The Alzette Belval EGTC has just launched an interactive mapping system to provide fair access to leisure equipment and services across the cross-border territory. It became apparent that such an initiative was necessary to encourage its inhabitants to take part in activities on either side of the border.
In 2016, a wide-ranging opinion poll by HES-SO* Geneva investigated the habits and feeling of belonging to the cross-border territory of the population of Greater Geneva. In 2018, a team made up of three professors conducted the survey again, this time focusing particularly on the issue of mobility.
"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?"
"Since its creation, the European Union seems to be guided by the idea that an increase in cross-border flows contributes to more European unity. […] In a context characterized by the rise of Euroscepticism, it seems crucial to take a more critical look at actual cross-border integration and to unravel its concrete consequences for the people who live in border regions."
Citizens' consultations are among President Emmanuel Macron's flagship proposals to give fresh impetus to Europe and "the link between its peoples and European construction". In France, they were launched in April and will continue until October 2018.
Two workshops and a study trip with local stakeholders were organised around this topic in the territories of SaarMoselle and Flanders-Dunkirk-Côte d’Opale, as part of the work of IHEDATE (Higher Education Institute for European Development and Planning - Institut des hautes études de développement et d'aménagement des territoires en Europe).
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.
This report assesses the current state of economic, social and territorial cohesion in the European Union. Following the economic crisis, there are signs of a recovery in Europe, but regional disparities persist between Member States between regions within the same country.
The Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs has launched a call for projects promoting decentralised cooperation, within which cross-border cooperation has been identified as a priority area.
People-to-people (P2P) projects are small-scale projects, accessible to a wide range of beneficiaries, oriented towards the promotion of contact and exchanges between people from either side of the border.
The Association of European Border Regions (AEBR) manages on behalf of the European Commission the new initiative known as "Interreg Volunteer Youth" (IVY), which aims to give young Europeans aged 18-30 the opportunity to serve as volunteers in Interreg programmes and projects.
The Pamina Eurodistrict is launching a digital version of a board game called "Le Passe-partout" ("The Master Key") to help schoolchildren learn about the rich cultural heritage of the Franco-German territory and encourage bilingualism.
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.
“Europe in my Region” is a European communication campaign organised by Commission's Directorate-General for Regional Policy around four different initiatives: the EU Open Project Days, a treasure hunt, a photo competition, a blogging campaign.
The first report of the European consultation on the obstacles and potential solutions to cross-border cooperation yields some very interesting analyses. A few elements: concerning the profile of the respondents, 84% of them live in a border region and 48% are private individuals.
Evaluating quality of life and the desire for "living together" in Greater Geneva is the objective of the study that has just been published by the Geneva HES-SO (University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland).
The 2016 edition of the Strasbourg-Ortenau Eurodistrict marathon has been cancelled due to "participation by German runners being too low". With a cross-border route (13 km Germany and 29 km in France), it was the only binational marathon in the world.
On 26 November in Kortrijk, a day based around the theme of innovation and the concept of "Learn do share" was held by the Lille-Kortrijk-Tournai Eurometropolis. Nearly 120 people reflected together on how to develop the Eurometropolis and be involved in it.
The local development council of the French Geneva area has presented a new edition of the educational material on Greater Geneva, which is entitled "Greater Geneva, our daily territory" and aimed at students in the penultimate year of lycée as part of the geography syllabus.
A European Seminar on democratic governance of cross-border areas was held on 22 and 23 October 2015 in Saint-Louis (France). The seminar was organised by the Council of Europe with the collaboration of the City of Saint-Louis, the Trinational Eurodistrict Basel, the Mission Opérationnelle Transfrontalière and the Institute of International Sociology of Gorizia (Italy).
On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of its creation, the Europe Direct network is highlighting the role of its information centres (500 throughout Europe, of which 54 are spread across France), in informing citizens of European activities, and also representing a local asset for events in the area.
Eurobarometer surveys are analyses of public opinion by the European Commission. For the first time, a Eurobarometer survey identifies and analyses the attitudes of citizens living in border regions.
On 6 September, this cross-border cycling festival that has been held every year in the SaarMoselle Eurodistrict celebrated 15 years of existence with the slogan "70 years of peace and friendship".
