The Aachen Treaty : the Cross- Border Dimension Given Full Recognition

P. 2 Events The Energy Transition Conference In brief P. 3 Europe news MOT news P. 4 Press review Publication

The Aachen Treaty : the cross- border dimension given full recognition

The Aachen Treaty marks a real these obstacles, suitable legal and recognition of cross-border cooperation administrative provisions, notably as a central element in European derogations, can also be granted”. The construction. setting-up of a Franco-German Cross- Nathalie Loiseau The fourth chapter, which is entirely Border Cooperation Committee, one of devoted to cross-border cooperation, the treaty’s flagship measures, will be Minister for European was drafted with active participation tasked with drawing up a joint strategy Affairs, France from the MOT. Its main objective is the and putting forward proposals to elimination of cross-border obstacles, in address the difficulties encountered in On 22 January in Aachen, Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Emmanuel Macron signed a new treaty on order to facilitate the implementation border territories. Among the 15 cooperation and integration between Germany and of projects and simplify the daily lives projects announced are: the expansion France. This agreement complements the Elysée Treaty of of border region inhabitants. To this of programmes to encourage young 1963, extending it with a real strategy of convergence. end, “the two countries are giving people’s mobility; improvement of France and Germany have thereby reaffirmed the strength territorial authorities in border cross-border rail links; the of their partnership and asserted their desire to give territories and cross-border entities redevelopment of the area close to the concrete form to their closer relationship and their such as Eurodistricts appropriate nuclear power plant in Fessenheim; and commitment to Europe by actions on the ground. In competences, dedicated resources and the creation of a Joint Citizens’ Fund parallel, we adopted a declaration that sets out 15 accelerated procedures”; and “if no aimed at supporting citizen-led priority projects designed to implement the treaty. other means enables them to overcome initiatives. More info Chapter IV of the Aachen Treaty – a chapter which the MOT helped to draft – is entirely devoted to cross-border and regional cooperation. Article 14 provides for the setting-up of a Cross-Border Cooperation Committee that will provide a framework for the dialogue that is essential for all of the players concerned. This committee will monitor the implementation of projects already listed and will identify others in the future. It will be able to propose to the national public authorities to take – in compliance with their constitutional rules – the measures needed for the better integration of territories. The different projects must be carried out with involvement from all of the stakeholders, and the support of private- sector players will be very precious. This first model, designed for the benefit of Alsace, the Moselle and the neighbouring Länder, can serve as a reference elsewhere. By taking account of the specificity of territories and responding to the aspirations of the local population in this way, the government is encouraging the deepening of cross-border cooperation, which, day by day, is becoming a major component of European construction. EVENTS The EnergyTransition Conference

The 2019 European Conference on the Energy Transition took place on 22-24 The MOT’s annual conference: January in Dunkirk, bringing together Register before 4 nearly 3,500 participants around the topic “Committed and mutually-supportive March! territories”. The MOT contributed to the The MOT is holding its annual discussions by organising a workshop event on 20-21 March in illustrating three very concrete examples Annemasse and Geneva , at the of cross-border cooperation in the area of invitation of Annemasse Agglo, the energy transition. the Metropolitan Pole of the French Genevois, the Republic The Dunkirk Urban Europe in networks – the German city of Worms, and Canton of Geneva and the Community was Twelve proposals for a within the framework of the Greater Geneva, which are represented at the MOT’s common policy for energy TANDEM project, have members of the network. workshop by Sylvie Delatte, infrastructures”) that was prompted economic agents Director of International and submitted to President in Metz to take a genuinely On the programme : meetings Port Strategy. Within the François Hollande in 2015. fresh look at their practices. of the MOT’s bodies, a West-Vlaanderen/Flanders- This report aimed to The discussions with the conference on the topic of Dunkirk-Côte d'Opale EGTC, strengthen economic and audience benefited from cross-border investment, and the energy transition is industrial cooperation, different local experiences field visits will showcase the addressed from the angle of particularly within the (Pyrénées Orientales, territory of Greater Geneva (the low-carbon mobility. Franco-German partnership, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, etc.) Léman Express construction Through joint planning of in the area of European that highlighted obstacles, site, Eaux Vives station and the cycle paths and greenways energy networks. Supported often administrative in cross-border greenway). crossing the Franco-Belgian by the European nature, resulting from the Programme and registration border, the primary Commission, the Smart large number of players on objective is improving air Border Initiative project the French side compared quality – a priority in an between Saarland and with the neighbouring industrial port town like Lorraine is a tangible result countries, as well as putting Conference CECCUT: European Dunkirk. Michel Derdevet, of this cooperation. forward proposals, such as Capitals of Culture Cross- Secretary-General of Enedis, Sébastien Douche the creation of new tools for Border Urban Cohesion , 7 also participated in the represented the Metz micro-projects tailored to March 2019 in Belval workshop. He is the author Metropolis, a territory that is the needs of rural and (Luxembourg) of a report entitled "Energie, fully committed to the mountainous areas, where l'Europe en réseaux - Douze energy transition and which the way Interreg functions is All the events propositions pour une is actively participating in often regarded as too politique commune en projects that enable the complex by project matière d'infrastructures sharing of good practices in developers. More info énergétiques" (“Energy, this area. Its exchanges with

