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MOT General Assembly in Metz: French Minister Dominique Faure announces the creation of an "Interministerial committee for cross-border issues"

Opening the event, Dominique Faure, French Deputy Minister for Territorial Collectivities and Rural Affairs, announced the introduction of a new dynamic for cross-border cooperation in France with the creation of an "Interministerial committee for cross-border issues" to coordinate the actions and positions of the state, on both centralized and decentralized levels. She also unveiled the content of the national "roadmap" for cross-border cooperation, defining the MOT's supporting role in the scheme. "Benevolence, trust and partnership are three words that form a triptych of values that cement the MOT's work today", she emphasised.

In her speech, Dominique Faure announced:

- The work leading to the creation of an interministerial cross-border committee responsible for working effectively with the local committees, which it will not replace;
- The definition of a new joint roadmap with the MOT setting out the objectives and challenges for the period 2024-2027, as well as three areas of work:
- Supporting local actors in their projects and needs, in particular by providing them with methodological and mapping tools.
- Identify cross-border issues in order to make it easier to take them into account in national policies, and promote better knowledge of cross-border issues at national level.
- Identify cross-border issues at European and international level.
More info [FR]

At the event, MOT President Christian Dupessey, Mayor of Annemasse and President of the Metropolitan Pole of the French Genevois, welcomed this announcement, which responds to a recurring request from actors in cooperation that has long been relayed by the MOT: "The bilateral treaties have enabled progress to be made on recognition of the cross-border fact and the need to have appropriate tools. But this progress called for coordination in Paris, in order to ensure consistent handling of these difficulties by the ministries, for all borders, in liaison with parliament; and above all to steer a genuine cross-border policy for France."

The recent report by the General Inspectorate of Administration (IGA) on cross-border cooperation between local authorities reiterated this need, which the mechanism announced by the Minister should meet. More info

François Grosdidier, President of the Metz Eurometropolis and Mayor of Metz, emphasised: "Luxembourg is the leading employer in the Metz Eurometropolis. 10% of the working population works in the Grand Duchy. Over the last 10 years, the number of cross-border commuters has increased by 70%".

Patrick Weiten, President of the Moselle département, highlighted the challenges of mobility and transport, which continue to pose difficulties for the 100,000 Moselle residents who cross the border every day to get to work. Moselle is the 2nd largest department in France in terms of the number of cross-border workers: "We need more trust and constructive dialogue with Paris. We need more trust and constructive dialogue with Paris. Who better to understand these issues and know how to resolve the problems faced by border workers than local stakeholders? The right to differentiation must become the reference framework for cross-border action".

Round tables and field visits

Participants were also able to take part in two conferences and several field visits:

Conference 1: "Cross-border living areas: What realities? What challenges?"

The first conference following the General Assembly focused on cross-border living areas, in connection with the experiment launched this year by the MOT. In an area that is emblematic of the issues encountered in cross-border living areas (Luxembourg being the largest employer in the Metz Eurometropolis), the discussions covered a wide range of subjects such as mobility, employment, public services and health. As Patrice Harster, Director of the PAMINA Eurodistrict, pointed out, the notion of a 'living area' is less a question of geography than of people's lived experience, strongly linked to the question of flows. It is these flows, with their advantages and disadvantages, that require a real awareness of the border, with - in regard to transport - a need for multimodal solutions.

Conference 2: "Cross-border cooperation: what role for each level?

At the Bliesbruck-Reinheim European Archaeological Park, the second conference addressed the multi-level dimension of cross-border cooperation, with a focus on the progress observed since the Treaty of Aachen and the establishment of the Cross-Border Cooperation Committee (CBCC), which brings local players and states together, with a view to resolving cross-border obstacles. Simona Pohlová, from DG REGIO, recalled the promising prospects of the ECBM regulation and the recent progress made towards finding an agreement at European level, pointing out that if only 20% of the obstacles were resolved, 2% of GDP would be gained in cross-border regions. Philippe Voiry, ambassador for cross-border issues at the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, emphasised the importance of communication between the national and local levels, because, although support is often provided locally, the State has a role as facilitator, which is essential in resolving obstacles. For Catalina Cullas, ambassador in charge of cross-border cooperation at the Federal Foreign Office in Germany, the major challenge is to attract attention in the capitals: "we have to bring cross-border obstacles to the attention of the ministries that have jurisdiction, and which are often unaware of certain border situations".

Field visits

Finally, participants were offered three field visits on either side of the Franco-German border. Two visits focused on education and young people, with the Franco-German "Kita Salut" crèche in Saarbrücken, which, when it opens in September 2023, is set to become the first cross-border early childhood facility, and the Franco-German bi-bus, designed to encourage bilingualism in the area. The final field visit took participants to the Bliesbruck-Reinheim European Archaeological Park, straddling the Franco-German border, where the remains of Roman baths have been brought to light by Franco-German cooperation. Link to the project information sheets.

More info [FR]