News
The Basque Country Conurbation Community, naturally without a border
April 2018
Editorial by Jean-René Etchegaray, President of the Basque Country Conurbation Community ; and presentation of the MAREA project: "A cross-border project to predict coastal risks in the Basque Country".
"Right from the time it was set up on 1 January 2017, our Conurbation Community was aware of its responsibilities and its importance in the Euroregional landscape. Beyond geography, it's a whole history, identity, language and culture that we share with HEGOALDE (the southern part of the historical Basque Country).
The cross-border dimension will be a major feature of our project for the territory. It should be reflected in all of the components of our public policies – not as a European requirement, but as an asset for our territory's standing and the construction of a shared vision of our development paths.
Our primary ambition is to base cross-border action in a pragmatic approach that contributes to the construction of European citizenship. In order to do this, we need to find solutions together to facilitate the mobility of our fellow citizens, share our water systems and coordinate and manage better the risks to our coastline.
Lastly, joining forces is also a way to increase the dynamism of our territories, by stimulating innovation, fostering social links in and the attractiveness of our mountain areas, and by encouraging the use of the languages of the cross-border territory."