IN BRIEF North Lorraine Border Region Fessenheim: signature Metropolitan Pole set up of the territorial project A new issue of INSEE Signed on 1 February 2019 by the Première on cross- Created by the common of the border. A Minister for the Ecological Transition, desire of the presidents of consultative body, its aim François de Rugy, and the French and border territories eight Public Entities of is to improve cross-border German regional players, this “territorial Intermunicipal cooperation with the A new issue of INSEE Première project” is designed to accompany the Cooperation, the new neighbouring countries published in January 2019 focuses economic redevelopment of the area “North Lorraine Border (Belgium, Luxembourg and on the different engines of around the nuclear power station in Region Metropolitan Pole” Germany) in the areas of demographic growth on either Fessenheim, whose two reactors are due was launched on 9 January mobility, healthcare and side of France’s borders. Most of to be shut down in the summer of 2020. 2019 in Thionville. This higher education. It also the border areas post a natural In particular, the project plans to grouping encompasses aims to strengthen the surplus, except for the Spanish strengthen Franco-German partnerships more than 337,000 identity of the North border. The study shows that aimed at making the territory more inhabitants and represents Lorraine territory both at France’s border employment areas’ attractive. In addition, it is one of the nearly 70% of the 90,000 national level and along attractiveness for residents varies 15 priority projects identified on the people from Lorraine its borders. depending on their geographical occasion of the signing of the Aachen working on the other side More info [FR] location. More info [FR] Treaty. More info

2 - CROSS-BORDER NEWS N°146 EUROPE MOT NEWS NEWS New publication:

Second call for "France-Germany: "b-solutions" projects cross-border The "b-solutions” initiative is one observation at the heart of the actions supported by DG REGIO within the framework of the Communication “Boosting growth of Europe" and cohesion in EU border regions” of September 2017. Its Under the aegis of the the Interior, Building and - Stepping up multi-level aim is to identify and promote General Commission for Community (Germany). cooperation in order to sustainable methods for Territorial Equality (CGET) on The document states the need identify thematic priorities. overcoming legal and/or the French side and the to put in place multi-level - Coordinating with the administrative obstacles Federal Ministry of the observation of cross-border statistical institutes in order encountered along the internal Interior, Building and territories, setting forth to gather and harmonise data. land borders of the European Union. Community on the German examples of local tools such - Cooperating with other side, the MOT and the BBSR 1 as the geographical European countries in A second call for projects has just have coordinated the information systems of the collaboration with the been launched focusing on the production of a brochure Greater Region and the Upper European institutions in order five following thematic areas: employment, healthcare, (public) entitled “France-Germany: Rhine, as well as the tools at to establish Europe-wide transport and passengers, cross-border observation at national level in France and observation. multilingualism and institutional the heart of Europe”. It has Germany. 2 1 Federal Institute for Research on cooperation. The deadline for just been published in the The brochure highlights the Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial submissions is 15 March 2019. wake of the signature of the Franco-German ambition to Development. 2 In France, the Cross-Border Strategic The call is being managed by the Aachen Treaty. promote this approach not Committee, which is coordinated by AEBR. The MOT is supporting its The editorial was co-written only along their shared the CGET and for whom the MOT members in relation to the call by Jacqueline Gourault, border, but also along their provides the secretariat; in Germany, and the implementation of these the MORO project “Territorial Minister for Territorial other borders and right across Monitoring in Germany and projects. More info Cohesion and Relations with Europe. It sets out an action Neighbouring Regions”. Local Authorities, and Horst plan focused around three Download the brochure: in Seehofer, Federal Minister of concrete measures: English - French – German . The work of the ESPON programme and The Foreign Affairs Transport: cross-border public services Ministry and European call for The cross-border dimension was at the heart of the ESPON decentralised Franco- proposals seminar “New Narratives for Territorial Development” which took place in Vienna on 5-6 December 2018. The MOT’s German cooperation regarding "missing Director, Jean Peyrony, took part in the policy lab “A Framework for Renewed Cross-Border Cooperation?” on the By means of a communication cross-border links" issue of obstacles to cross-border cooperation. Andreas Faludi, campaign, the Ministry of Europe and the author of “The Poverty of Territorialism” (see page 4), was Foreign Affairs is showcasing Franco- The 2019 Connecting Europe also present. More info German cooperation: “While the Facility (CEF) Transport call for Two ESPON projects resulted in the publication of major partnerships between municipalities proposals has been launched studies addressing cross-border issues: are the oldest, the exchanges by the European Commission. between regions and departments are It is open until 24 April 2019. - a study on cross-border public services in Europe published also rich and diverse. Cooperation is It provides for funding of within the framework of the CPS project (Cross-border Public particularly well-developed in border €100 million for projects Services); regions.” Each day the Ministry is aimed at addressing missing - the final report of the COMPASS project (Comparative highlighting a project, such as links and cross-border Analysis of Territorial Governance and Spatial Planning “Réussir sans Frontière” (“Succeeding connections in the trans- Systems in Europe), which looks at developments in territorial without Borders”), a cross-border European transport network governance and spatial planning systems in Europe from 2000 initiative to support jobs and training (TEN-T). More info to 2016, with a case study on the Franco-Spanish border . in the Upper Rhine. More info

