The Aquitaine-Basque Country Euro-region is a cross-border cooperation between the Aquitaine region of France and the Basque Autonomous Community of Spain. It operates at three levels: local, urban, and regional. Its goals are to consolidate regional cohesion, develop territorial cooperation from a European perspective, and increase the visibility of the two regions in Europe. It has a shared governance structure and aims to create an attractive and dynamic open space through coordinating policies around issues like transportation, renewable energy, education, agriculture, tourism, and more.

1. The Aquitaine-
Basque Country
Euro-region
What it is, goals, missions and
governance
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2. Aquitaine-Basque Country Euro-
region
About it
 We understand the cross-border cooperation in three levels:
• Micro-level: proximity cooperation (Bidasoa-Txingudy bay)
• Meso-level: urban approach (Eurociudad Vasca Baiona-San
Sebastián)
• Regional-level: AECT Eurorregión Aquitania-Euskadi
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3. Aquitaine-Basque Country Euro-
region
About it
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4. Aquitaine-Basque Country Euro-
region
About it
WEAKNESSES STRENGTHS
•Different competences • History
•Different languages • No borders from 1992
•Multiple stakeholders • Institutional relationships by
•Weak perception outside the decades
border • Common policies
•EU legislative framework
•Good perception by stakeholders
THREATS OPPORTUNITIES
•Institutional competence •Economic need and
•Lack of specificness complementary nature
•Technocratic project •Regional positioning
•EU strategy: 2014-2020
•Policy organisation: 3 levels (local,
intermediary and regional)
•Coordination of different
stakeholders
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5. Aquitaine-Basque Country Euro-
region
About it
 The Aquitaine-Basque Country Euro-Region is a European Grouping of
Territorial Cooperation (EGTC), with its own legal status established pursuant
to EC Regulation No. 1082/2006, made up by the Basque Autonomous
Community and Aquitaine Region
- Headquarters in Hendaye
- Under French legislation
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6. Aquitaine-Basque Country Euro-
region
About it
 WHAT IS A EUROPEAN GROUPING OF TERRITORICAL COOPERATION?
European legal instrument, created to foster flexible, simple and more
strategic territorial cooperation, by reducing the difficulties linked to the
different national legislation.
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7. Aquitaine-Basque Country Euro-
region
Goals The mainMissions are:
and aims of the EGTC
- Cooperate in a global and transversal manner
- Develop territorial cooperation
from a European perspective
-Heighten the visibility of the 2 regions in the
European arena
- Framework for cross-border relations
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8. Aquitaine-Basque Country Euro-
region
Goals and Missions
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9. Aquitaine-Basque Country Euro-
region
Goals and Missions
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10. Aquitaine-Basque Country Euro-
region
Governance
 Shared and multilevel governance
 The preparing of a Euro-region project
Decision-taking authorities is part of a democratic, participative and
 An ASSEMBLY of 20 members citizenperspective
appointed jointly between the
The EGTC will operate as a
two regions network and with consensus
 A bi-annual
PRESIDENCY, assumed
alternatively
 A 6-member EXECUTIVE
COMMITTEE made up jointly
 A DIRECTOR
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11. Aquitaine-Basque Country Euro-
region
What for?
 Consolidating cohesion
Regional planning
 Setting up an area for
networking and exchangeFrom
the Bordeaux, Pau, Bilbao, Vitoria  To achieve an attractive and
rhombus dynamic open space
 Setting up a collective project
Overcoming barriers
 Obtaining a significant place
in EuropeBeing heard individually
and together
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12. Aquitaine-Basque Country Euro-
region
What are its benefits?
 Size to be competitive Nearly
five and a half inhabitants.
 A new regional vision for
planning  A different dimension
 A framework to interact
Overcoming obstacles
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13. The Aquitaine-
Basque Country
Euro-region
Policy areas
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14. The Aquitaine-Basque Country
Euro-region
Policy areas
 Towards…
Improving communication between the two
regions, fostering environmentally-friendly passenger and
goods transport.
 2011: over 9,000 lorries a day
 Showcasing renewable energies
Developing R&D activities, to create a new social,
economic and technological dynamics
 Bihartean (2010)
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15. The Aquitaine-Basque Country
Euro-region
Policy areas
Promoting training and education through teacher and
student mobility.
 Euskampus Project.
Common work in areas linked to
agriculture, forestry, food and health with priority being
given to quality, denomination of origin, traceability and
development of environmentally-friendly agriculture
practices
 Health artistic and
 Reinforcingconvention cultural dynamics
 Showcasing all the tourist resources
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16. The Aquitaine-
Basque Country
Euro-region
2011-2013 Guidelines
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17. The Aquitaine-Basque Country
Euro-region
Priorities
The Euro-region has 4 major priorities
 Installation and implementation
 Call for projects: €900,000 (2012-2013)
 Working on sustainable mobility
 Structuring cross-border cooperation in the
region and coordinating with stakeholders
 2014-2020 Strategic Plan
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18. The Aquitaine-Basque Country
Euro-region
Location
The Aquitaine-Basque Country Euro-region EGTC
Rue Leku-Eder, Z.I.
Les Joncaux
64700 Hendaye (France)
www.aquitaine-euskadi.eu
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19. The Aquitaine-Basque Country
Euro-region
Thank you for your attention
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