The report on cross-border issues has just been published!

What are the main findings of the report you have just produced?

This report, which was produced as part of a flash assignment given to me by the French National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs Committee, focuses on all the borders of France and therefore concerns the 25 million French people living in border areas.
It is a rich report of around sixty pages, the result of in-depth work, for which we heard from more than 60 people from a wide variety of backgrounds, covering a wide range of subjects and putting forward more than 50 concrete and rapidly applicable recommendations.
After three months of work, it appears that the issues specific to border regions deserve greater attention. The main conclusion I draw from this is the need to improve the governance of these issues so that the specific characteristics of these territories are better taken into account in public policies. Many solutions exist, and local initiatives are proving them every day.

What are the main difficulties encountered by French people living in border regions?

French people living in border regions face many difficulties that directly affect their daily lives.

• The first, and most frequently raised, concerns transport: the increase in cross-border flows and the gradual densification of these areas have led to road saturation. At the same time, public transport is not always able to compensate for this congestion, particularly in rural areas, where availability remains limited.

• This pressure also extends to housing, particularly near the borders with Luxembourg and Switzerland. Wage differentials between the countries have led to a surge in property prices, making access to housing increasingly difficult for those working in France, particularly civil servants, who cannot compete with wage levels on the other side of the border.

• Access to healthcare is another major challenge. The lack of attractiveness for healthcare professionals, combined with competition from Swiss and Luxembourg salaries, is exacerbating the decrease in medical care in these areas. In addition, the administrative procedures imposed by the health insurance system, such as the requirement to obtain an S1 form, make it even more difficult for French patients to receive care.

• In terms of employment, mutual recognition of diplomas remains a major obstacle: when a business relocates to the other side of the border, workers may find themselves unable to follow suit because their qualifications are not equivalent. The language barrier is also an obstacle: learning a neighbour’s language is declining across all borders, which complicates both professional integration and cross-border cooperation.

• Finally, at a local level, local authorities and associations stress the need for greater support from the State, particularly for concluding sometimes complex legal agreements. In this context, associations providing assistance to cross-border commuters play an essential role in providing valuable support to citizens. For example, the Infobest network handled 21,000 requests in 2023, illustrating the importance of increased support and more effective handling of cross-border issues.

What short- and medium-term solutions have been identified? What are the priorities and what action will be taken? What role could the MOT play?

To go further and faster, my report makes fifty-five operational proposals to remove everyday obstacles and strengthen cross-border dialogue.

In terms of mobility, it is essential to step up cooperation to develop cross-border rail links and reduce dependency on cars. In particular, I propose the introduction of ‘cross-border RERs’ to better connect the territories on either side of the border. With regard to housing, adapting urban planning code could enable cross-border areas to deviate from certain land use constraints.

In terms of healthcare, access to care on the other side of the border needs to be simplified. At present, patients have to obtain prior agreement from their health insurance for an imaging test, even when the waiting times are too long in France. This makes no sense: a simple decree would be enough to lift this constraint. There is also an urgent need to speed up the introduction of bilateral agreements and conventions between health establishments.

In terms of employment, I recommend a simplified recognition of diplomas and the creation of joint training courses with co-financing, to ensure that France does not have to finance workers who will work abroad on its own. Language learning must be a priority, with a genuine strategy tailored to cross-border living areas, supported by the French education system.

More broadly speaking, targeted derogations must be put in place, as the Treaty of Aachen between France and Germany already allows. It is essential to give political scope to cross-border issues by entrusting this responsibility to a member of the government, a high commissioner, or an interministerial delegate. There needs to be better coordination between the State, local authorities and cross-border associations. To achieve this, I propose the creation of a body for dialogue, bringing together the prefectures, local authorities, and border worker associations, as well as the creation of a ‘pool of legal expertise’ to support the negotiation of bilateral agreements. This work could be entrusted to the MOT, which already plays a key role in coordinating cross-border policies and dialogue with administrations and local authorities.

To consult the report: https://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/dyn/17/rapports/cion_afetr/l17b1023_rapport-information