Second thematic seminar: "Involvement of civil society within cross-border conurbations"

11 February 2010, Tournai (Belgium)

Today, more than a third of European citizens live in border areas.

The integration process of the EU has facilitated the emergence of functional urban areas cross-cutting state borders, i.e. cross-border conurbations, which face specific challenges related to the management of cross-border flows (goods, capital, information and workers), leading to specific problems and new potentialities of development.

The appropriate response to such challenges lay down on the development of new systems, seeking effectiveness, must also take into consideration the requirements of transparency and legitimacy, particularly by promoting strategies favoring the involvement of civil society.

Indeed, the risk of a gap between citizens belonging to different national democracies, the public authorities involved in the cross-border co-operation, and tje governance structure is present.

The seminar has enabled the participants to discuss key issues common to all cross-border conurbations in Europe:

- How can public authorities design a popular mobilisation in cross-border conurbations? (cf. workshop 1)

- How can media be used to facilitate a greater visibility and a common identity for cross-border conurbations? (cf. workshop 2)

- Which are the possible levels of participative democracy to be developed at a cross-border scale? (cf. round table)

This seminar has enabled the participants to exchange experiences, present good practices, debate on the feasibility and the transferavility of urban public policies favouring a greater sense of community at a cross-border scale, and deliver common conclusions.

AGENDA:

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