The three cross-border regions want to cooperate better in order to avoid Southern Europe to marginalize versus Northern Europe. A permanent work structure will be set up.
The cross-border cooperation does not progress a lot. But it is necessary to applaud the initiatives that tend to reinforce cooperation between PACA, Liguria and Piedmont in Italy. It was the aim of a meeting led by the three regional presidents in Nice at Palais Sarde, Michel Vauzelle was representing PACA.
The idea is to settle a common front of the three regions in order to avoid Southern Europe marginalization versus Northern Europe power. The Latin axe versus the Anglo-Saxon one.
But the means have to be set up. The problem of links was evoked (Montgenèvre railway breach, Tende and the Mercantour tunnels, Lyon-Turin TGV) and also projects about a policy of common communication, development of a proximity culture, scholar exchanges, synergies for tourism…
But only one decision for the moment: setting up of a permanent work structure. It will have to write a text in which ambitions and problems of the three cross-border regions will be said. The text will be presented during the Nice European Summit in December. The summit will also offer excellent occasions to accelerate the cross-border cooperation between France and Northern Italy.