Cross-border maritime cooperation
Overview
Problems and issues of local cross-border maritime cooperation
Local cross-border maritime cooperation is not necessarily easier today, despite the existence of fixed links and the support for projects from European programmes.
With regard to the geographical scale, the local aspect of “proximity” is fundamental. This proximity may be geographical (12 km between Corsica and Sardinia), cultural or economic. The second condition is the existence of a fixed link (bridge or tunnel) or permanent maritime or air links enabling access between partners on either side of the maritime border.
A problem related to the nature of the border: accessibility
The need to operate and link transport infrastructures should be emphasised, in order to solve the territories’ problems of accessibility by land (vehicle parking, road networks to ports, city/port relations) and by sea (frequency and seasonality of ships, transport costs, port upgrading to accept larger vessels, etc.) or by air.
The time factor (crossing time, but also ferry frequency) is essential in local maritime cooperation. In addition the cost factor is much more of a handicap than on land borders. Moreover, changes are often unfavourable. Today, despite the process of European integration, transport provision is structured according to the domestic needs of the Member states.
Thus, in spite of the existence of the Channel Tunnel, current Eurostar rail services give priority to a long-distance relationship between cities to the detriment of local services for the territories of Kent and the Pas-de-Calais, which Eurostar trains run through. It has now got to the point where the Eurostar stops in Ashford and Calais-Fréthun have been reduced and these towns are no longer directly linked by the same train. There is therefore an urgent need for the cross-border partners to take action to ensure the necessary movements between these neighbouring regions in the future.
An observation of passenger flows through the Channel Tunnel point to a significant imbalance: 70% of users of the Tunnel are British people travelling to the continent. In order to objectively measure these factors and changes in them, indicators of accessibility (which take into account both the cost of transport (monetary cost and cost in terms of time) and the importance of the destination as a proportion of population or GDP) would in theory offer some interesting insights, provided that the data are available.
Currently, the subsidising of maritime transport links occurs along national lines and not geographical ones (for example France subsidises connections between Corsica and mainland France and not those between Corsica and Italy, which are faster because they are closer). National considerations take precedence over geographical ones, with each country subsidising domestic links in the name of continuity of the national territory. Problems relating to the financing and legal structure of these maritime links have recently been analysed in detail by the MOT in the context of the ROCK project involving Kent and the Nord-Pas de Calais region.
Topical issues of local maritime cooperation
- Development of maritime transport at the service of cross-border maritime cooperation
Maritime freight transport is now a priority of the European Union and the member States (development of motorways of the sea1 and short-sea shipping2). Local maritime cooperation appears as the missing link in international maritime transport policies and as a driver of local development.
Local and regional actors (port cities, counties, provinces, etc.) are concerned and have an obvious opportunity to work on topics such as the sea/land interface, the promotion of intermodality, the organisation of connecting infrastructures in ports and in the hinterlands, and the structuring of the logistics sector, including in its cross-border dimension. For example short-sea shipping, as an alternative to road freight, is incorporated into the Gothenburg objectives.
With regard to passenger transport, the issues of infrastructure (fixed links, ports) and the establishment of scheduled services have already been mentioned above.
For the development of maritime passenger or freight transport, the issue arises of public start-up aid for new services (e.g. promotion of maritime freight within the framework of the Marco Polo EU programme3), or use of ERDF funding in territorial cooperation operational programmes) or a permanent public subsidy (public service obligation for territorial cohesion).
See also the topic "Transport"
- Economic issues
The economic actors of coastal areas are on the whole in a situation of competition. However, given the resources common to maritime territories, cross-border cooperation may concern topics such as fishing and fish-farming, logistics, tourism (pleasure-boating, cruises, coastal tourism, joint marketing, etc.) or the development of cross-border clusters based on marine resources.
An interesting example is the Interreg 4A project, Two Seas – TIME (Transferring Innovation for Maritime Economy) which is aimed at fostering cross-border cooperation in the marine economy. The project brings together three partners: Innotek from Belgian Flanders, Marine South East from Kent (England) and Aditec Pas-de-Calais - CEEI (Centre Européen d'Entreprises et d'Innovation).
See also the topic "Economic development"
- Employment/training issues
Although distance and daily transport costs are major obstacles to the development of cross-border employment across maritime borders, the work done by EuresChannel within the framework of cross-channel cooperation to facilitate cross-border employment mobility in the French-Belgian-English maritime basin should be highlighted.
See also the topic "Employment"
- Environmental issues
Coastal spaces are characterised by an exceptional but threatened heritage. This issue requires a cross-border approach on topics such as fishery resources and quotas, preservation of biodiversity, coordination of governments and local authorities on maritime pollution risk management (maritime surveillance, disaster response, etc.), climate change and in particular rising sea levels, development of marine renewable energies (wind farms, etc.), and the management of urban pressure on coastlines.
