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"Experimenting with cross-border living areas", an ambitious project of the MOT network

Its objectives? To approach a definition of the concept of "cross-border living area", to analyze the needs and expectations of pilot territories, as well as the legal opportunities and obstacles, and to propose an operational toolbox to promote the implementation of cross-border public policies.

Five pilot sites, members of the MOT network, are taking part in this experimentation:

• Territory of the Eurometropolis Lille-Kortrijk-Tournai
• North Lorraine / Luxembourg territory
• Territory of the PAMINA Eurodistrict
• Territory of the Greater Geneva
• France-Italy-Monaco territory

The partners of the experimentation and the MOT are currently working on Phase 1 of the project, which aims to approach a definition of "cross-border living areas" by crossing different bases of reflection, in order to arrive at a cartographic representation of what these cross-border living areas could be in the territories of the five pilot sites.

The aim of this first phase is therefore to build a methodology for identifying cross-border living areas, taking into account their specific characteristics. The methodology developed in this sense aims to take into account the functional as well as institutional reality of these territories.

In the spring of 2023, "territorial brainstorming" sessions will be held at each pilot site to compare these cartographic representations with the reality experienced and perceived by the actors on the ground in these territories, and to collectively identify the priority issues in these cross-border living areas, as well as the main obstacles and obstacles encountered. These reflections will feed the continuation of the experimentation which will continue until the end of 2023.