News

  • TERRITORIES

    The Léman Express – "a real transport revolution"

    January 2020

    The launch of the Léman Express on 15 December 2019 is “a real transport revolution”, according to Greater Geneva’s elected representatives. Made possible by a new 16km central section of track between Cornavin, Eaux-Vives and Annemasse (CEVA), what is now the largest cross-border regional rail network in Europe links up two Swiss cantons and two French departments. It has taken eight years and €1.8 billion worth of investment to complete.

  • Annual summary of the Greater Geneva Cross-Border Statistical Observatory

    TERRITORIES

    Annual summary of the Greater Geneva Cross-Border Statistical Observatory

    January 2020

    The Greater Geneva Cross-Border Statistical Observatory has just published its 2019 summary: “The Geneva cross-border area continues to see demographic and economic growth: demographic growth is strong in the Geneva cross-border area (1.6% annually between 2011 and 2016), and is significantly higher than both the Swiss and French averages (1.1% and 0.4% respectively). This large territory […] is now home to more than a million people.”

  • Revitalisation of inner cities in the Greater Region

    MOT

    Revitalisation of inner cities in the Greater Region

    January 2020

    On 21 November 2019 the UniGR – Center for Border Studies held in Esch-sur-Alzette, in Luxembourg, its fourth Greater Region Forum, on the topic "Revitalisation of inner cities in the Greater Region". In the light of the pressure on the retail sector in the Greater Region, as well as in other cross-border regions, the discussions focused on the organisation of retailers in the face of this competition, on consumer behaviour and on possible avenues for co-development.

  • Workshops in Bayonne and San Sebastian for the Basque Country Cross-Border Cooperation Plan

    MOT

    Workshops in Bayonne and San Sebastian for the Basque Country Cross-Border Cooperation Plan

    October 2019

    As part of the process of drawing up its Cross-Border Cooperation Plan, the Basque Country Community (CAPB) ran "cross-border cooperation workshops", in Bayonne on 20 September and in San Sebastian on 25 September, with support from the MOT and the Atlantic and Pyrenees Urban Planning Agency (AUDAP).

  • Editorial by Pascal Curie, Vice-President of the Greater Besançon Metropolis in charge of forward planning, regional development and strategy for the territory

    TERRITORIES

    Editorial by Pascal Curie, Vice-President of the Greater Besançon Metropolis in charge of forward planning, regional development and strategy for the territory

    October 2019

    The Greater Besançon Metropolis is particular in being the first major urban centre one gets to when coming from the Swiss Jura Arc, while at the same time being relatively far away from it. The Jura mountain range is both a geographical obstacle and a territorial asset; indeed, the border region is a well-preserved area with a wealth of shared natural and cultural features.

  • The MOT network in Besançon

    MOT

    The MOT network in Besançon

    October 2019

    Cross-border metropolitan cooperation initiatives were spotlighted at the MOT network’s day-long meeting, co-organised with the Greater Besançon Metropolis, on 25 September.

  • "The cross-border dimension – a new impetus for the territory"

    TERRITORIES

    "The cross-border dimension – a new impetus for the territory"

    September 2019

    Editorial by Tristan Atmania, Deputy Director of the Territorial Attractiveness and Competitiveness Department – Saint-Avold Conurbation: "In this crucial year for Europe, our territory of the Moselle, at the crossroads of the founding countries of the European Union, and also of the Saar-Lor-Lux Greater Region, is at a turning point in its history. In this respect, the cross-border cooperation that is already being forged in all areas of daily life represents a major asset to be developed in the context of the competition that we face with the other regions of the world. [...]"

  • The Saint-Avold Conurbation – a new member of the MOT’s network

    TERRITORIES

    The Saint-Avold Conurbation – a new member of the MOT’s network

    September 2019

    Individual decisions carry important weight in a world brimming over with vitality. Decisions that affect many people and that, taken together, have an impact on certain regions’ demographic developments and economic strength. Such changes can only be managed if we are willing to evolve. The Saint-Avold Conurbation is rising to this challenge and is taking advantage of synergies to pool skills for the benefit of all.

  • Study on cross-border employment for the Lille European Metropolis

    MOT

    Study on cross-border employment for the Lille European Metropolis

    Septembre 2019

    The MOT has produced a study with the aim of informing the Lille European Metropolis about the socioeconomic features of Belgian Flanders, and the way its economic fabric and employment sector function.

  • Design'In – a project to revitalise city centres along the Franco-Belgian border

    TERRITORIES

    Design'In – a project to revitalise city centres along the Franco-Belgian border

    September 2019

    Within the framework of a project funded by the Interreg V France-Wallonie-Vlaanderen programme, the cities of Tournai, Mons, Courtrai and the Lille European Metropolis have set themselves the challenge of strengthening and stimulating the development of their city centres by making use of design.

  • Practical guide: Border cities and climate change in Africa

    PUBLICATION

    Practical guide: Border cities and climate change in Africa

    September 2019

    This practical guide, published by the secretariat of the Sahel and West Africa Club, has been produced with assistance from the MOT. It offers many insights on the legislative and financial levers for developing cross-border initiatives on resilience to climate change in West Africa.