The sea plays a key role in the preservation of the environment thanks to the richness of its biodiversity and its potential for development in the area of renewable energies. A space that is both coveted and threatened, the coastal territory has to reconcile economic activities and the need to protect fragile ecosystems.
In this regard, the aforementioned project of the International Marine Park of Bonifacio between Corsica and Sardinia aims to preserve and enhance the natural heritage of this strait, particularly the coastal and marine environment and its exceptional landscapes.
See also the topic "The environment, resources and waste"
- Culture and education
There is often a common culture on either side of a maritime border due to historical links between the areas concerned (e.g. the Channel, the Tyrrhenian Sea, etc.). Developing this culture is essential for the development of cooperation, through projects focused on culture or education.
See also the topic "Culture"
- Specific issues for territories connected by a permanent link
Permanent links take the form of infrastructures such as the Channel Tunnel (FR/UK) or the bridge and tunnel connecting Denmark and Sweden (the Øresund). The objective of local authorities is to develop “local functions”4 for these infrastructures via the establishment of “common services” (the Channel Tunnel) or a genuine initiative to create a cross-border conurbation (the Øresund).
- Sustainable development
Due to the pressures on seas and coastal areas, there are many conflicts between their development and the preservation of their heritage. Resolving these conflicts calls for an integrated cross-border land/sea approach.
Integrated coastal zone management (ICZM) as promoted by the European Commission5 could be developed in the cross-border context, notably through the coordination of ICZM initiatives at the level of maritime basins6 (development of shared tools, sharing of experience). In coastal areas, ICZM allows better account to be taken of the environment in the economic development of the coastline, notably in special areas such as straits where these issues are particularly important.
The green paper “Towards a future maritime policy for the Union”7 of 2006 confirmed the European Union’s determination to generalise this approach and launched the discussions about the future maritime policy for the European Union.
In 2008, the Marine Strategy Framework Directive8 established a framework for EU action in the field of marine environmental policy and urged inter alia that “relevant transboundary impacts and transboundary features be also taken into account”.
Lastly, on 12 March 2013, the European Commission launched a “new joint initiative on integrated coastal management and maritime spatial planning”.9
- The specific issue of straits
Straits are very specific territories, veritable laboratories for the implementation of an integrated maritime policy. They are territories where all of the activities at sea and on the coast are concentrated (fishing, maritime transport, tourism, environmental protection, etc.).10 The straits in Europe [NB: see the European Straits Initiative below] are confronted with similar and interlinked issues (transport, tourism, economic development, preservation of biodiversity, maritime security, etc.).
Organisation and tools at the service of local maritime cooperation
Maritime cooperation is not an immediate necessity for border coastal local communities and authorities, unlike the communities of land cross-border living areas, which have to deal with a number of border effects (for example saturation of transport routes caused by border commuter flows).
But maritime cooperation represents undeniable development potential. That is why it necessitates political determination at the level of maritime cooperation spaces. Cross-border cooperation must be based on a shared vision of the issues and what needs to be done.
Going beyond individual projects, the question of effective governance of local maritime spaces arises. Networking of maritime cooperation actors then becomes of primary importance, as demonstrated by the cooperation between Kent County Council and the Conseil général of Pas-de-Calais.
Another question that arises is how to involve the population in cross-border programmes, making sure that the maritime dimension does not exclude consideration of the whole of the population of the territories concerned.
The development of governance in local maritime cooperation also requires linkage between the different territorial levels concerned by the maritime border.
This linkage is necessary because of differences in allocation of powers concerning maritime spaces between local, regional and national levels. For example, in France the local authorities have very few powers11 regarding water policing or any other maritime issues.
This linkage could be achieved by the emergence of governance in a “maritime basin” approach focusing mainly on the issue of environmental impacts, or on topics such as maritime safety; (cf. the aforementioned NOSTRA project).
Lastly, the EGCT instrument (European groupings of territorial cooperation) also makes it possible to structure local maritime spaces, as shown by the International Marine Park of Bonifacio. Another example is the West-Vlaanderen/Flandre-Dunkerque-Côte d’Opale EGTC, which has set up a working group on the issue of maritime cooperation.
What recognition for local maritime cooperation at national and European levels?
The development of local maritime cooperation between coastal territories belonging to different States contributes to ensuring European territorial cohesion.
At the State and EU levels, the legal and financial framework does not provide specific mechanisms for local maritime spaces.
In the 2007-2013 operational programmes, the rule stipulating a maximum of 150 km between coastal territories (condition of eligibility of maritime cooperation projects under the cross-border strand) appears rather arbitrary: too high for physical proximity, too low in terms of accessibility alone (by air, for example). In the case of France, this enlargement has however allowed territories bordering the Channel as well as all of the Overseas Departments to be eligible for the European cross-border cooperation programmes in the 2007-2013 programming period.
