France Italy Monaco

Dates de création de la frontière

1860 (Treaty of Turin) – 1947

Territoires concernés

France : Régions Sud – Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Départements Alpes-Maritimes, Alpes de Haute-Provence, Hautes-Alpes, Savoie, Haute-Savoie, Collectivité territoriale de Corse – Italy : Régions Ligurie, Piémont, Val d’Aoste, Sardaigne, Toscane – Principality of Monaco.

Longueur de la frontière

515 km

Programmes européens

• Interreg Alcotra
Sur site de la DG REGIO

• Interreg Italie-France Maritime
Sur site de la DG REGIO

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News
Maps
MOT Publications

Ecological transition

Observ’Alp: the project’s closing event and publication of the final brochure

December 2025

Policy and tools

A look back at the first National Conference on Border Cooperation: France adopts a new governance structure to support the implementation of the European regulation BRIDGEforEU

December 2025

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Transport, mobility

Projets de RER métropolitains aux frontières de la France

Update: 2025

Territorial cohesion

Espaces ruraux et naturels transfrontaliers aux frontières françaises

Update: 2025

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N°11 – The new challenges of cross-border mobility

December 2022

Be it for freight or for passengers, for occasional or daily travel, mobility is at the heart of cross-border life. This 11th MOT thematic Guide gives an overview of the experiences and policies conducted in the field of cross-border mobility in various European territories. It highlights a wide variety of projects, but also obstacles, issues and major challenges for the years to come.

Critical Dictionary on Borders, Cross-Border Cooperation and European Integration

October 2020

Peter Lang, by Birte Wassenberg (Volume editor) Bernard Reitel (Volume editor) History & Political Science, Series: Border Studies, Volume 1. The "Critical Dictionary of Borders, Cross-Border Cooperation and European Integration" has just been published: a major publication that contains 209 articles written by 124 authors from different countries and academic disciplines, accompanied by 66 original maps produced by the MOT. Its aim is to answer the following questions: what is the role of borders in European integration? How does cross-border cooperation function concretely in the EU’s border regions? Does it contribute to European integration? Who are the players, and what are their motives, objectives and tools?

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Summary

Introduction

The tracing of the border between France and Italy was modified in 1860 with the annexation of the County of Nice and Savoy to France, and then in 1947 for the Canton of Tende. This long border, which stretches from Mont Blanc to Menton on the Mediterranean coast, is very impermeable due to its entirely mountainous topography. Transverse communication valleys are rare, and most flows of people and goods occur through tunnels. The rates of language penetration on either side of this border are low, except in the Aosta Valley, which is traditionally French-speaking, and the Occitan dialect present in the border regions of Piedmont. The rural nature of these regions and the absence of large towns near the border, which are the main sources of cross-border flows, help limit exchanges.

The heterogeneity of territories and issues hinders the implementation of a cross-border cooperation strategy at the border level. However, the use of PITER (Integrated Territorial Plans) and PITEM (Integrated Thematic Plans) within the framework of European programs, as well as the execution of sectoral cooperations, demonstrate the willingness on both sides of the border to support cross-border cooperation and integrate its development into local policies. Two European programs fund projects on the Franco-Italian border: the Interreg VA Alcotra and Italy-France Marittimo programs.