No. 67 – March 2011

Stephan Review of the 12th SaarLorLux Greater Region Summit Toscani

Saarland Minister On 24 January 2011, the of the interior and 12th Summit of the European affairs SLLSaarLorLux GtRiGreater Region took place on the former Völklingen ironworks site, listed as a world heritage The Saarland presidency of the 12th Summit site by UNESCO. There the of the Greater Region is based on three heads of the executive priorities: take the Greater Region forward, councils of the five overcome the borders, bring the Greater regional components, i.e. Region closer to the citizens. Cross-border Saarland, the Lorraine mobility was the theme running through all Region, Luxembourg, of our i niti a tives. With more than 200, 000 RhildRhineland-PlPalati nate and dh the W Wllalloon AtA task as ambiti ous as itiit is impor tan t, as the border workers every day, the SaarLorLux Region, decided to give new impetus to 200,000 daily border workers of the Greater Region has a leading place among cross-border and inter-regional SaarLorLux region place it at the forefront of the border regions of the European Union. cooperation in the Greater Region. border regions in the European Union. But The cross-border employment market has the people living in the border region are not been natural for a long time - with all its This event, graced by the presence of high- just the workers who go to their workplace advantages, but also its difficulties. That is ranking public figures, marked the end of every day on the other side of the border, why we have made particular efforts to the 18 months of the Saarland presidency of they are also the citizens of the Greater improve the situation of border workers. The the Summit, emphasizing the theme of Region, lovers of sport and culture, and policy is confronted with the challenge of mobility. Stephan Toscani, Saarland entrepreneurs. The mobility of the citizens providing the best framework for the minister of the interior and European affairs, musttitit continue to increase th thhthrough the common inter-regional economic and gave a positive assessment: "During this provision of transport. Education at all levels employment market. This determination is 12th presidency of the Summit, under is called upon to train citizens so that they bearing fruit. The current work of the Saarland responsibility, we have achieved a are better able to seize the opportunities Greater Region economic and social council number of objectives together. These offered by mobility in the cross-border (CESGR) is evidence of this: analysis of the include the initiative taken to set up a labour market. The reinforcement of public effects on the Greater Region induced by ‘Border Workers Task Force’. This is relations has also made an essential the economic and financial crisis has intended to supplement the existing contribution to awareness of the Greater confirmed that a common economic and consultation services such as EURES, deal Region and to citizen identification with it. employment market policy in the Greater systematically with the legal problems faced The first Greater Region Day, for example, Region is contributing to reinforcing by border workers and back solutions at a cross-bdborder fes tilitival aime dtthd at the genera l competitiveness. national and European levels". The public held in July 2010, attracted more than objective is to remove the obstacles to 30,000 visitors. The Greater Region Summit is a form of mobility related to the border situation in the areas of schools, initial and continuing For an overview of the results of the Saarland presidency of cooperation unique in Europe. Our ambition the 12th Summit of the Greater Region: is to be a model European region of training, employment, universities and www.granderegion.net multilevel governance. But this also means research, language and transport. that various partners with divergent competences cooperate in the diverse components of the Greater Region. On this point we have been able to make substantial progress, for example with a view to the European conference on the EGTC i n Gödöllő establishment of a joint secretariat for the Summit on the basis of an EGTC. In president of the MOT and of the COTER addition to the coordination of policies and Commission of the Committee of the the principle of partnership, we need above Regions, chaired a workshop on this topic. all inter-regional solidarity between the The MOT network and its European political, economic and civil society activities were presented at another participants along with strong inter-regional workshop on the advantages of networking political determination. That is why the in the implementation of EGTCs and representatives of the regional components terriilitorial cooperat ion iEin Europe. speak with a single voice in Brussels. The "SaarLorLux Inter-regional Group" within the The conference also covered the issue of Committee of the Regions (CoR) issues joint multilevel governance, from the angle of the opinions on European policy. The Within the framework of the Spanish, representation of local authorities in the identification of all the participants with the Belgian and Hungarian presidencies of institutional organizations of the Community Greater Region is the foundation of this the European Union, the Hungarian and of the Member States. cooperation. That is why public relations ministry of justice and public play a principal role for the SaarLorLux In its conclusions, Hungary hopes that this administration organized a conference conference can open a broad platform region. As an example, the first Greater on the topic of EGTCs and multilevel Region Day , held last July, offered an leadingggp to stronger cooperation between governance f2123Mhifrom 21 to 23 March in existing institutions and organizations at all exciting cocktail of information stands, Gödöllő, Hungary. This was the closing cultural events and games. After all, the levels. The objective is to bring the event in a series of meetings organized Community decision-making mechanisms objective of our joint action in the by the three presidencies. SaarLorLux European region of competence closer to the citizens. is to make sure that the citizens feel at The conference took place in the context of Further information: www.eu2011.hu home in their cross-border environment. We the revision of Community regulation are well on the way towards this objective. 1082/2006 on the EGTC. Michel Delebarre, No. 67 - March 2011

