Strasbourg-Ortenau

Strasbourg-Ortenau is a Franco-German eurodistrict, a cross border administrative project with some common institutions, established on 17 October 2005. The district is formed by the Urban Community of Strasbourg (centred on the city of Strasbourg) on the French side of the Rhine and the Ortenau district (including Achern, Kehl, Lahr, Oberkirch and Offenburg) on the German side. [http://www.eurodistrict.eu/fr/index.php?page=accueil Bienvenue sur le site de l’Eurodistrict Strasbourg-Ortenau] , district official website fr] In 2006, the combined population of the district was 868,014 and covered an area of 2,176 km². [http://www.eurodistrict.eu/fr/index.php?page=donnees&menu=menu5 Eurodistrict stats] , district official website fr]

Building on regional and Franco-German cooperation, it aims to develop bonds between citizens, associations, public administrations, educational establishments and corporations. It is also in the context of European integration, with the presence of European institutions in Strasbourg, and has been compared to a European version of Washington D.C.. In addititon to the array of European and Franco-German institutions, the district includes three ports, two airports and nine universities.

Mayor of Strasbourg Roland Ries, during and after his election campaign, proposed the strengthening district in order to maintain the presence of the European Parliament in the city (see Location of European Union institutions) and making it more autonomous and akin to a European capital territory). However the Ortenaukreis communities have been less enthusiastic about the Eurodistrict project. [ [http://www.cafebabel.com/eng/article/24219/europe-dominates-election-agenda-in-strasbourg.html Europe dominates election agenda in Strasbourg] , Cafe babel]

History

The idea of an Eurodistrict Strasbourg-Kehl (as it was called then) was officially launched on January 22, 2003, by French President Jacques Chirac and German Federal Chancellor Gerhard Schröder during a meeting in the Palais de l'Elysée; it was point 24 of the common declaration made on the 40th anniversary of the cooperation treaty between Germany and France. January 22 was furthermore declared "French-German day" ("journée franco-allemande", "deutsch-französischer Tag") [ [http://www.eurodistrict.eu/docs/F_DeclarationCommuneChiracSchroder.pdf DECLARATION COMMUNE FRANCO-ALLEMANDE A L'OCCASION DU 40EME ANNIVERSAIRE DU TRAITE DE L'ELYSEE] fr icon]

A common resolution to create the Strasbourg-Ortenau Eurodistrict was signed on May 24, 2003 in Offenburg by Fabienne Keller, the mayor of Strasbourg, Robert Grossmann, the president of the Communité urbaine de Strasbourg, the mayors of Kehl, Offenburg, Achern, Lahr and Oberkirch as well as the President ("Landrat") of the Ortenaukreis. The resolution's aim was to present a viable version of the project at the upcoming French-German summit on June 10, 2003. [ [http://www.eurodistrict.eu/docs/F_ResolutionCommunePartenairesED.pdf Common resolution for the creation of a Eurodistrict between Strasbourg and the Ortenau] fr icon]

On June 30, 2003, the French minister for European Affairs, Noëlle Lenoir, and her German collegue, Hans Martin Bury, signed the official document specifying the legal, political, economical, demographical etc. frameworks ("cadres") within which the Eurodistrict was to be called into existence. The document also announced that further presentations of the project were to be made at the French-German summit in the following, as well as during the crossborder flower festival on both banks of the Rhine held in Strasbourg and Kehl in the spring 2004. [ [http://www.eurodistrict.eu/docs/F_DeclarationCommuneLenoirBury.pdf POINTS CADRE POUR LA CREATION DE L’EURODISTRICT STRASBOURG-KEHL] fr icon]

References

External links

* [http://www.eurodistrict.eu/ Official website] (German and French only)