Border: France-Luxembourg
Overview
Cooperation at many different levels
Many different actors structure the cooperation between France and Luxembourg:
The role of the Intergovernmental Commissions (IGC)
With respect to the border, relations between France and Luxembourg were institutionalised in 1971 when a tripartite Intergovernmental Commission (IGC) for France, Germany and Luxembourg was set up. It constitutes a forum for dialogue and cooperation in an intergovernmental framework and its activities cover a variety of areas.
The France-Luxembourg IGC, which was set up in 2010 and has a local office , completes this framework. Composed of different working groups, it seeks to provide solutions to the daily problems of the countries’ citizens.
A broader cooperation structure: the Greater Region
The France-Luxembourg border is part of a broader area of cooperation: The “Greater Region”, which brings together the Lorraine Region on the French side, Saarland and Rheinland-Pfalz in Germany, Luxembourg, as well as Wallonia and Belgium’s German-speaking community. The Greater Region is the main institutional player in cross-border cooperation in this territory; it aims to facilitate the implementation of cooperation projects between the four countries.
The areas of cooperation are varied and in many cases the Greater Region serves as a framework for the implementation of projects. Its actions are supported by many structures both at regional level (the Summit of Executive Bodies, the Interregional Parliamentary Council and the Greater Region Economic and Social Committee) and at local level (Euregio SarLorLux+, Quattropole).
In order to improve its visibility and competitiveness at European level, the Greater Region has adopted a metropolitan approach, with the “Cross-Border Polycentric Metropolitan Region” project. The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is particularly active in this project and its dynamic cooperation strategy makes it one of the Greater Region’s main drivers.
The networks of cities such as Quattropole (Luxembourg, Metz, Saarbrücken and Trier) and the Lorraine Corridor also come within the perimeter of the Greater Region.
More information about the Greater Region
At the local level: the cross-border urban hubs
At the local level, cooperation takes place around two major urban centres: the European Development Pole in Longwy and the Alzette-Belval ecocity.
The Interreg programme
At these different levels of cooperation, French-Luxembourg cross-border projects can be supported by the Interreg IVA “Greater Region” programme.
More info
