News

TERRITORIES

"Alzette Belval, towards a cross-border smartcity?"

MOT

2017 project files

Every year, the MOT publishes a dossier highlighting exemplary cross-border projects along French borders.

PUBLICATION

Guide for cross-border cooperation in the field of the environment

Within the context of the regional accord for the application of the Espoo Convention (1991) in a tri-national framework, the French-German-Swiss Upper Rhine Conference has published a guide to procedures for cross-border consultations concerning projects, plans and programmes with significant impact on the environment.

TERRITORIES

Encouraging young people's cross-border mobility in the Greater Region

This is the aim of the project FagA/Centre d’aide à la mobilité transfrontalière (CAMT – Centre for Assistance with Cross-Border Mobility) launched on 1 July 2016 in the SaarMoselle Eurodistrict.

TERRITORIES

Launch of the Greater Region's new geoportal

More user-friendly and better suited to players in the Greater Region but above all to the general public is how the new version of the Greater Region's geoportal, which was officially presented on 23 May, in the presence of Camille Gira, Luxembourg's Secretary of State for sustainable Development and Infrastructure, can be summed up.

TERRITORIES

University of the Greater Region (UniGR) launches a new study programme

The "Master's in border studies" is an international, interdisciplinary and multilingual study programme aimed at providing students who wish to pursue their careers in intercultural and cross-border settings with the main concepts and necessary analytical tools to understand the issues related to border territories and transnational cooperation.

TERRITORIES

A cross-border tramline once again links Strasbourg to Kehl

It was at 4.52 in the morning of 29 April 2017 that the first tram of Line D set off from Strasbourg in the direction of neighbouring Kehl, with the two cities now even more closely linked, within the framework of a project that has profoundly changed the urban landscape.

TERRITORIES

Franco-German pilot project for cross-border energy networks

In the context of constructing an "Energy Europe", a Franco-German experiment with a decentralised, local and also cross-border energy network is going to be conducted in order to go beyond the traditional interconnections between countries via high-voltage lines.

MOT

MOT Study on cross-border issues in mountain areas

At the request of the CGET,* the MOT has conducted a study on the cross-border issues in mountain areas, which cover nearly 42% of mainland France's borders.

TERRITORIES

The third Franco-German cross-border conference

On 5-6 April 2017 in Neustadt-an-der Weinstraße (Rhineland-Palatinate), the third Franco-German cross-border conference was held, in the presence of Harlem Désir, the Secretary of State for European Affairs (FR), and Michael Roth, Minister of State for Europe (DE).

EUROPE

Three associations defending the rights of cross-border workers bring an action before the European Commission

Income from household wealth (capital gains on property, real estate income, etc.) received in France is subject to social security deductions. However, the European Court of Justice confirmed in 2015 that people who are affiliated to the social security system of another country should not be taxed to fund the French social security system.

MOT

The new members

The annual meeting of the network on 15 March in Belval gave the MOT's new members the opportunity to speak, and these new members were presented to all of the participants.

TERRITORIES

Pamina Eurodistrict: an online game to get to know the neighbouring country and the territory's rich heritage

The Pamina Eurodistrict is launching a digital version of a board game called "Le Passe-partout" ("The Master Key") to help schoolchildren learn about the rich cultural heritage of the Franco-German territory and encourage bilingualism.

MOT

The MOT presents concrete projects to high-school students in Athis-Mons

On 28 February, the MOT made a presentation at the Ministry of Territorial Development, to students from the European section of the Lycée Marcel Pagnol in Athis-Mons, as part of a day devoted to finding out about Franco-German cooperation organised by the Franco-German Office for Youth.

TERRITORIES

Strasbourg-Ortenau Eurodistrict: an interactive map for better services for citizens

In February, the Strasbourg-Ortenau put in place an online geographic information system (GIS) that provides citizens with information about daily life in the cross-border territory (schools, markets, charging points for electric cars, etc.).

TERRITORIES

France and Germany will test autonomous vehicles in a cross-border area

France and Germany have announced for the end of March the setting up of a test zone between the two countries for experimenting on the road with connected and autonomous vehicles.

TERRITORIES

The PAMINA Eurodistrict has become an EGTC

The ceremony to mark the setting-up of an EGTC for the PAMINA Eurodistrict on the Franco-German border took place on 11 January 2017 in Haguenau. This new status is being accompanied by changes in the structure's governance, the main aims of which for 2017 are set out here.

TERRITORIES

Editorial by Rémi Bertrand, President of the PAMINA Eurodistrict EGTC

After 30 years of cooperation in the PAMINA area and 14 years operating as a local grouping of cross-border cooperation (LGCC), the member local authorities agreed on the principle of turning it into an EGTC.

TERRITORIES

Kussbus – an innovative transport service aimed at cross-border workers in the Greater Region

Kussbus is a Luxembourg start-up which has just launched an innovative home-work shuttle service in the Luxembourg-France-Belgium-Germany border territory.

MOT

Study on the Greater Region's territorial development plan

At the request of Luxembourg's Ministry for Sustainable Development and Infrastructures, acting on behalf of the different bodies of the Greater Region's Summit, a consortium led by the North Lorraine urban planning agency (AGAPE) in collaboration with the MOT, the urban planning agencies of Metz (AGURAM) and Nancy (ADUAN), and the Technical University of Kaiserslautern, carried out an assignment to assist with the drawing-up of the Greater Region's territorial development plan.

NATIONAL LEVEL

Editorial from Jean-Marc Ayrault, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development (France)

After several decades of innovative projects undertaken between neighbouring countries, cross-border territories have become shared living spaces, and places for discovering a “European citizenship” experienced in daily life.

NATIONAL LEVEL

The White Paper "Diplomacy and Territories" of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs: "A genuine strategy for cross-border cooperation"

The members of the CNCD (National Commission for Decentralized Cooperation) approved on 23 November 2016 a White Paper entitled “Diplomatie et territoires" (Diplomacy and Territories) proposed by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development.

TERRITORIES

Seminar: "The Grand Est region and its neighbours"

Close to 300 people gathered in Strasbourg for a major seminar on the cross-border relations of the new “Grand Est” region of France.

NATIONAL LEVEL

Cross-border cooperation in Germany's territorial development policy

With the recent approval by both the German Länder and the federal level of its "Guiding Principles", Germany is emphasising cross-border cooperation in its territorial development policy.

EUROPE

Editorial from Dr. Katharina Erdmenger, Head of Division, Deputy Director, European Territorial Cohesion Policy, Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure, Germany

New "Guiding Principles" for Germany's territorial development were adopted in March 2016, which are in line with the idea that "Germany is not an island".