Annual conference of the Alcotraité project: the French-Italian border, an obstacle or an opportunity?

The Franco-Italian border is often associated with difficulties and problems of various kinds, often making it difficult for genuine ‘cross-border living areas’ to emerge, as envisaged by the Quirinal Treaty. This is precisely the spirit in which the Alcotraité project’s annual event was held in Turin on 26 November, to mark the anniversary of the signing of the Quirinal Treaty.  

 The famous Automobile Museum welcomed more than 70 participants, all enthusiastic about taking part in a high-level event attended by representatives of the partner Regions, university lecturers and experts, who listened attentively to testimonies of structured European territorial cooperation experiences.  

At the first round table, moderated by the MOT’s Director General, Jean Peyrony, university professors and experts made contributions aimed at understanding the nature of bilateral cross-border relations between France and Italy. Article 10 of the Quirinal Treaty introduces an innovative model into relations between the two countries to take better account of the interdependencies between the populations living along the border. Overcoming the challenges and obstacles that still exist (in public transport or health, for example) requires a strong will and commitment on the part of both regional and governmental players.  

 To this end, the MOT presented the results of the online consultation launched during the summer: which provide a detailed ‘snapshot’ of the cross-border obstacles and needs expressed by French and Italian citizens and territorial players. Transport, access to healthcare services, environmental protection, language difficulties, access to training and employment opportunities across the border, and administrative/normative issues, represent the main obstacles faced by individuals in their daily interactions with the border. The results will serve as a basis for the next stages of the project, which include three territorial workshops aimed at establishing a multi-level dialogue. 

Finally, the second round table and the testimonies of experiences of structured cooperation enabled the public to discover the ‘Better governance of cooperation – ISO1’ projects that are being developed on the border and which often share common challenges with the Alcotraité project.   

At the end of 2025, another meeting will mark the end of the Alcotraité project. 

Find the summary of the consultation ‘France-Italy border: how to make your life easier?