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A future cross-border strategic action plan for the Val de Sambre

Chaired by Benjamin Sainte-Huile, mayor of Jeumont and president of the CAMVS until 1 July, and now member of parliament for the 3rd constituency of the Nord, this committee brought together a large number of actors from both sides of the French-Belgian border, including the mayors of Mons, La Louvière and Erquelinnes, and representatives of the Province of Hainaut, the Hauts-de-France Region, the Nord Département, the Hauts-de-France state representation, and the local municipalities and inter-municipal bodies.

The MOT presented the cross-border diagnosis carried out in partnership with the Agence d'Urbanisme de la Sambre (ADUS) on behalf of the Maubeuge Val de Sambre agglomeration. This work provides an initial overview of the shared issues of the cross-border territory. Through the presentation of various maps, and quantitative and qualitative analyses, the questions related to the integration of the labour markets, joint tourism development, the supply of health care, preservation of the environment and support for the energy transition, mobility of persons and goods, or the agricultural transition and the development of short-distance circuits, were detailed. One of the main conclusions of this work is that these different cross-border complementarities can be seen as resources for strengthening the residential attractiveness and ecological resilience of the entire territory.

Following the political validation of the work presented, the French and Belgian elected representatives will launch the co-construction of the strategic action plan. Its publication is expected for early 2023. The role of the MOT will be to facilitate the elaboration of common projects and the establishment of a multi-level dialogue on this border.