Strasbourg-Ortenau Eurodistrict
The Strasbourg-Ortenau Eurodistrict was established on October 17, 2005 as the first Eurodistrict . Its original members are on the French side the Eurométropole de Strasbourg and the Communauté de communes du Canton d'Erstein and on the German side the Ortenaukreis , as well as the five large district towns of Achern , Kehl , Lahr , Oberkirch and Offenburg . The Eurodistrict has been constituted as the European Grouping for Territorial Cooperation (EGTC) since February 1st, 2010 . On March 14, 2013, the accession of further French members, namely the municipal associations Erstein , Benfeld and surroundings and the association of municipalities of the Rhine, was decided by the Council of the Eurodistrict.
Its primary tasks include improving cross-border cooperation on its territory, promoting projects to establish a common identity and, finally, developing innovative forms of cross-border decision-making.
history
On January 22nd, 2003 Jacques Chirac and Gerhard Schröder propose the creation of a Eurodistrict around the city of Strasbourg and the city of Kehl as part of a joint declaration on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the Elysée Treaties . A joint resolution was passed on May 24, 2003 in Offenburg by Fabienne Keller (then Mayor of Strasbourg), Robert Grossmann (President of the Strasbourg Municipal Association), Günther Petry (then Lord Mayor of Kehl), Edith Schreiner (Lord Mayor of Offenburg), Reinhart Köstlin ( then Lord Mayor of Achern), Wolfgang G. Müller (Lord Mayor of Lahr), Matthias Braun (Lord Mayor of Oberkirch) and Klaus Brodbeck (then District Administrator of Ortenau).
On June 30, 2003, Noëlle Lenoir , French Minister for Foreign Affairs and Hans Martin Bury , German Minister of State for Europe signed a document with the key points for the establishment of the Strasbourg-Ortenau Eurodistrict. After several negotiations about the exact structure, the contract was signed on October 7, 2005 in the historic town hall of Strasbourg and the Strasbourg-Ortenau Eurodistrict was founded. On December 9th, 2008 the Eurodistrict Council decided to found a European Association for Territorial Cooperation (EGTC). On February 1, 2010, the Eurodistrict will officially become an EGTC. The first President of the Council is Roland Ries (Mayor of Strasbourg).
At the beginning of 2013, the Eurodistrict Council votes on the enlargement of the Eurodistrict on the French side. On March 14th, the municipal associations Erstein, Benfeld and the surrounding area and the Rhine are added.
structure
The following organs of the Strasbourg-Ortenau Eurodistrict are named in its statutes:
- the Council
- the president
- the Vice-President
The General Secretariat of the Eurodistrict supports the President and implements the decisions of the Council and the Board of Directors.
The Council
composition
According to its statutes, the council consists of a total of 50 members, who must come from France and Germany in equal parts. On the French side, 21 representatives belong to the Strasbourg city council, the remaining four seats are shared equally by the French municipal associations Erstein, Benfeld and the surrounding area, the Rhine and the French Republic. On the German side, there are 13 representatives in the Ortenau district, 3 each in the cities of Offenburg and Lahr, and 2 each in Kehl, Achern and Oberkirch. The representatives of the FRG and the state of Baden-Württemberg are invited as observers . Observer status may be granted to other regional, departmental or local bodies or local public bodies.
functionality
The Council meets in public at least twice a year when convened by its President. The council has a quorum if at least half of the members from the German and French sides are present. Resolutions are passed by a simple majority. In general, the votes are open.
Competencies
The most far-reaching powers in the Eurodistrict lie with the Council. These are among others:
- Changes to the founding agreement and articles of association,
- Budget decision,
- Advice on strategy and direction of the Eurodistrict,
- Decision on the work program,
- Election of the president, the vice-president.
- Conclusion of contracts that lead to an obligation of more than 25,000 euros net
The President and the Vice President
choice
The council elects the president and the vice-president from among its members for a term of two years. The President is elected alternately on the proposal of the German and French sides. The vice-president is elected from among the representatives of the party that does not provide the president.
Competencies
The President's main competencies:
- He represents the Eurodistrict in and out of court.
- He convenes the council, sets the agenda for the council meeting and chairs the meeting.
- He prepares and implements the decisions of the council.
- As the head of the administration of the Eurodistrict he hires his staff; in the case of managerial staff in coordination with the council.
- Conclusion of contracts that lead to an obligation of up to 25,000 euros net.
The Vice President serves to balance the German and French sides in the Eurodistrict. If he is unable to attend, he takes over the duties of the President.
The General Secretariat
In the course of the legal transformation of the Eurodistrict into an EGTC in 2010, a separate General Secretariat was created. Although the Eurodistrict continues to work in close cooperation with the administrations of its members, important tasks of the executive work have been assigned to a General Secretary and General Secretariat.
The offices of the General Secretariat are located in the European Competence Center in Kehl at Fabrikstrasse 12, while the official seat of the Eurodistrict is in Strasbourg (1, Parc de l'Étoile). As a result, the Eurodistrict is subject to French law.
tasks
The statutes of the Eurodistrict specify in particular the following tasks of the General Secretariat:
- the preparation of the meetings of the Eurodistrict Council and the implementation of its resolutions and projects,
- the coordination of the administrative and technical services of the members of the Eurodistrict,
- the common language service,
- the public relations work of the Eurodistrict.