CROSS-BORDER NEWS N°146 - 3 PRESS RE VIEW The European Moselle also wants Cross-border Alpes-Maritimes territorial authority its European territorial workers ’ and Monaco study of Alsace will have authority unemployment benefit the future specially-designed La Semaine de Metz cost France 710 million Nice Matin, 25 January 31 January "The eighth meeting of the Le Pays Gessien, 13 February "He wrote to Edouard Philippe France-Monaco local cross-border competences "In December 2018, Unédic in mid-December and is going cooperation commission took Localtis, 15 February [France’s unemployment benefit to ask the Departmental place on 11 January at the "On 4 February, the Bas-Rhin agency] published a report Assembly to deliberate. Patrick Principality of Monaco’s Ministry and Haut-Rhin Departmental explaining that cross-border Weiten is calling for a European of State. Among the topics on Councils both voted by large workers represented an extra territorial authority of Moselle, the agenda is the issue of majority in favour of a motion cost of €710 million in 2017." like the one granted to Alsace Monaco’s transport links, which to ask the government to set by the Prime Minister." is a central concern." up a ‘European territorial Nice's Mayor authority of Alsace’, by grouping together the two The Grand Duchy Christian Estrosi Three new cross- Alsatian departments from 1 organises a cross-border January 2021. A green light attracts fewer cross- border clusters set up has thus now been given for border workers rally in the face of the Sud Ouest, 5 February the creation by decree of the L'Avenir, 12 February Franco-Italian crisis "Compétitiv’Eko has set up three new authority, the outlines of new clusters to strengthen the "Job vacancies in Luxembourg Nice Matin, 11 February which were set out by the cross-border territory in the are no longer being filled so "In the face of the diplomatic crisis ‘Matignon Agreement’ signed areas of big data, additive easily. […] ‘More and more between France and Italy that led to on 29 October of last year by manufacturing and healthcare. people are reluctant to come France’s ambassador in Rome being the government and Alsace’s The project’s aim is to boost work in the Grand Duchy. The recalled, […], the LR Mayor of Nice elected representatives." innovation and competitiveness attractive salaries and is organising a counter-offensive. in the three neighbouring associated benefits are no […] He wants Nice to host a big territories, Aquitaine-Euskadi- longer enough. They now think cross-border rally […] to counter A collaborative Navarra’." more about their quality of these diplomatic tensions." platform to support life.’" mobility projects in badly-served areas "The Poverty of Territorialism" Localtis, 23 January "On 23 January, the Minister Andreas Faludi, Professor Emeritus and guest researcher, Delft University of for Transport, Elisabeth Borne, Technology, the Netherlands. Published by Elgar Studies in Planning Theory, announced the launch of a Policy and Practice, November 2018. collaborative platform making This book by Professor Andreas Faludi explores the issue of the it possible to record all of the democratic deficit in spatial planning and control of European territories. new mobility projects Public authorities are responsible for their territory delimited by borders. undertaken in a hitherto badly- But the current issues in an interconnected world can no longer be served areas and to bring contained within those borders. The author proposes a “neo-medieval” stakeholders together. This approach to Europe. Progressive and topical, this book is essential initiative follows on from a call reading for academics and practitioners in the field of territorial for projects aimed at cooperation and spatial planning in Europe. More info ‘implementing new solutions for daily mobility in rural This publication is referenced in the MOT's document portal [FR]. Specialising in cross- territories’." border cooperation, the portal provides more than 4,000 document references.

Director of publication: Jean Peyrony Production: Domitille Ayral