The Alzette Belval EGTC (Groupement Européen de Coopération Territoriale Alzette Belval) results from a partnership between France and Luxembourg, involving around 90.000 inhabitants in a 172 km²'s area.
It was created on March 2013 to facilitate and enhance cooperation between local actors in the public and private spheres (town, institutional partners, developers, civil society, ...) of 12 border towns (4 from Luxembourg and 8 french).
Since 90’s, cities of this territory decided to work together but projects are too difficult to build without a specific instrument devoted to cross border project. The EGTC brings a permanent instrument for strengthening the cross-border partnership.
The Alzette Belval EGTC work plan will focus on different thematic areas: Mobility, Health Care, Cohesion, Spatial Planning and Sustainable Development, Culture, Tourism and Sport.
Review of activities in 2016
Tasks
The EGTC was created to assure a common and complementary development, to develop a real cross-border urban agglomeration, to improve the quality of life of its inhabitants and to support the development and the implementation of cross-border projects, by supporting a common and complementary development on both sides of the border. The EGTC also invests in education with cross-border projects for FR/LU schools and youth. It is also acting for the development of urban and soft mobility.
Since July 2016, the EGTC has been leading an Interreg VA Greater Region project called "Alzette Belval, vivons ensemble!" (Alzette Belval living together!), to develop the "feeling of belonging" of the same cross-border city. It helps the actors in the area (administrations, associations, schools / high schools, inhabitants, etc.) to realise and succeed in their cross-border projects, in any field: sport, tourism, culture, agriculture, education, etc.
The EGTC also created a territorial development strategy for the period 2014-2016 called "Alzette Belval, working together to make the cross-border agglomeration" and is currently working on the second period (2017-2020). It has a bottom-up approach, made with and for the local actors in the working fields of the EGTC.
With regard to the joint management of public services, the EGTC works with the managers of public services (mobility especially) to contribute to common development. For example, the EGTC tries to find an agreement for the coordination of the bus timetables and to coordinate the joint development of bike paths on both sides of the border. In the remaining period, the EGTC plans to implement the current Interreg project and other projects, especially in the field of mobility. The EGTC also supports local actors who want to develop Interreg projects.
Challenges or issues
The EGTC is still young. There is much to do to achieve its initial objectives. The main obstacles are rooted in the differences between FR/LU laws. For example, in the field of athletics competitions: in France, it is compulsory for the runners who are not members of an official French athletic (with a French athletics license) club to give a medical certificate to the organisations. Even though the French Athletics Federation (FFA) and the Luxembourg Athletics Federation are both members of the International Association of Athletics Federation, the FFA does not recognise official athletics licenses other than French ones. This is an example of obstacles in implementing ETC projects and programmes.
Budget
€ 212,842.13 (€ 128,000 from the membership fees for 2016 and € 84,842.13 transfer from 2015).
EU-funded projects and programmes in phase of imple-mentation in 2016
1) Interreg project "Alzette Belval vivons ensemble!" Total budget: € 192,056.45 € - EGTC funding: € 76,822.58 - EU co-funding: € 115,233.87
2) the EGTC is also "opérateur méthodologique" (methodological operator) of an Interreg project about the quality of water of the local river. Name of the project: "Alzette, objectif qualité". No budget indicated.
Staff (in FTE)
In 2013, the Alzette Belval EGTC employed 1 Directorand and 1 Policy Officer.
