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Cross-border electro-mobility between France and Germany

  • Robert Spisiak profile
    Robert Spisiak
    16 February 2018 - updated 3 years ago
  • 2 comments
    Total votes: 1

On 22. January 2018 - 55th anniversary of the signing of the Elysée Treaty - parliaments of France and Germany signed a 16-page resolution with the intention to revise the Elysée Treaty later this year.

Especially people in the border regions should particularly benefit from this initiative.  Cross-border investment in infrastructure should focus on railways, electro-mobility (joint charging station) and cycling infrastructure. According to this resolution, the so-called Eurodistricts in these regions should get more autonomy for this purpose and both countries should agree on intensive cooperation in the reconstruction of a European night train network. The same applies to the cooperation in local public transport, including between municipalities in both countries.

http://docs.dpaq.de/13101-deutsch-franz_sischer_antragsentwurf_55._jahrestag_elys_e-vertrag_4.1.2018.pdf

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Nathalie VERSCHELDE's picture
Nathalie VERSCHELDE,
12/03/2018 09:49

Very interesting discussion here - there are conflicting agendas at work.  As the Commission department for the regions and territories, we will continue to push for investments in mobility, especially across borders.  While we might not be always able to mobilise the big players like SNCF or DB, there is a chance that transport liberalisation will bring new actors interested in running smaller regional networks.  Who knows ?

And keep in mind Interreg post 2020 - while we do not yet know the amounts that will be available, we know that the future cross-border programmes will have to focus on the key topics covered in the recent Communication on Boosting EU Border Regions.  Would there be scope there to advance the regional CBC mobility agenda ?

We would be interested to hear your take on this.

Nathalie

Total votes: 1
Frédéric Siebenhaar's picture
Frédéric Siebenhaar,
19/02/2018 15:02

Cross-border investments in railway infrastructure seems actually jeopardised as the government, the regions and the SNCF are getting under pressure by the so called Spinetta report: https://www.ecologique-solidaire.gouv.fr/sites/default/files/2018.02.15_Rapport-Avenir-du-transport-ferroviaire.pdf

This report doesn’t mention the importance of (small) cross-border railway links; it rather focusses on the closing of “minor” lines, which can often be found in border areas. All the stakeholders and policy makers have to be extremely vigilant on that issue.

Total votes: 1