The Mission Opérationnelle Transfrontalière (MOT) is an association specialised in supporting cross-border cooperation. It was established in 1997 on the initiative of the French government and is based in Paris, France. Its network brings together almost 100 cross-border cooperation actors mainly on both sides of French borders: cross-border structures, regions, departments, municipalities, groupings of municipalities and communities, states, federations and networks, urban planning agencies, etc. Its mission is to defend the interests of cross-border territories, to establish networks between them and to provide them with operational and legal assistance. The work of the MOT thus spans a wide range of topics, from economic development and employment to culture and governance. Its multi-level positioning promotes dialogue between national and European authorities and local and regional actors, to ensure that cross-border issues are better taken into account in legislation and policies.

The MOT works with BIG_Lab on specific regulatory and policy issues relating to European cross-border regions, and aims to contribute to the development of comparative research that may enrich policy development in Europe. Policy papers and training sessions are produced with the support of the global BIG_Lab team and in particular the UVIC team, and events to exchange on research contributions and related topics are organized. Discussions aim to focus mainly on key research themes such as multi-level governance arrangements in cross-border regions or new legal tools for cross-border cooperation. This partnership gives the opportunity to contribute to the knowledge of cross-border issues and practices of MOT members and partners, especially on a European and international scale, while confronting those practices with those of other borders in the world, notably North America.

Learn more about the MOT here.