  • Borders and mobility in day-to-day life: ways of life in the Basel trinational conurbation

    PUBLICATION

    Borders and mobility in day-to-day life: ways of life in the Basel trinational conurbation

    September 2019

    Yann Dubois, Editions Alphil-Presses universitaires suisses, Collection "Espaces, mobilités et sociétés" No. 9, 613 pp, 2019 - in French.

  • Network of Cross-Border Cooperation Strategies

    MOT

    Network of Cross-Border Cooperation Strategies

    June 2019

    With the support of the MOT, Lille, Strasbourg and Nice are the three French border region metropolises that have embarked on drawing up a "Schéma de cooperation transfrontalière" (Cross-Border Cooperation Strategie, CCS), introduced by the Maptam Act* in 2014. Through its network, the MOT enables the three metropolises to share experiences and information regarding their methodologies, the obstacles encountered and the local political contexts, as well as to relay their needs to the national and European authorities.

  • Cross-border innovation: Strasburg plans to recover the heat produced by the Kehl steelworks

    TERRITORIES

    Cross-border innovation: Strasburg plans to recover the heat produced by the Kehl steelworks

    June 2019

    The Strasbourg Eurometropolis has launched a project aimed at recovering the heat produced by the Kehl steelworks in order to provide energy for 4,000 households in Strasbourg within two years. This innovative project is a first in Europe at the cross-border level.

  • Border cities in West Africa

    PUBLICATION

    Border cities in West Africa

    June 2019

    A report on border cities in West Africa has just been published in the OECD’s series "West Africa Papers" on the Sahel and West Africa. Made up of four papers, the "cities" collection is the fruit of systematic analysis of the role played by border cities in the regional integration process in West Africa.

  • Agreement between the Lille European Metropolis and the Brussels Region

    TERRITORIES

    Agreement between the Lille European Metropolis and the Brussels Region

    June 2019

    On 2 May 2019, the Lille European Metropolis and the Brussels-Capital Region signed a cooperation agreement in order to reinforce exchanges between the two metropolises, on topics such as accessibility, spatial planning, attractiveness, tourism and culture.

  • "L'Europe par les territoires", a publication by the FNAU – focus on the cross-border dimension

    PUBLICATION

    "L'Europe par les territoires", a publication by the FNAU – focus on the cross-border dimension

    May 2019

    The latest publication by the French Network of Urban Planning Agencies (FNAU), entitled "L'Europe par les territoires" (“Europe by its territories”) feeds into the debate about Europe and provides different views on the issues relating to cohesion policy and the way in which cities and territories have appropriated the European ideal and the tools of this policy. The MOT contributed to it and several cross-border territories are showcased in it.

  • Results of ADEUS’s conference on the Strasbourg-Karlsruhe area

    TERRITORIES

    Results of ADEUS’s conference on the Strasbourg-Karlsruhe area

    April 2019

    ADEUS (the Strasbourg Conurbation Development and Urban Planning Agency) and the heads of the two cities on either side of the Rhine held a conference in Strasbourg on 27 February entitled: “What are the issues facing a cross-border metropolitan area Strasbourg- Karlsruhe and their Eurodistricts?”. The presentations are now available.

  • Construction of Greater Geneva: disappointment on the French side

    TERRITORIES

    Construction of Greater Geneva: disappointment on the French side

    October 2018

    On 14 September the Swiss Government introduced its bill concerning the funding of “Third generation conurbation projects”.

  • Proceedings of the 2018 MOT Conference

    MOT

    Proceedings of the 2018 MOT Conference

    September 2018

    During its General Assembly in May 2018 in Nice and Ventimiglia, the MOT held two round tables on the topics "Local cross-border cooperation in the French-Italian border area" and "The French-Italian-Monacan Metropolitan area under construction", which were complemented by a presentation of cross-border projects within the Nice Côte d’Azur metropolis.

  • 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 Lille-Kortrijk-Tournai Eurometropolis's "Parc Bleu"

    TERRITORIES

    Launch of the Lille-Kortrijk-Tournai Eurometropolis's "Parc Bleu"

    April 2018

    More than 100 people – elected representatives, technicians and civil society players – took part in the event on 22 March to launch the Lille-Kortrijk-Tournai Eurometropolis's "Parc Bleu".

  • Urban hubs – accelerators of territorial cooperation

    PUBLICATION

    Urban hubs – accelerators of territorial cooperation

    April 2018

    The MOT has contributed to this publication produced by the French Urban Planning Agencies Network (FNAU), in two chapters: "Urban hubs and cross-border cooperation – a tool for dialogue across borders" and "How is inter-territoriality dealt with in other European countries?"

  • The Basel tram network extended to Saint-Louis!

    TERRITORIES

    The Basel tram network extended to Saint-Louis!

    February 2018

    On 10 December 2017, the elected representatives of the Basel trinational conurbation had the pleasure of opening tram line 3 linking the centre of Basel-Stadt (CH) to the railway station of Saint-Louis (F). With this tram line it is now possible to travel from Saint-Louis station to Basel city centre in under 15 minutes.

  • 10th anniversary of the Cross-Border Jura Arc Forum

    FRANCE

    10th anniversary of the Cross-Border Jura Arc Forum

    November 2017

    The Cross-Border Jura Arc Forum celebrated the 10th anniversary of its creation on Saturday 21 October 2017 at the town hall of Le Russey in the Haut-Doubs Department.