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Cross-border
economic
development 4
level in the broad sense, these different facets have in
common the concepts of proximity and territorial location.
The practical guide therefore includes tools designed
to address the different configurations of cross-border
economic relationships: “I work with my neighbour/ for
my neighbour / at my neighbour’s”.
This guide covers all the French borders and contains a
series of methodological suggestions linked to concrete
tools and illustrated using examples of transposable
best practices from different border regions. The guide
addresses the main questions relating to strategic
partnerships and support for projects for cross-border
economic development. While it is not intended to
be exhaustive, it refers to other studies that take a
more detailed look at the different borders. Lastly,
the guide examines the “partnership life cycle” and
“project life cycle”. However, even though these cycles
are presented step by step, the numerous repeated
processes involved in the development of strategic
partnerships and the lives of projects make possible a
non-linear reading of the document.
This practical guide has been designed to complement
the MOT’s Introduction to cross-border economic
development. The guide therefore focuses on
methodological tools, while the Introduction takes a
descriptive (including summary situational analyses for
nine cross-border territories) and analytical (formulating
a series of cross-cutting conclusions) approach.
The introduction addresses centre on changes in
framework conditions and in the legal and administrative
frameworks, as well as strategic orientations in cross-
border economic development.
…designed for structures that support project developers
The guide is intended first and foremost for structures,
in France as well as the neighbouring countries, which,
depending on their areas of competence, form or may
form partnerships aimed at promoting cross-border
economic development: territorial authorities (including
managing authorities and joint technical secretariats of
European programmes), ministries (Interior, Economy,
Labour, Finance, etc.) and government services (for
France – the DIRECCTE and SGAR networks and the
CGET1), chambers of commerce and industry, economic
development agencies, public employment services and
EURES-T, credit and investment institutions (for France,
the Caisse des Dépôts and Bpifrance, etc.), the European
Commission (DG GROW, DG REGIO), cross-border
structures, etc.
Thus, while this guide may not be aimed directly at
project developers, which may be companies (especially
SMEs and micro-enterprises), universities, research
centres, etc., they are the ultimate beneficiaries of the
practical advice.
The guide is available in both soft and hard copy through
the MOT’s website2. It is designed to be disseminated
and used by various networks (France: CCI France,
the APCMA, CNER, ARF, ADF, AdCF and ACUF), by
directorate-generals of ministries and by diplomatic and
European (Interact, etc.) networks.
1 See glossary of Abbreviations at the end of this guide.
2
guides/
Introduction