News

TERRITORIES

Franco-Italian conference "The cross-border living area"

A conference entitled “The cross-border living area: a laboratory for European integration between Italy and France” was held in Rome on April 18th, 2024. It brought together researchers, elected representatives and technicians from French and Italian border territories, both land and sea, as well as national administrations. The day of reflection was jointly organized by CERDACFF (DITER), Université Nice Côte d'Azur, and CNR/ ISSIRFA.

EUROPE

Enrico Letta presents his report on the Single European Market

Launched three decades ago, the Single European Market is one of the fundamental pillars of European integration. With this in mind, the European Council commissioned Enrico Letta, former head of the Italian government and current president of the Institut Jacques Delors, to draw up an independent high-level report on the future of the Single Market.

EUROPE

Towards the adoption of a regulation to remove cross-border obstacles? An update

The first proposal for a regulation on the European Cross-Border Mechanism ("ECBM"), now renamed "FCBS" ("Facilitating Cross-Border Solutions") dates back to 2018.

TERRITORIES

A new integrated territorial strategy for one of the five POCTEFA functional areas

A new feature of the Interreg POCTEFA 2021-2027 program, the Functional Areas allow us to work on smaller perimeters.

MOT

Cross-border projects for the future of the Franco-Belgian border

Discover our project sheets published to coincide with the MOT General Assembly in Dunkirk on June 27th and 28th!

TERRITORIES

A successful cross-border citizens' dialogue at Callicanes

The European elections in June 2024 place cross-border territories and the challenges of “everyday Europe” at the heart of the debate. To mark the occasion, the MOT has launched a dialogue with border citizens, focusing on local, cross-border and European issues. And the West-Vlaanderen - Flanders-Dunkerque-Côte d'Opale EGTC has responded by organizing a citizens' dialogue on its territory:

NATIONAL LEVEL

First 2024 session of the Franco-German Cross-Border Cooperation Committee (CCT)

On April 16th, 2024, a session of the CCT was held in Strasbourg (Hôtel préfectoral), chaired by Florian Hassler, State Secretary for Political Coordination and Europe of Baden-Württemberg, and Josiane Chevalier, Prefect of the Grand Est region. To mark the 5th anniversary of the Treaty of Aachen, the French Ambassador to Germany, François Delattre, attended the proceedings.

NATIONAL LEVEL

Research seminar on bilateral treaties: “Resilience and cross-border asymmetry”

On April 11th, 2024, in Strasbourg, a seminar on cross-border governance was organized by the University of Strasbourg and the Jean Monnet Center of Excellence. A round-table discussion on the three bilateral treaties (Aachen, Quirinal, Barcelona), attended by the ambassadors in charge of borders in France, Italy and Spain and the German Consul General in Strasbourg, was co-hosted by the Euro-institut and the MOT.

EUROPE

Cross-border exchange of public service data facilitated throughout the EU

Operational since April 11th, the Regulation for an interoperable Europe aims to establish a new framework for cooperation between public administrations, in order to strengthen the exchange and management of data between member countries.

EUROPE

An ITEM report on the European elections and border regions

In the run-up to the elections, ITEM (Netherlands) analyzed the European manifestos of the various political groups in the European Parliament.

MOT

Government departments ask the MOT about Franco-Luxembourg cooperation

A Franco-Luxembourg Intergovernmental Commission is due to be held between now and the end of 2024. As part of the preparations, the MOT was consulted twice by French government departments.

EUROPE

3rd "B-solutions" compendium now available

As part of the “B-solutions” initiative supported by DG REGIO, AEBR has published a new compendium presenting analyses of 41 legal and administrative obstacles identified along European borders and their solutions, over the period 2022-2023.

NATIONAL LEVEL

Joël Giraud's report: "Tomorrow's mountains will be cross-border"

The report entitled "Les nouveaux enjeux de développement des territoires de montagne : Pour une montagne vivante en 2030" ("New development challenges for mountain regions: For a living mountain in 2030") by Joël Giraud, Member of Parliament for the Hautes-Alpes, has just been published.

