National governance of cross-border cooperation – State/MOT roadmap

News
Events
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MOT Publications

Territorial cohesion

A look back at the MOT General Assembly: spatial planning at the heart of the discussions

July 2026

Economic transition and innovation

The Cour des comptes’ annual report highlights the importance of cross-border cooperation

May 2026

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Dec 25

1ères Assises nationales de la coopération frontalière «Bassins de vie transfrontaliers, quel soutien aux frontières françaises ?» [FR]

Paris

Sep 24

30ème Assemblée Générale de la MOT [FR]

Dunkerque

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Le réseau de la MOT – Juin 2026 [FR]

Update: 2026

Policy and tools

GECT de coopération transfrontalière aux frontières françaises [FR]

Update: Mai 2026

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Manifesto for balanced economic development in cross-border territories

April 2026

Coopération transfrontalière : résoudre les obstacles [FR]

November 2023

[In French only] Qu’il s’agisse de trouver un emploi, de recevoir des soins, de se déplacer, de résoudre des problèmes administratifs, les habitants des régions frontalières sont confrontés dans leur vie quotidienne à des difficultés liées à la présence de la frontière. C’est pourquoi l’identification des obstacles à la coopération - et la recherche de solutions - est l’un des défis majeurs de la coopération transfrontalière.

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Summary

France has nearly 3,000 kilometers of borders. French borders are characterized by extensive cooperation, resulting from multi-level collaboration that varies by territory, whether at the local level (eurodistricts, local cross-border structures, etc.), at the regional level (Greater Region, Upper Rhine, Euroregions, etc.), or at the interstate level with the essential involvement of the State (bilateral treaties, intergovernmental commissions).

The need for coordinated action between these levels led the French State government to create the Transfrontier Operational Mission (MOT) in 1997. Its network brings together stakeholders in cross-border cooperation to facilitate a direct link between cross-border territories and national and European stakeholders.

A new impetus for cross-border cooperation: the roadmap for the partnership between the State and the MOT for the period 2024-2027

Announced at the 29th General Assembly of the MOT in June 2023 in Metz by Dominique Faure, then Minister of State for Local Authorities and Rural Affairs, and published at the 30th General Assembly in September 2024 in Dunkirk, the ‘Roadmap for the partnership between the State and the MOT for the period 2024–2027’ marked a new stage in the recognition of cross-border cooperation at the national level in France. It is structured around three priority areas:

Priority 1: Facilitate the development and implementation of cross-border projects and the identification of local issues
Priority 2: Facilitate the identification of cross-border issues at national level
Priority 3: Facilitate the identification of cross-border issues at the European and international level

KEY DOCUMENTS/WEBSITES

Roadmap for the partnership between the State and the MOT for the period 2024-2027

BRIDGE-FR: the implementation of the BRIDGEforEU Regulation in France, a key milestone

The European BRIDGEforEU Regulation, adopted in May 2025, marked a major step forward for multi-level governance of cross-border cooperation within each Member State. It provides for the establishment of national and regional coordination points tasked with examining solutions to each obstacle to cross-border cooperation raised by cross-border stakeholders. The tool thus provides Member States with a standard procedure for removing cross-border barriers.