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Europe and International
An international calling
Alsace, situated at the heart of the Rhineland, is a territory, the true centre of gravity of Europe. The very facts of its communication resources and the quality of its social relations give it an international calling, anchored in an exceptional cultural tradition wide open to European modernity.
The Central European Market: A market of 400 million inhabitants
If we consider the countries of the European Union and those of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), Alsace is situated at the centre of gravity of one of the largest markets in the world. This market covers 18 countries, numbers 400 million inhabitants, and is rapidly expanding to the east. Alsace is not only an integral part of the "Great European Dorsal" which runs from London to Milan via Frankfurt but is also part of a veritable Euroregion: "The Upper Rhine Area". This trinational entity brings together the Southern Palatinate and Land Baden Württemberg in Germany, Alsace in France and north west Switzerland, i.e. 6,000,000 inhabitants, a working population of 2,200,000 and one of the highest population densities in Europe.
Alsace and Europe: Prestigious European and international institutions
Strasbourg, the second most important diplomatic centre in France, with 32 consulates and permanent representations, shares with New York and Geneva the distinction of hosting numerous international institutions without being a capital city. The seat of the European Parliament, the Council of Europe, and the European Court of Human Rights, Alsace is also home to the European Science Foundation, the headquarters of Eurocorps, and research and education hubs such as the Human Frontier Science Programme Organisation (HFSPO), the International Space University (ISU), the European television broadcaster ARTE, Eurimages, and so on.
The main priorities underpinning the policy advocated by Region Alsace
The international policies of Region Alsace are oriented towards cross-border cooperation, interregional and transnational cooperation, and the development cooperation associated with humanitarian aid.
The main objectives of cross-border cooperation are the fulfilment of concrete projects in the fields of training, tourism and culture, economic development, not to mention protection of the environment, which is not merely a national concern.
Interregional cooperation is a blanket term which takes in all of the relationships that Region Alsace maintains with foreign regions, whether or not they are part of the EU (e.g. Lower Silesia in Poland or Jiangsu in China).
Furthermore, the Region plays an active role in transnational cooperation through the Interreg B North West Europe and Alpine Space programmes.
last update : 11.12.2008