Activities

The beauty pageant is widely followed and covered by the media in France (more than 7 million viewers each year). Cécile Wolfrom from Strasbourg was able to show her attachment to Alsace and present herself as a worthy ambassador of her homeland.

Even though the theme park was not new to her, she was very impressed by the quality of the animations and by the ambience of Europa-Park, which had been specially arranged for the winter season.

Cécile Wolfrom enjoyed exchanging ideas with Michael Mack about the countless riches of the beautiful border region.

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Frédéric Bierry, President of the Alsace European Region, has set himself the goal of visiting the Alsatians in all of their 40 cantons. He wants to deal with the elected representatives of the people, representatives of the associations, residents, companies, public service providers and the care infrastructure of the region in order to hear their ideas, their wishes and to record their projects.

A meeting was also organised in Plobsheim, a municipality with 4,500 inhabitants in the south of the Eurometropolis of Strasbourg, to present two major projects being developed in the region: the Kempferhof Golf Club and the construction of the Mack NeXT company premises, a subsidiary of Mack International Group (owner of Europa-Park).

The conversation offered the opportunity to on one hand sound out the interests of the participants and on the other hand to emphasise the complementary nature of these two projects, as both care about the outstanding attractiveness and the special quality of the Alsatian region.

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Mr Julien Koegler, 33 years old, farmer and President of the Young Farmers of the Bas-Rhin, was accompanied by his deputy, Mr Thierry Wendling.

After an overview of the current health situation and its economic consequences on both sides of the Rhine, this exchange offered the opportunity to talk about major development projects in the cross-border region. An improved Rhine crossing, through the conversion of a bridge for buses, bicycles and pedestrians between Gerstheim and Schwanau (Germany), was seen as an important measure that was to be promoted as a matter of priority.

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Capentreprendre, based in Forbach an der Mosel, brings project developers and entrepreneurs together and offers them the opportunity to examine the size, special features and ultimately the feasibility of their projects. Capentreprendre accompanies and trains young entrepreneurs to enable them to set up their own paid roles under the umbrella of the cooperative association, with the aim of contributing to the social and economic well-being of the region.

In the presence of Christophe Arend, French MP and President of the French Office of the Franco-German Parliamentary Assembly, and a Franco-German Friendship Group, the young entrepreneurs faced a series of questions and answers and also had the opportunity to attend a presentation from the Europa-Park family business about how it works. This was certainly an enriching visit, which was able to deepen and expand the student’s knowledge in the context of their professional career.

More information: http://www.capentreprendre.fr

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Due to its location on the France-Germany border in the Quartier du Port du Rhin in Strasbourg, the Kapelle der Begegnung (chapel of encounters) is intended to help strengthen social cohesion in this area, which is currently undergoing major restructuring, and to strengthen and intensify Franco-German relations. Built as a sign of reconciliation after the Second World War, this chapel represents a mindset and history that the two churches (EKIBA-Protestant Church in Baden, and UEPAL – Union of Protestant Churches of Alsace and Lorraine) through their representatives (Dr. Jochen Cornelius- Bundschuh and Christian Albecker) wish to revive today.

A large call for donations to finance the construction work, which began in spring 2021, was launched so that the project can become a symbolic meeting place between French and Germans, but also between people of different origins and religions.

Additional Information: https://www.paroissebordsdurhin.eu/

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Like other large French and German companies, Europa-Park wanted to take part in the ‘Franco-German Voices of Young People’ project, based on a large-scale citizen survey of young people: https://www.soscisurvey.de/consultation_france-deutschland/
A great opportunity for French and German teenagers to make their voice heard! 

The initiative is under the high patronage of the presidents of the Franco-German friendship groups of the National Assembly and the German Bundestag (Mr. Christophe Arend and Mr. Gunther Krichbaum). The aim is to build a bridge between the two countries, and to develop and implement ideas. After analysing the information collected, a feedback phase is organised in the National Assembly to start implementing the ideas received. There will also be joint events in several French and German areas.

The survey is open to all young people between the ages of 16 and 30, and participation is possible until 30^th July 2021.
https://www.ffa-dff.org/files/2021/re%CC%80glement%20F%20duree.pdf

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Invited by the Franco-German Committee for Cross-Border Cooperation (AGZ), Ms. Anne-Marie Descôtes, French Ambassador in Berlin, was received by Toni Vetrano, the mayor of the city of Kehl, and had the opportunity to exchange views with Mr. Michael Mack.

The city of Kehl is an important engine of European cooperation and is the location of the headquarters of several important Franco-German organisations, such as the Euro Institute, Infobest or the European Consumer Centre, as well as the Joint Secretariat of the Upper Rhine Conference. The visit was about the partnership between various structures of German-French cooperation, with many current topics, such as the problems of commuters and the expected consequences of the current health crisis, being discussed. The Ambassador recognised the key role played by these structures and the committee in strengthening the transnational links between France and Germany, which are now more necessary than ever to make Europe tangible and useful for its citizens. On the evening of the start of the conference on the future of Europe, on 9^th May in Strasbourg, the ambassador’s visit to Kehl was therefore of great importance.

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The Franco-German Discovery Day was launched in 2006 on the initiative of the French and German governments, giving schoolchildren from both countries an insight into the Franco-German working world. This offer is open to all young people, especially those who have limited access to international exchange programs. The initiative aims to arouse interest in young people regarding in the language and culture of the other country.

More than a quarter of the 5000 employees at Europa-Park are French citizens. Many of the current projects are oriented towards France; Franco-German friendship was an important concern of the Mack family from the very beginning of the foundation of their company.

A discussion forum was created in digital format together with a BTS class (Brevet de Technicien Supérieur – technical training class) at the René Cassin-Gymnasium in Strasbourg, in which numerous questions about the organisation of the company and human resources in a Franco-German context were discussed.  The pupils and their teachers then had the opportunity to learn further detailed information from the representatives of Europa-Park in a question-and-answer session.

Further information: http://www.ofaj.org/programmes-formations/journee-decouverte.html

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As a priority measure of the Aachen Treaty, the AGZ is intended to support and strengthen cooperation at the borders by offering concrete solutions to the difficulties that the residents of the border regions may face in their daily lives, especially in the areas of transport, employment, healthcare and development.

Composed of representatives from the state, the regional authorities close to the border (states, border regions and departments, Eurodistricts) and parliamentarians from both countries, the work program of the AGZ moves within the subject areas of economy/energy/environment, transport infrastructure and education.

The exchange of views was therefore focused on the institutions that are active at the Franco-German level and on the most important structural reforms currently being planned (transport infrastructure, education and training systems, cultural policy), but also on the administrative constraints that companies face and want to develop further on the other side of the Rhine, as well as the inadequacies of Rheinish integration during the extraordinary context of the COVID-19 crisis.

Additional Information: https://www.agz-cct.eu/agz-cct-de

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With its 47-strong team (including 27 lawyers), the Centre for European Consumer Protection handles 18,000 cross-border complaints per year. It thus offers a range of free and specialised services for consumers in the border region, particularly in the areas of tourism, electronic commerce, the automotive industry, real estate and services.

The EVZ played a major role in the COVID-19 crisis and provided the residents of the border regions with practical and up-to-date information about the respective regulations on both sides of the Rhine.

As this crisis had a subsequent direct impact on cross-border workers and the social climate in German companies, the unequal treatment (‘double taxation’ of cross-border workers) with regard to short-time work benefits (‘KUG’) among French and German workers was the focus of the exchange between the honorary consul and the representatives of the ZEV.

Additional Information: http://www.cec-zev.eu

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