"Wallonia is a border territory par excellence: its relations with its neighbours have always played a crucial role in its development."
Depuis le 1er janvier 2015, la région wallonne a l’honneur et la responsabilité de présider la Grande Région, exercice assumé en étroite collaboration avec ses partenaires belges, la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles et la Communauté germanophone.
Etienne Blanc, MP for the Ain Department and first Vice-President of the French Geneva area Regional Cooperation Assembly (ARC), submitted an amendment to the "NOTRe" draft legislation (in France) to enable border metropolitan conurbations of member countries of the Council of Europe, such as the Swiss Confederation, to participate in a Euroregional Cooperation Grouping (EGC).
Since the overhaul of the MOT's website in November 2013, nearly 150 maps illustrating the intensity of cross-border relations along France's borders have been put online. Presentation of the latest additions.
This European research project, led by the University of Eastern Finland, held its final conference on 20-21 February 2015 in Istanbul. This event was an opportunity to present the findings and the studies carried out during the four-year research project, the aim of which was to analyse regional development at Europe's external borders through cross-border cooperation policies and practices.
The MOT's President, Michel Delebarre, met Harlem Désir, Secretary of State for European Affairs, on 29 January 2015 in Paris, in order to discuss cross-border cooperation with respect to areas such as jobs, higher education, the environment and healthcare.
This study focuses on various effects of international borders on local public transport: How does it impact demand, service offer as well as framework conditions?
View the question put by the MP Philip Cordery on 13 January 2015 at the Assemblée Nationale to Marisol Tourraine, French Minister of Social Affairs, Health and Women's Rights, about cross-border healthcare, and her reply.
On 19 December 2014 in Hendaye, the 2014-2020 strategic plan for the Aquitaine-Euskadi Euroregion EGTC was presented.
After an initial day of discussions by the MOT's network in Paris on 15 October 2014, and an evaluation, in the form of a questionnaire, of its network's activities, structure and needs, a dedicated working group met on 18 December 2014 in the MOT's offices.
The Canton of Geneva and the Ain and Haute-Savoie Departments are going to cooperate in order to better identify "false Swiss residents", who are responsible for a shortfall of nearly €40 million on the French side. It's the first time that the Canton of Geneva is going to provide this type of information to the French authorities.
In 2006, under the impetus of civil society, three public employment services (those of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais Region, Wallonia and Flanders) and Unizo (the Union of Independent Flemish Entrepreneurs) set up the "Eurometropolis Jobs Forum".
On 12 December 2014 in Dunkirk, the closing event of the INTERREG project "TransSport – Sport without Borders" was an opportunity to present the achievements of this project, which since 2012 has brought together seven partners from West Flanders and the North of France.
Every day, more than 12000 people take the train to cross the border between France, Italy and Monaco, whether for work or for leisure.
On 10 December 2014, the conference entitled "What solutions for cross-border healthcare?" took place at the Assemblée Nationale in Paris. Organised by the Assemblée Nationale's "Border Regions and Workers" study group, with support from the MOT, this conference brought together cross-border healthcare experts and elected representatives from all of France's border areas.
Volume 6. Contributions from the research cycle on cross-border cooperation at the University of Strasbourg and the Euro-Institut.
On 9 December 2014, the MOT took part in a meeting of the CoR as part of the evaluation of its three platforms: the EGTC Platform, the Europe 2020 Monitoring Platform and the Subsidiarity Monitoring Network.
After the launch in 2008 of the first French-German rapid intervention facility on the Rhine – the "Europa 1 fire-boat" – the Fire and Rescue Service of the Bas-Rhin Department has worked for five years on the implementation of a new INTERREG project focused on the training of rescue services in the Upper Rhine in combating river-related risks.
“Cooperation and partnership are the only route that offers any hope of a better future for all humanity.” Kofi Annan, politician and former Secretary-General of the United Nations.
The first call for proposals under the 2 Seas Programme (2014-2020) between France and the United Kingdom has been launched (deadline for the first stage: 15 February).
The cross-border chamber of commerce for the Basque Country, BIHARTEAN, and the Euskadi Institute of Competitiveness, ORKESTRA, have for more than a year been implementing a cross-border interclustering initiative, recognised as a project of Euroregional interest by the Aquitaine-Euskadi EGTC*.
The cross-border labour market was the leitmotif of the event held on Thursday, 27 November 2014 by the REGIO PAMINA Eurodistrict and the social enterprise Neue Arbeit in Lauterbourg. Around 60 French and German players from the political sphere, administration and economy came together to take part in two roundtables on this topic.
This year of 2014 has been a difficult one for "Greater Geneva".
As 2014 draws to a close, the technical work to update the report of the French-Belgian parliamentary working group (GTPFB), initiated by the prefecture of the Nord-Pas de Calais Region, is being finalised. This initiative has benefited from the support and expertise of the MOT.
Following the General Affairs Council, Michel Lebrun, the President of the Committee of the Regions, saluted the efforts made by the European Council and the European Commission to speed up the adoption and implementation of partnership agreements and operational programmes within the framework of cohesion policy.
