Agence pour la Promotion Internationnale de Lille Metropole

THE FIRST CROSS-BORDER METROPOLIS IN EUROPE

 

• 2.2 millions inhabitants (1,200,000 French and 700,000 Belgians)
• 15 ^th European metropolis, at the heart of the highest concentration of wealth in Europe
• A city with two nationalities, three regions, three cultures and two languages
• Halfway between Europe's two largest metropolitan areas, London and Paris
• 38 minutes away from the European decision-making center: Brussels
• Presence of 15 head offices of multinational companies (3 Suisses International, Auchan, Barco, Bonduelle, Décathlon, Lesaffre…), 4 European secretariats, of which the European Railway Agency (ERA)

A UNIQUE PROJECT

 

Economy

• Territorial marketing and promotion of common 'clusters' (textile, image, environment, high-end tertiary, …)
• Creation of a toll-free number poto answer the entrepreneurs' questions (intervention of a mediator in case of dispute)
• Close co-operation between the employers' representatives, the professional organizations (CCI, Lille Place financière, Lille Place juridique…) and their Belgian correspondents
• Organization of a trade show focusing on cross-border employment

 

Social

• Implementation of a cross-border Social and Economic Development Board
• Cross-border network of public transport
• Cross-border organization of the 'Lille 2004 – European Capital of Culture' event
• Large variety of cross-border initiatives and associations (culture, language…)

 

Politics

• Transformation of the COPIT (Permanent Conference of Cross-border Intermunicipalities) into a GLCT (Local Group of Cross-border Co-operation) on June 1 ^st , 2006, before acquiring the status of 'European District'.
• In 2003, the right to experiment granted to French metropolitan areas within the framework of decentralization was used by Lille Metropole in the field of cross-border co-operation.
• A French-Belgian parliamentarian working group was set up at the end of 2005 to propose regulatory changes, within the framework of this experiment, in order to simplify the daily life of citizens and enterprises of our territory