TERRITORIES

"Abandoned", the border strip dreams of Luxembourg's tax windfall

"French border municipalities are demanding a tax "contribution" from the neighbouring Grand Duchy. The demand was made on March 8th by a group of elected representatives."

TERRITORIES

The Oyapock River Council, a consultative body for local cooperation between French Guiana and the Brazilian state of Amapá

Created by a declaration of intent signed on December 14th, 2012, between France and Brazil, the Oyapock River Council (CDF) is a joint consultative body that brings together institutional and civil society stakeholders from the Oyapock basin, the river that forms the binational border between French Guiana and the Brazilian state of Amapá, twice a year.

MOT

Revamping the association's project: a new turning point for the MOT looking towards 2030

On March 26th, 2024, at the Hub of the Banque des Territoires, the MOT brought together its entire team and the members of its Technical Committee for a one-day seminar: an important opportunity for exchange and collective brainstorming in the context of its Associative Project - Horizon 2030. It was an opportunity to formulate a number of operational proposals that will feed into the Project. This will be unveiled at the General Meeting on the 27th and 28th of June in Dunkirk, at the same time as the "roadmap for the partnership between the State and the MOT for the period 2024-2027" promised in 2023 by Minister Dominique Faure.

TERRITORIES

A neighborhood grows beyond borders

A first-of-its-kind partnership in Europe, "3Land" imagines the shared future of a cross-border district on the Dreiländereck, on the French-German-Swiss border. Discover our new project sheet!

EUROPE

MOT at the Cohesion Forum: how can cross-border issues be taken into account in the Report on Economic, Social and Territorial Cohesion of the EU?

The MOT was in Brussels on April 11th and 12th for the “Cohesion Forum” organized by the European Commission. What place for European Territorial Cooperation in future cohesion policy? How can the specific characteristics of cross-border territories be taken into account?

TERRITORIES

Cross-border observation: the Observ'Alp project continues in Marseille

On April 11th and 12th, 2024, the partners of Observ'Alp, a project financed by the Interreg ALCOTRA program, met in Marseille to continue their work on cross-border observation (France-Italy-Monaco) and take part in the second meeting of the Steering Committee (COPIL) and the Collective Intelligence Committee (CIC).

MOT

Metropolitan RER: prospects and challenges for border territories!

On April 10th, 2024, the MOT working group on ecological transition held its 6th meeting, organized in partnership with "Objectif RER Métropolitains". It was an opportunity to put exchange with seven speakers who shared their experiences and expertise, and to generate strong interest with over 70 participants.

EUROPE

The Belgian Presidency wants to make rail transport "the backbone of European mobility"

At the initiative of the Belgian Presidency, a "Brussels Declaration" was adopted by European transport ministers to outline the future of European mobility.

TERRITORIES

The mayor Strasbourg wants to experiment with legalising cannabis

"The mayor of Strasbourg, Jeanne Barseghian, is asking the government to allow her to experiment with legalising cannabis in her area. "This is a pragmatic request, since the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle [...] allows cross-border territories to carry out experiments of this type", she says. [...] This request comes at a time when the liberalisation of cannabis consumption in Germany has existed, subject to conditions, since April 1st."

TERRITORIES

Franco-Italian links

TERRITORIES

The "Assises rhénanes", a cross-border meeting focused on water

After its first edition in 2023, the "Assises rhénanes de l'eau" is a cross-border event led by the Collectivité européenne d'Alsace (CEA). It was held from the 18th to 23rd of March 2024.

TERRITORIES

A new roadmap between Alsace and the Swiss Jura

On March 19th, 2024, the Government of the Republic and Canton of Jura and the European Collectivity of Alsace signed a new roadmap. The aim is to redefine the areas of cooperation between the two neighbours for the years 2024 and 2025.