What governance for cross-border conurbations?
Political Cross-border conurbations are faced with various day-to-day problems resulting from the inconsistency of the systems in place on each side of the border. To overcome these problems, more or less formal solutions have been considered. The MOT’s experience suggests that only the setting-up of a permanent political governance structure covering an identified space can enable the definition of a territory project within which the various competent levels of public authority can be made to cooperate, the “upper” levels (regional, national) coming in support of the local level, which must remain preponderant. In order to do that, the new Community tool EGTC seems to be the most adapting (see example of the Lille-Kortrijk-Tournai Eurometropolis). Member States consequently have to allow the groups to participate in such structures. This governance must respect parity between representatives of the different countries and be legible for the population Technical A permanent, dedicated