The execution of the decisions and projects of the Council include the actual thematic work of the Eurodistrict.
Tabular overview of the spokesperson, president, deputy president and general secretary of the Eurodistrict
Until the founding of the EGTC, two spokespersons led the Eurodistrict, one from the German and one from the French side. The following tables show the various occupations.
| Taking office | German side | French side |
|---|---|---|
| 12/15/2005 |
Klaus Brodbeck District Administrator of Ortenau |
Robert Grossmann President of the then Strasbourg City Council |
| 01/01/2007 |
Edith Schreiner Lord Mayor of Offenburg |
" |
| 01/01/2008 |
Wolfgang G. Müller Lord Mayor Lahr |
" |
| 07/01/2008 | " |
Roland Ries Mayor of Strasbourg |
| 01/01/2009 |
Günther Petry Lord Mayor Kehl |
" |
| Taking office | President | Vice President | Secretary General |
|---|---|---|---|
| 02/01/2010 | Roland Ries Lord Mayor of Strasbourg |
Frank Scherer District Administrator of Ortenau |
--- |
| 04/23/2010 | " | " | Marcus Obrecht |
| End of June 2011 | " | " | Martine Schneider (Interim) |
| November 2011 | " | " | Cordula Riedel |
| 03/22/2012 | Frank Scherer District Administrator of Ortenau |
Roland Ries Lord Mayor of Strasbourg |
" |
| 01/01/2014 | " | " | Yves Zimmermann (acting) |
| June 2014 | Roland Ries Lord Mayor of Strasbourg |
Frank Scherer District Administrator of Ortenau |
" |
| June 2015 | " | " | Anika Klaffke |
| January 2017 | Frank Scherer District Administrator of Ortenau |
Roland Ries Lord Mayor of Strasbourg |
" |
| January 2019 | Roland Ries
Lord Mayor of Strasbourg |
Frank Scherer
District Administrator of Ortenau |
" |
composition
.
Promotion Fund
- School fund to promote bilingualism
- Fund for refugee children
- Fund for project funding
Further information and eligibility criteria can be found on the website of the Eurodistrict.
Projects
The Eurodistrict supports numerous projects. Here are just a few examples:
mobility
The Eurodistrict is committed to the continuation of the Strasbourg tram line D to the Kehler train station. The line is to be extended in the long term to Kehl town hall.
Substitution practice
The Eurodistrict supports a pilot project in Kehl. A cross-border substitution practice started its work in 2013 and gives substitutions to drug addicts to help them with withdrawal.
marathon
A cross-border marathon took place in the area of the euro district from 2011 to 2015 in autumn. The crossing of the passerelle and the Franco-German border was symbolic.
KM solidarity
At KM Solidarité, students from the Eurodistrict run for a good cause.
literature
- Fabrice Gireaud: The Eurodistricts - A new form of cross-border cooperation ?: A comparative analysis of the Eurodistrict Strasbourg-Ortenau and the Trinational Eurodistrict Basel (Europe 2025, Volume 26) ; Münster: LIT-Verlag November 15, 2014; ISBN 3-643-12863-0
Web links
swell
- ↑ Eurodistrict Strasbourg-Ortenau: Agreement on the establishment of the Eurodistrict Strasbourg-Ortenau. ( Memento of the original from September 8, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF, signed October 17, 2005 .; 76 kB)
- ↑ Landratsamt Ortenau: Founding agreement of the European association for territorial cooperation "EURODISTRIKT STRASBOURG-ORTENAU". ( Memento of the original from January 8, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF, signed January 27, 2010)
- ↑ Eurodistrict Strasbourg-Ortenau: Press release about the enlargement of the euro-district Strasbourg-Ortenau. ( Memento of the original from January 8, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (DOC, March 15, 2013; 43 kB)
- ^ Eurodistrict-Strasbourg-Ortenau: History of the Eurodistrict Strasbourg-Ortenau. ( Memento of the original from June 22, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (accessed on November 14, 2013)
- ↑ Landratsamt Ortenau: Statutes of the EGTC ( Memento of the original from December 19, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (pdf)
- ↑ Landratsamt Ortenau: Statutes of the EGTC ( Memento of the original from December 19, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF)
- ↑ Tri-national Metropolitan Region Upper Rhine: Eurodistrict Strasbourg-Ortenau - Renewal of the presidency ( Memento of the original from December 19, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Hubert Röderer: Eurodistrict should pick up speed . In: Badische Zeitung . October 9, 2012 ( online [accessed November 14, 2013]).
- ^ City of Kehl: Tram line D to Kehl
- ^ Baden-Württemberg regional association for prevention and rehabilitation gGmbH: Cross-border substitution practice opened in Kehl.
- ↑ Eurodistrict Marathon: Strasbourg-Ortenau marathon
- ↑ Eurodistrict: km Solidarité 2011 ( Memento of the original from September 29, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 750 kB)
- ↑ Eurodistrict: Manifestations Grand Public ( Memento of the original from April 21, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