It will be important to assess the maritime cooperation programmes of the cohesion policy. For what types of project (geography, topics, partners) are they used? How are the cross-border and transnational strands exploited when the two coexist?
With regard to the recognition of the specific features of straits, the European Straits Initiative should be mentioned, which was signed in November 2010 by a group of local authorities whose territories border European straits. Its objective is to obtain the recognition of the specific characteristics of European straits within European policy and their incorporation into the programmes of the European structural funds for the 2014-2020 period. Moreover, the initiative aims to promote the emergence of cooperation projects within the framework of the Interreg programmes or other European programmes, to develop mutual cooperation and to implement joint actions and projects with a view to promoting economic development, the protection of coastlines, tourism and intercultural activities as well as those in the areas of transport and logistics.
Photo : Shutterstock / RogerMechan
Within the Decision n° 661/2010/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 July 2010 on Union guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network, the term “motorways of the sea” refers to the four maritime routes defined under the title of priority project n° 21 (projects of common interest identified in accordance with Article 13 and concerning the following motorways of the sea):
- Motorway of the Baltic Sea (linking the Baltic Sea Member States with Member States in central and western Europe, including the route through the North Sea/Baltic Sea Canal (Kiel Canal)) (2010),
- motorway of the sea of western Europe (leading from Portugal and Spain via the Atlantic Arc to the North Sea and the Irish Sea) (2010),
- motorway of the sea of south-east Europe (connecting the Adriatic Sea to the Ionian Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean to include Cyprus) (2010),
- motorway of the sea of south-west Europe (western Mediterranean), connecting Spain, France, Italy and including Malta, and linking with the motorway of the sea of south-east Europe (2010)Short distance coastal shipping (alternative terms include “coastal trade” and “coasting trade”). In this context there is BP2S (Bureau de Promotion du Shortsea Shipping en France), an association whose role is to promote short sea shipping and intermodality with maritime links.
Second Marco Polo programme aiming to improve the environmental performance of the freight transport system (“Marco Polo II”), established by the Regulation (EC) n° 1692/2006, which also repealed the Regulation (EC) n° 1382/2003. More info
See the case of the Øresund (Copenhagen/Malmö, DK/SE) in the study entitled "Les bonnes pratiques de gouvernance dans les agglomérations transfrontalières en Europe" ("Good practices for governance in cross-border conurbations in Europe" – MOT, 2006); "Pour une coopération transmanche de proximité plus intégrée entre le Kent et le Nord-Pas-de-Calais : enjeux et perspectives opérationnelles" ("For more integrated local cross-channel cooperation between Kent and the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region: challenges and operational perspectives" – MOT, 2004), which can be consulted at www.espaces-transfrontaliers.eu; and the study on the project for high-speed rail services between England, the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region and Brussels conducted by the MOT and Ingerop for the Nord-Pas de Calais region (2011).
In 2001, a brochure on the quality of coastal zones was published. In 2002, the European Commission launched a study on "an assessment of the socio-economic costs and benefits of integrated coastal zone management". See also in this context the recommendation of the European Parliament and the Council of 30 May 2002 concerning the implementation of integrated coastal zone management in Europe, which sets out the principles of integrated coastal zone management.
See the ideas within the framework of the Transmanche operational programme 2007-2013.
Directive 2008/56/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 June 2008 establishing a framework for community action in the field of marine environmental policy.
See the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and Council 2013/0074 (COD). This proposal aims to set in place a common European framework for maritime spatial planning and integrated coastal management in the Member States of the European Union, with a view to ensuring that the growth of human and economic activities and the use of resources at sea and on coasts remain sustainable. Member States will therefore have to map activities identified within the framework of maritime spatial planning and to draw up a management strategy aimed at coordinating the measures envisaged. More info
France has two straits in particular: the Pas-de-Calais Strait (one of the busiest in the world, where there are ports such as Boulogne-sur-Mer, France's number one fishing port and the number one European port for the processing of seafood, Calais, which is one of the world's leading ports for passenger transport, and Dunkirk) and the Bouches de Bonifacio Strait (an important place for biodiversity). These two straits are the subject of initiatives to have them listed as world heritage sites. In addition to these two straits in the strict sense, France is concerned more broadly by "strait type" issues in its overseas departments. Between Mayotte and the Comoros, and in the Caribbean, there is also a conjunction of issues in terms of flows of population and freight transport and pressure on biodiversity (see the response of the Conseil Général of the Pas-de-Calais to the national consultation on the 2014-2020 partnership agreement).
The mayor has an obligation to prohibit bathing in the case of pollution (special policing of bathing waters within a 300-metre band) and is also involved in monitoring and prevention concerning water pollution from sanitation systems.
