A general meeting in the heart of the cross-border Alps!

July 2025

At the invitation of two of its members, the Syndicat du Pays de Maurienne and the Département de la Savoie, the MOT General Assembly was held on 1 and 2 July 2025 in Aussois, in the Maurienne Valley, in a magnificent setting in the heart of the French-Italian Alps. The event opened in unusual circumstances, with violent storms causing significant damage, particularly in Modane and Bardonecchia, cutting off the transalpine rail link and making it difficult for many participants to reach the venue. The conference initially planned in Bardonecchia had to be cancelled, but the visits and the General Assembly went ahead on the French side.

A first day marked by inspiring visits and a conference on cooperation in mountain areas

The first day began in Modane with visits of two sites that symbolise cross-border dynamics in mountain areas:

the Muséobar, a living space dedicated to the memory of cross-border mobility,
and the CNRS underground laboratory, a showcase for scientific research in alpine environments.

In the afternoon, the General Assembly was held in Aussois, chaired by Christian Dupessey, Mayor of Annemasse and President of the French Genevois Metropolitan Pole. It provided an opportunity to review the highlights of the year, approve the annual reports* and welcome new members: PITER+ Terres Monviso, Communauté de Communes Vallée de l’Ubaye Serre-Ponçon, Conseil Syndical Interrégional Hainaut Hauts-de-France West-Vlaanderen, Communauté de Communes de l’Ouest Guyanais and Euro-Institut Pyrene. See the network map.

The first day ended with a thematic conference on cooperation in mountain areas. With contributions from Jean-Claude Raffin, Mayor of Modane, Christiane Brunet, Vice-President of the Savoie Department, Emilie Bonnivart, Member of Parliament and Regional Councillor for the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region, Philippe Alpy, Vice-President of the Doubs Department, Philippe Matheron, Commissioner for the Development of the Alps, and Valeria Cenacchi of the European Commission, it discussed how national and European public policies should respond to the specific challenges of high-altitude borders, while reiterating the importance of strengthening territorial cohesion in these areas where the challenges of accessibility, risk management and sustainable development are tenfold. More information to come in our report.

The day ended with a visit to the Forts de l’Esseillon, symbols of the military history of the borders, now repurposed as places of remembrance and cross-border cooperation.

Discovering local projects for a ‘mountain without borders’

The second day began with a bus ride up to the Mont Cenis Pass, the historic border between France and Italy, accompanied by a guide from the Pays d’Art et d’Histoire des Hautes Vallées de Savoie (Land of Art and History of the Upper Valleys of Savoie), for an immersion through the centuries in this strategic area of the Alps. ‘Here, the mountains know no borders’ is a message that has been promoted by local Italian and French elected officials, emphasising that before 1860, the massif formed a single territory. This reality was illustrated by cross-border projects, set up to serve the inhabitants and visitors of both sides, symbolically presented at the top of the pass in front of the Franco-Italian house:

These two days clearly demonstrated that mountain regions are places of exchange, encounters and shared history, but also of resilience. The events that occurred served as a reminder of how exposed border areas are to natural hazards, highlighting more than ever the need for effective cross-border cooperation to prevent, manage and overcome these crises.