Cities without frontiers

Today, the Bidasoa River is no longer a border. It is now really what nature intended it to be: a means of communication for the area of Hendaye, Irún and Hondarribia. Already in 1993, joint activities brought together those living on the opposite banks, first outside of any formal framework. A shuttle on water and land was organised to make it easier for people and goods to travel. An annual trilingual publication was put out listing the cultural and sport activities in the area. The fields of cooperation were many, and in 1995 the three towns decided to create a common legal structure to work in a genuine intermunicipal framework. The signing of the Treaty of Bayonne in 1995 made it possible to create the Eurodistrict of Bidasoa-Txingudi, in the form of a "consorcio", a legal structure governed by Spanish law. Since then, the number of initiatives has grown. Events and activities are organised each year during the second weekend of October with growing success. Between the sports competitions, art exhibitions and the "corso fleuri", opportunities to go see what is happening "on the other side" are in no short supply. In Hendaye, a language laboratory enables the Spanish residents to brush up on their French. Spanish and Basque courses are also organised. Two major projects have been implemented, the Local Housing Plan (PLH and the economic and social regeneration action on both banks of the Bidasoa: renovation of dwellings in Irún and revitalisation of the historic centres of Hendaye and Hondarribia. As for the airport, no longer in use since the opening of the border, it is gradually turning into an industrial area with the arrival of French and Spanish firms. It is, for example, currently home to a print shop, an office furniture cooperative and a bottle cap production plant. The Diputación foral de Guipúzcoa and the District of Bayonne-Anglet-Biarritz have also begun developing the huge urban expanse that stretches 50 km between Bayonne and San Sebastian. This conurbation of some 600 000 inhabitants has particular needs when it comes to structuring the area. The project includes the establishment of a cross-border Observatory to come up with proposals in this field.