas.
Following the Covid-19 crisis in the border regions, and in the light of the scale of the coming transitions, a new impetus and long-term vision are needed more than ever to make these territories engines of solidarity and cooperation between Europeans. What have been the impacts of the pandemic on cross-border cooperation? What are the desirable futures for Europe, democracy and cooperation? These are the questions that the consultation on the long-term future of cross-border cooperation is attempting to answer.
The call aims to mobilise border regions that have already acknowledged and experienced market access barriers due to regulatory or administrative obstacles. Deadline: 15 March 2021.
On behalf of the European Commission’ s DG REGIO, the Association of European Border Regions (AEBR) has opened the fourth call for proposals in the framework of the b-solutions initiative. Applications can be submitted until the 11th of March 2021.
Having for centuries been areas of expectations, fears and conflict, European borders are now the subject of a Forum. It is a fine symbol. In these difficult times, solutions can only come from our ability to make cross-border areas places of convergence, trust and partnership.
The first Borders Forum was a great success, with over 700 participants online throughout two days of discussions, on 9-10 November 2020. The event was organised by the MOT, in partnership with the European Commission and the European Committee of the Regions.
While the crisis initially provoked uncoordinated border measures, it also revealed interdependencies and gave rise to multiple forms of cooperation and cross-border solidarity, which now need to be organised and strengthened by European and national public policies that take full account of the specific nature of cross-border territories.
The AEBR has published a compendium setting out analyses of the 43 obstacles and solutions identified over the course of the first two calls for proposals of the b-solutions initiative. NB: 3rd call for proposals extended until 11 October 2020.
The third call for proposals in the framework of the b-solutions initiative is opened. Deadline extended until 11.10.2020!
The Commission’s Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO) launched a new online "Public consultation on overcoming obstacles in border regions", and invite citizens and/or border stakeholders to participate and share their opinions and feedback. Extended deadline: 11 October.
A year ago, the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Region commissioned the MOT to carry out a capitalisation study that gave a voice to regional players involved in ALCOTRA and MARITTIMO projects by means of a broad consultation process.
Resolution adopted on 19 June.
