Les nouvelles régions et la coopération transfrontalière – L’exemple du Grand-Est

Les nouvelles régions et la coopération transfrontalière – L’exemple du Grand-Est

Border Region
Region Grand Est, Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium and Switzerland
Language(s)
Français
Introduction

The article questions the goals of cross-border cooperation in the Grand Est region after its merger in 2015. It specifies the scope of the campaigns performed before the time of the Grand Est region and the challenges in the region due to those goals.

Summary

Development of the cross-border cooperation presented in the regional scheme of economic development of innovation and internationalisation (SRDEII) of the Grand Est region pursues ambitious goals that strengthen the specific geographic location of this region.

Even though the cross-border development seems to have been achieved, the goals pursued for economic development in the Grand Est region are facing great challenges: Stronger transparency of the programmes of cooperation, better mediation of local competences, reduction of the language barrier between the residents, etc.

Content

The article is part of a large study conducted on the new regions resulting from the 2015 merger.

This large study constitutes the special issue of the book "Droit et Gestion des Collectivités Territoriales (DGCT)" published, annually, by the Groupement de recherche sur l'Administration Locale en Europe (GRALE).

The new regions are studied under different aspects (economic, cross-border cooperation, education, higher education, health...)

Conclusions

The article is part of a large study on the new regions resulting from the merger of 2015.
The large study is a special edition of the work "Droit et Gestion des Collectivités Territoriales" ["Law and administration of the regional authorities"] (DGCT) which is published every year by the research group on local administration in Europe (GRALE).

The new regions are examined according to various aspects (economy, cross-border cooperation, education, universities, health, etc.)

The article highlights the great potential of cross-border cooperation that existed even before the Grand Est region was founded. Based on this, it questions the goals the new region has set for itself.

It finds that, although the Grand Est region undisputedly has advantages in the area of cross-border cooperation, being the French region with the largest border region, it also has some gaps: It remains closer to a supplier of cross-border commuters for the adjacent regions instead of also becoming an attractive area for this. Its residents do not have sufficient language skills, in particular regarding the language of the neighbouring country, in spite of the geographic proximity, which makes learning the language easier. Finally, cross-border cooperation more than ever seems to ensure a stronger economic development of the Grand Est region. This goal of economic development is recorded in the various goals of the regional scheme of economic development and innovation and internationalisation (SRDEII).

Nevertheless, this goal, and the efficiency of cross-border cooperation in general, requires better mediation, not only regarding the competences between the region itself and the sub-regional authorities, but also the three programmes of cooperation that were continued under the new regional configuration

Lead

GRALE (Groupement de Recherche sur l'Administration Locale en Europe) – Groupement d'Intérêt Scientifique (GIS)

 

Author of the entry
Contributions

Reine WAKOTE

Contact Person(s)
Date of creation
2019
Publié dans
Droit et gestion des collectivités locales 2018 « Les grandes régions », oct. 2019.
Identifier

978-2-281-13312-7