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Cross-border
economic
development
5
Foreword
Between January 2014 and September 2015, the Mission Opérationnelle
Transfrontalière (MOT – Cross-Border Operational Mission), with the
support of the national technical assistance programme Europ’Act,
carried out a study of economic development in the cross-border
territories along France’s borders. This work aims to present the current
situation with respect to cross-border economic development, both
from the point of view of cooperation between private-sector players
and public action.
The preamble
sets out the key elements of this topic, notably the
importance of joint exploitation of the territorial capital in regions impacted
by the presence of a border around which there is movement of people,
capital, services and goods, which can be a source of prosperity if it is
managed in a coordinated manner by the countries on either side of it.
The first part presents
six portraits of cross-border territories
along
the land borders between France and its European neighbours, as well
as three examples of other European cross-border territories.
The second part deals with
cross-cutting themes in cross-border
economic development
. In the context of far-reaching reform of territorial
public action in France, the document sets forth some recommendations
that are specific to the French context.
Project factsheets
then illustrate the concrete components of cross-
border economic development.
A practical guide
, published in the form of a second booklet, completes
this introductory work. It consists of two parts:
- the first part aims to give impetus to partnerships between public-
sector and private-sector players in order to help projects to be
developed;
- the second part is aimed at facilitating the emergence of cross-
border economic development projects.
The results of this work are intended for all of the
stakeholders concerned with the economic development of
cross-border territories: territorial authorities, government
departments, businesses, chambers of commerce and
industry, employers’ and trade organisations, development
agencies, public employment services, financial institutions
such as the Caisse des Dépôts and Bpifrance, the
authorities in charge of European programmes, and
European institutions and networks.
D i s c l a i m e r
All the maps set out in this document are only aimed at geographically
illustrating the territories described in the text. They by no means
comprehensively present all existing cooperation structures. Moreover, French
regions are shown as existing before the reform becoming effective on 1
st
January 2016.