The History of Cross-border Cooperation in Europe Case studies of the Upper Rhine and Franco-Belgian area Bernard Reitel, Professor of geography, Université d’Arras Birte Wassenberg, Professor of history, IEP de Strasbourg Bernard Reitel-Birte Wassenberg

Introduction Cross-border cooperation in the process of European construction: a step-by-step history? What does Cross-border Cooperation (CBC) mean? Does the history of CBC follow the same temporal pattern on all border regions in Europe? A comparison between two « old cross-border regions » of the EU The Upper-Rhine Valley The Franco-Belgian Region

Cross-border cooperation as a facilitator of peace-building after WWII Bernard Reitel-Birte Wassenberg

The objectives After 1945: maintain peace Overcome the obstacles of the national border Contribute to European Integration Bring together the European people Birte Wassenberg

The bridge of Kehl (1940-45) The « wall » of Kehl (1945) Bernard Reitel-Birte Wassenberg

The bridge of Kehl (1940-45) The « wall » of Kehl (1945) Bernard Reitel-Birte Wassenberg

Franco-German reconciliation Bernard Reitel-Birte Wassenberg

Cross-border initiatives at local level Bernard Reitel-Birte Wassenberg

The Euroregio Gronau (1958) Regio Basiliensis (1963) The Euroregio Gronau (1958) Bernard Retiel-Birte Wassenberg

The European Union Bernard Reitel-Birte Wassenberg

INTERREG Creation of the INTERREG program in 1990, financed by the structural funds (ERDF) Interreg covers: All border regions of the European Community (12 members states in 1990) and their external neighbours (ie. Switzerland) Bernard Reitel-Birte Wassenberg

INTERREG 4 generations of INTERREG INTERREG I 1991-1994 INTERREG II 1995-1999 INTERREG III 2000-2006 INTERREG IV 2007-2014 Bernard Reitel-Birte Wassenberg

The EU-Interreg IV 2007-2013 Bernard Reitel-Birte Wassenberg

The Upper Rhine Region Birte Wassenberg

History A long history of cross-border cooperation since the 60s Launched by private actors in Basel in the South of the Franco-German-Swiss Upper Rhine Region The starting point: creation of cooperation associations Regios: Regio Basiliensis (1963), Upper- Rhine (1976) Freiburg (1984) Birte Wassenberg

The institutional cooperation The Upper Rhine cross- border cooperation was institutionalized in 1975 Birte Wassenberg

The Bonn Convention Creation of an Intergovernmental Franco- German-Swiss Commission for… … « the study and solution of neighbourhood problems in border regions» (Art.1) No restrictions of topics to be dealt with Limitation of the geographical space Birte Wassenberg

Upper Rhine Conference Creation of the Franco-German-Swiss « Upper Rhine Conference » 1991 Composition: France: Préfet de Région (but participation of regional authorities, Départements, Région) Switzerland: Cantons of Basel Germany: Land Baden-Württemberg, Rheinland- Pfalz Birte Wassenberg

The Upper Rhine Conference A session of the Conference Birte Wassenberg

INTERREG Since 1989, the EEC is involved in cross- border cooperation in the Upper Rhine: With the implementation of a pilot project tested in 10 regions of the EC in 1989/90 The Franco-German Region in the North was a pilot Region (PAMINA Palatinat- Mittlerer Oberrhein, Alsace) In 1991, two Interreg programs were created: PAMINA and Middle Upper Rhine The two programs were put together in 2007 Birte Wassenberg

INTERREG program(s) Birte Wassenberg

The Eurodistricts In 2003 Franco-German Summit for the 40th anniversary of the Treaty of Elysée on 22 January 2003 in Strasburg/Kehl Joint Declaration by Jacques Chirac and Gerhard Schröder for a “Eurodistrict Strasbourg-Ortenau” Birte Wassenberg

40th anniversary of Elysée Treaty Birte Wassenberg

Eurodistrict Strasbourg-Ortenau 2003 : Declaration by the Heads of state 2005 : signature of the convention 2010 : EGTC Platform for citizen‘s participation

Strasbourg-Kehl Birte Wassenberg

The Metropolitan Region The CB Metropolitan Region: a concept from the European Union Project launched at the 11. Tripartite Congress in Strasburg : the Upper Rhine a model for economic development (2008) in Strasburg Birte Wassenberg

The pillars of the Metropolitan Region Representatives from poltical, economic, scientific and civil society Experts Civil Society Associations Clubs Economics Chambers of commerce Trade unions, Coprorate Actors Firms Science Universities Research Centers Politics Upper Rhine Conference, Eurodistricts Council Birte Wassenberg

The Franco-Belgian Area Bernard Reitel

The Franco-Belgian border: an artificial line? A good example of a peaceful and open border (Lentacker, 1973)? Non-natural « Invisible » Intense and regular interactions Source: http://jelidee.com/Carte-Vidal-Lablache-N3-France-Relief-du-sol-1 Bernard Reitel

A chronology of cross-border cooperation Bilateral initiatives during the sixties and the seventies The « Pôle Economique de Développement » - PED (1985), a CB economic reconversion programme (B-F-L) Bernard Reitel

A chronology of cross-border cooperation The construction of the Channel Tunnel (1987- 1993): more than a link? The foundation of the Cross-Channel region (1987) The Euroregion as a EEIG (1991) The central role of Lille and the neighbourhood areas: the COPIT (1991) Bernard Reitel

A chronology of cross-border cooperation A « new » Cross- border region: the « Grande Région » (1995) Bernard Reitel

A chronology of cross-border cooperation The strengthening of cross-border cooperation after 2000 The Brussels Agreement (2002) The Euroregion: a failure? 3 Interreg Programmes (IVA) The Two-seas France-Wallonia-Vlaanderen Grande Région Bernard Reitel

The Interreg Programs Bernard Reitel

A chronology of cross-border cooperation New legal frameworks for CBC of EGTC (Lille, 2008; Dunkerque, 2009; Grande Région, 2011) A CB regional Parc: the Hainaut natural parc certificated « EUROPARC Transboundary Area” Bernard Reitel

Main trends on CBC between France and Belgium Institutionnalisation: new ways to deepen CBC? Rescaling The Western part From trinational to bilateral relations From regional to local/metropolitan scales The Eastern part From a local and specialized approach to a muli- sectorial (regional/ metropolitan) approach The extension of the eligible area during Interreg V (2014-2020) University of Victoria, april 2015, 13th

Conclusion Long history of cross-border cooperation Strong political governance structures with legal framework Mutual influence between cross- border cooperation and European Integration Birte Wassenberg-Bernard Reitel

Thank you for your attention! Bernard Reitel-Birte Wassenberg