Border: France-Luxembourg
Overview
Advanced cooperation covering many areas
Another specific feature of this border is that cooperation is highly advanced thanks to flagship projects developed around specific themes such as territorial planning (the two cross-border conurbations) and transport. Cooperation also covers many other areas, notably in the field of research, innovation and higher education.
The example of transport
In the Longwy European Development Pole, cross-border public transport is highly developed, with three cross-border bus links.
Cross-border transport links have also been put in place along the whole of the border: the urban bus network in Thionville is particularly dense (four of the five routes in the network cross the border).
Rail transport:
- The rail link between Thionville and Luxembourg City is part of the Moselle Corridor, a major rail route in the Lorraine Region that links Nancy and Metz to Luxembourg.
- Another important cross-border rail link is the “Audun le Tiche – Esch sur Alzette” line, which serves stations all the way to Luxembourg. In order to relieve the traffic on this line, the Moselle and Meurthe et Moselle departments and the Luxembourg government have agreed to create a new line: the Micheville link, which will allow motorists to avoid Audun-le-Tiche and Esch.
Research and higher education
With innovative projects and the signature of a framework agreement between Lorraine and Luxembourg Universities, cooperation in the area of higher education is quite advanced. A notable example is the class set up in the lycée in Echternach for pupils from Luxembourg wishing to prepare for the entrance exams of 39 leading business and management schools in France. In addition, in the field of research and innovation, a cooperation agreement was signed in February 2013 between the Fond national de la Recherche (FNR) in Luxembourg and the Agence nationale de recherche (ANR) in France. This agreement is aimed at improving the collaboration between academics and researchers on either side of the border and at sharing knowledge and good practices.
