News

Editorial from Jean Peyrony, Director general of the MOT

Our economies are called upon to look outwards; our societies to forge multiple forms of citizenship at the local, national, European and global levels; and with them our governments to reinvent, along with the territorial authorities and Europe, sustainable management of our common goods.

To this end, we need to combine innovation, environmental responsibility and solidarity both within Europe and with respect to our neighborhoods. The way forward relies on more cross-border integration, but many obstacles remain.

The 2014-2020 cohesion policy programmes won't be enough. We also need to have greater knowledge of our cross-border territories, and the potential for and impediments to cooperation, as the Commission is inviting us to do with its consultation; to invent new legal tools, as the Luxembourg presidency of the European Council is proposing; and to align legislation, strategies and above all people's determination on each border.

The European and cross-border cohesion requires both engineers that put together technical systems and economic players that create value beyond their national territories, and political leaders that coordinate institutions, in dialogue with citizens who develop projects across borders.

The prerequisite for this is that our maps no longer end at our borders and that we learn our neighbours' languages!

The MOT – its network and technical team – will actively work towards achieving these objectives.

Read the article: 25 ans d'Interreg, les projets à l'honneur