Sambre-Avesnois Sud-Hainaut: the Cross-Border Assembly moves into action

February 2026

On 12 February, the Sambre-Avesnois Sud-Hainaut Cross-Border Assembly met in Jeumont for its annual plenary session, attended by around ten French and Belgian elected representatives and partner experts. The MOT presented an overview of the region’s key issues and led the discussion on the proposals emerging from the five thematic workshops held in 2024 and 2025. This session enabled concrete decisions to be taken and the 2026 action plan to be defined.

Five areas of work for 2026:

Mobility: Support the establishment of a steering committee involving the SNCF, the SNCB and local authorities; improve communication onrail services; and coordinate road infrastructure projects in the cross-border region
Health: Organise a cross-border health day for professionals and the general public, aimed at promoting the Zones Organisées d’Accès aux soins Transfrontaliers (ZOAST) (Organised Cross-Border Healthcare Access Zones) while addressing workforce shortages and demographic ageing
Culture – Tourism: Promote cycling and river-based tourism around the cross-border Sambre, and develop cross-border cultural offerings, particularly for young people
Environment: Establish cross-border coordination regarding flood risk in the Sambre catchment area
Employment – Training: Identify the legal and administrative barriers hindering the development of cross-border employment

The City of Charleroi will coordinate the Assembly in 2026 and lead the working groups to implement these actions.