In Brief The role of cross-border cooperation in boosting the European single market Overcoming In October 2010 the European Commission presented the obstacles proposals for strengthening the single market by to cooperation means of measures to stimulate growth and reinforce citizens’ rights. Since 1992 many advantages related to The MOT network has contributed the free movement of goods, services, capital, and to the Council of Europe persons have been gained from the single market; questionnaire on the elimination of however, obstacles remain and, in some sectors, there obstacles and the promotion of is no really integrated European market. good practices in cross-border cooperation in Europe. In this context, and with the objective of stimulating growth, competitiveness, and social progress, DG The questionnaire drawn up by the MARKT decided to launch a debate on boosting the committee of experts* on local and single market, covering both territorial and citizen regional government institutions aspects. Michel Barnier wishes to make this a policy and cooperation (LR-IC) is priority and propose concrete measures by the end of intended to collect experiences 2012. and basic information on the topic for the purpose of formalizing The MOT responded to the consultation organized by the Commission between November 2010 and practical measures for improving February 2011 with the objective of showing that "local cross-border territories have the capacity to cross-border cooperation in ppaylay th e r oeoole of Europea nlaborato ries aadobend to be ddesorivers of Europea n integ rat io n": "Within these Europe. It consists of three parts: territories, businesses and citizens have daily experience of the advantages but also the failings of the areas of cross-border cooperation, single market. The problems encountered affect consumers, students, border workers, public services, obstacles, and solutions or good entrepreneurs, etc." Here are some other issues highlighted by the MOT contribution: practices. "Cross-border investments are impeded by national administrative, regulatory and fiscal differences. As part of this approach, a Businesses encounter many difficulties when they want to cooperate across borders or when they conference is planned in June venture out of their ‘natural’ territory bounded by the national border. A whole series of obstacles arises in 2011 in Ukraine, organized jointly terms of distortions of competition (public-sector contracts, etc.), lack of interoperability in terms of by Hungary (EU presidency) and standards, insurance, certifications, labour market, public policies centred on national territory, etc. It thus Ukraine (presidency of the appears important in cross-border territories to develop services to businesses that want to develop Committee of Ministers of the cross-border markets, through cooperation of the various protagonists concerned." Council of Europe). The MOT contribution is downloadable at: "Border workers come up against tax problems relating to an assignment in the neighbouring country, www.espaces-transfrontaliers.eu/ and more generally against difficulties of access to employment opportunities (or to labour for quest_coe_2011.pdf businesses). With regard to vocational training, the joint establishment of training programmes, of tools * Of which the MOT is a member. for determining equivalence of vocational diplomas and qualifications between bordering countries, and of coordinated validation of acquired experience is fundamental." Formation of a "For the populations living in border areas, the question arises of public services which cross the German network of borders. Some examples: transport infrastructures are not sufficiently integrated across borders and do cross-border metropoli- not alwayyps deliver a collective transport service to border workers ;,; access to healthcare, such as the use of a facility located in the neighbouring country and the reimbursement of medical services, still raises a tan regions - IMeG number of problems." "Many civil society participants are directly impacted by a boost to the internal market and will have to be closely associated with the discussions." Further information: http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/consultations/2010/smact_en.htm Download the MOT contribution: http://www.espaces-transfrontaliers.org/contrib_mot_marche_unique_2011.pdf The cross-border metropolitan regions initiative circle IMeG (Initiativkreis Metropolitane Grenzregionen) was established Press Review on 17 March 2011 in Berlin. Its founding members* represent four cross-border metropolitan regions: European Parliament: ‘Funding territorial cooperation is not a luxury, it is a necessity’ declares the Meuse-Rhine Euregio, the Marie-Thérèse Sanchez-Schmid, Going Local, 25 February - "That is what MEP Marie-Thérèse Sanchez- SaarLorLux Grande Région, the Schmid (PPE) declared when she presented her draft report on ‘The future agenda of cross-border, Upper Rhine trinational transnational and inter-regional cooperation’ to the regional development committee of the European metropolitan region and the Lake Parliament." Constance region. The specific French emppyloyees are Europ ean champ ions of cross-border mobility, Le Figaro,,y 21 February - nature of these spaces was "Nearly 320,000 employees live in France but go to work every day in a foreign country. A trend which is analyze d from 2008 to 2010 as growing constantly." part of the demonstration project of spatial planning** (MORO) The bases of a cross-border park are outlined, Le Républicain lorrain, 8 March - "With its president "Supraregional partnerships in Edouard Jacque, the Association transfrontalière du PED (European development hub cross-border interconnected cross-border association) intends to set itself new objectives. The establishment of a cross-border regional nature park is regions" supported by the German being studied." federal ministry of transport, In Pau, Navarre and Pyrénées-Atlantiques hand-in-hand, Sud Ouest, 8 March - "In Pau this morning, building and urban development. Navarre (Spain) and Pyrénées-Atlantiques (France) signed an advanced cross-border cooperation *The Südlicher Oberrhein, Mittlerer Oberrhein, agreement covering three years." Hochrhein-Bodensee and Bodensee- Oberschwaben Regionalverbände (regional The Puigcerdà European Hospital marks the limits of cross-border cooperation, La Clau, 12 associations), Regio Aachen and Saarland February - "Recognized as the spearhead of France-Spain and European-Catalan cooperation, the future Further information: www.metropolitane- Cerdagne Hospital marks the limits of cross-border policies. For it depends on the South-Catalan right of grenzregionen.eu (with the final report of the MORO project, in German) decision, particularly as the town where it is located, Puigcerdà, nevertheless remains on Spanish territory."

© Mission Opérationnelle Transfrontalière - 38 rue des Bourdonnais 75001 Paris France - Photos: Page 1: Becker und Bredel ; Pascal Bodez - Page 2: European Union, 2011 - Subscriptions: www.espaces-transfrontaliers.eu - Director of publication: Olivier Denert - Coordination: Domitille Ayral