Territorial cohesion

Agriculture and cross-border cooperation: the MOT at the 42nd ANEM Congress

October 2026

On 15-16 October, approximately 500 representatives from France’s mountain regions gathered in Gex for the congress of the National Association of Elected Officials from Mountain Regions (ANEM). The theme of this 42nd edition, “Exceed Expectations, Cooperate, Develop,” framed discussions on several major issues, ranging from climate change to the financing of concrete projects and the future of agriculture. With more than 40% of France’s borders located in mountainous areas, cross-border issues naturally featured prominently in the discussions.

In this context, Christian Dupessey, president of the MOT, spoke at the roundtable discussion “Agriculture and Cross-Border Cooperation: Addressing the Challenges of Mountain Regions with Europe,” alongside several prominent figures, including Annie Genevard, Minister of Agriculture, Agri-Food, and Food Sovereignty.

Leveraging the complementarities of mountain territories in border regions

In his remarks, the president of the MOT emphasized the importance of accounting for the dual nature of mountain areas located along borders: they face both the challenges inherent to mountain agriculture and the specificities of cross-border functional regions (bassins de vie). Proximity to a border represents a development lever that remains underutilized in these territories.

The creation of short supply chains and cross-border products with Protected Designation of Origin (PDO/AOP) status, along with the mutual recognition of farmers’ professional qualifications, were presented as innovative concepts. Several ongoing cross-border initiatives were also highlighted, including Interreg projects focused on agriculture (such as DARECA on the Franco-Spanish border and PRoSCoR on the Franco-Swiss border) and training programs developed in cooperation with Italy.

The MOT Working Group on mountains and borders

These challenges were addressed during the MOT working group session on mountains and borders,” held on 28 September 2026. More info [FR]

Several priorities raised during this working group echoed discussions held at the congress: enhancing the value of agricultural professions, improving water management, and reconciling its various uses. The discussions also underscored the value of coordinated responses on both sides of the border to address shared difficulties, such as predation, incomplete agricultural value chains (which hinder the development of cross-border short supply chains), and labor shortages in the agricultural sector.

Cross-border perspectives

Whether it concerns water management, adaptation to climate change, or the sustainability of agricultural activities, many of the challenges facing mountain regions transcend national borders. Cross-border cooperation therefore serves as an essential means of pooling experience, overcoming regulatory obstacles, and developing solutions tailored to local realities, ultimately helping to strengthen the resilience of these territories.