France: Report on the cross-border policy of France, 2010

19 proposals for a French cross-border policy:

Provide France with a toolbox for greater competitiveness on its borders
1- Experiment with border economic development clusters, economic areas with a specific status and a strong leveraging effect. These clusters will naturally be located near major infrastructures.
2- Fight delocalizations by adjusting public-sector aids.
3- Systematically promote and exploit French economic advantages on the borders.
4- Give the tax rules a firmer basis and reconsider the conditions of bi-location. End fiscal uncertainty.
5- Simplify customs procedures.
6- Mobilize cross-border financial instruments, seed funding and venture capital locally.

Meet the needs of the populations for services
7- Systematically encourage the implementation of cross-border services schemes on the scale of population catchment areas which would involve the state, the territorial authorities of the border areas, and the operators applying for public-sector aid.
8- Pool cross-border provision of healthcare and access to care.
9- Jointly develop learning the language of the neighbour, cultural and sporting activities, training and employment.
10- Facilitate transport and telecommunications on the scale of the cross-border area.
11- Appoint in each border region a correspondent of the Mediator of the Republic dedicated to border issues.

Facilitate the spatial organization of border territories
12- Develop mutual consultation and joint preparation of planning documents and projects.
13- Use the space as an asset. Promote land-use and operational instruments dedicated to border regions.
14- Develop more equitable cross-border co-funding.

Organize a genuine governance of cross-border issues
15- Establish a dedicated interministerial governmental political authority reporting to the Prime Minister. The commission also suggests the organization of a meeting bringing together, based on its recommendations, all the ministers concerned, under the authority of the Prime Minister, during the second half of 2010, to ensure their implementation.
16- Set up a strategic monitoring unit for border regions and capitalize on successful experiences […] and strengthen the Mission Opérationnelle Transfrontalière.
17- Organize the territorial state and improve its linkage with the central state. The commission also proposes the appointment of an officer in charge of all border issues in each regional prefecture […].
18- Reinforce our European and intergovernmental territorial governance instruments.
19- Structure the governance of cross-border urban and rural regions. Establish urban hubs and cross-border conurbations so that border territories can better organize themselves on French territory by drawing upon the cross-border area as a whole.