On Wednesday 2 July 2014, the first cross-border co-working space was inaugurated in Offenburg – the “KiosK Office” – with the opening of the German site, which will soon be followed by the opening of the French site in Strasbourg.
The cross-border statistical observatory for the France-Geneva area has published an analysis of the housing stock and construction on both sides of the border, counting nearly 70,000 additional housing units in 11 years in this cross-border area.
The aim of this guide is to present in a user-friendly manner different services that operate in the French-German context, mainly located in the Upper Rhine region.
The BRIT 14th international conference will be held from 4 to 7 November 2014 on the France-Belgium border (Arras, Lille and Mons) on the topic “The border, a source of innovation”. MOT is organising 4 sessions.
Continuing a tradition which started in 2012, European Territorial Cooperation and neighbouring programmes are celebrating European Cooperation Day on 21 September 2014. Under the motto “Sharing borders, growing closer”, hundreds of local events will be held across Europe in the week leading up to 21 September, reaching out to thousands of people.
"In a context in which the European project lacks visibility, the role of our newsletter is to publicise the cross-border initiatives that have been implemented in these territories and that are constructing Europe on the ground close to its people." Read the editorial from Jean Peyrony, Director General of the MOT.
On 26 June, within the framework of the EGTC platform, the Committee of the Regions held a workshop, chaired by Herwig Van Staa, President of the Tyrolean Parliament and the platform’s coordinator, on the implementation of the new European regulation on EGTCs (1302/2013), which has been applicable since 22 June 2014.
On 20 June, CHEMI (Centre for High-Level Studies of the Ministry of the Interior) hosted a day of discussions on the “cross-border prefect”.
The MOT’s conference was followed on 19 June by the meetings of its board of directors, general assembly and the technicians’ platform, hosted by the Caisse des Dépôts.
Nearly 130 participants gathered in Paris on 18-19 June for the MOT’s annual general meeting and the conference it organised on this occasion on the topic “Cross-border networks: mutualising public services and experimenting with Europe on each border”.
The TransParcNet meeting of European cross-border protected areas took place this year on the French-Belgian border. An initiative of the EUROPARC Federation, this annual gathering brings together managers of protected areas from across the whole of Europe all of whom are faced with cross-border issues.
The European Commission’s representation in France and France’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development are presenting, within the framework of their strategic partnership, the exhibition “BORDERLINE: the frontiers of peace” by the Italian photographer Valerio Vincenzo.
European Cooperation Day celebrates the benefits and achievements of Territorial Cooperation through local events throughout Europe. It takes place on 21 September 2014. On this occasion, INTERACT is launching the video contest ‘border issues, border solutions’ among European projects and programmes.
The "Observatoire des Territoires"* of the Commissariat Général à l'Égalité des Territoires (ex DATAR, France) has put on line a thematic dossier devoted to the study of the cross-border regions that France shares with its neighbours.
In the context of the European elections, the MOT wished to show how cross-border cooperation addresses the current challenges with respect to social and territorial cohesion, in a Europe that is suffering from a lack of recognition.
With the launch of a European project financed by the Europ'Act programme at a conference in Paris on 15 April, the MOT wishes to highlight the topic of cross-border economic development. The proceedings of the conference are online.
At the request of the French Guiana Chamber of Commerce and Industry, between September 2013 and March 2014, the MOT carried out a preparatory study for a France-Brazil cross-border house.
The 30th Congress of the European Cross-Border Grouping (Groupement transfrontalier européen – GTE) was held in Annemasse on 30 April, bringing together nearly 1,000 French-Swiss cross-border workers. With 36,000 members, the GTE renewed its confidence in its Chairman Michel Charrat.
On 3 April 2014, the European Parliament adopted the proposed regulation on ending roaming charges for mobile phones in Europe.
With its international borders with Switzerland and Italy, the department of Haute-Savoie, which has been a member of the MOT since 2012, cooperates with the cantons of Geneva, Vaud and Valais, as well as the Val d’Aoste autonomous region, in areas such as transport, territorial development, tourism, education, culture and sport.
The Geneva Games were started in 1940 to enable Swiss sportsmen and -women to take part in international level competitions in spite of the war.
On 27 May 2014, the MOT made a contribution in Trutnov in the Czech Republic at an international conference devoted to “the systemic obstacles to Polish-Czech cross-border cooperation”.
Author: Markus Rieder, Ph.D. (public administration); February 2014, 418p, €65. Published in French.
"France’s border regions possess remarkable assets. By virtue of their proximity and interconnectedness with the border regions of neighbouring countries, these areas put in place innovative public policies that take integration with their neighbours into account..."
