Activities

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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At the invitation of the Honorary Consul Michael Mack, the winners of the state award in the French solo category and the members of the Baden-Württemberg state jury of the Federal Foreign Languages Competition gathered in Europa-Park on 12th September 2020.

In order to make learning French in Baden-Württemberg’s schools more attractive, the Honorary Consul Michael Mack decided to give additional awards to those students who took the first three places in the state foreign language competition in the ‘Solo’ category for the school year 2019/2020. He invited the winners and their families to Europa-Park for Alsace Day.
At the invitation of Michael Mack, the judges for the state of Baden-Württemberg for the federal foreign language competition also visited the park on the same day. In cooperation with the Director of Studies Paolo Vetrano, State Representative of the Federal Foreign Languages Competition, their meeting took place in the French quarter of Europa-Park. Everyone involved, including award-winning students, enjoyed a lively exchange of views in the relaxed park atmosphere. We wish you all a successful start to the new school year. À très bientôt!

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Many guests from Germany and France attended Michael Macks’ Consular reception on the French national holiday.

Michael Mack organised the Consular reception on 10^th July 2020 at Europa-Park in Rust for the French national holiday. The aim was to show the Honorary Consul’s friendship and affection for the country, especially after the borders between Germany and France had been closed for three months due to the Coronavirus pandemic. It was for this reason that guests from various professional backgrounds were invited to the reception. Politicians, scientists, doctors, entrepreneurs and key players in the realm of civil society from the Consular district of Freiburg & Tübingen and France gathered on the terrace of Balthasar Castle, alongside the representatives of French citizens residing in Germany. After the Honorary Consul Mack, Catherine Veber, Consul General from Stuttgart, and Volker Schebesta, State Secretary in the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport Baden-Württemberg,welcomed the guests. Their speeches were accompanied by music from the Franco-German choir from Freiburg.
In addition, videos by MackMedia were broadcast, including a video on Franco-German friendship that was created for French national holiday together with numerous prominent personalities from both banks of the Rhine. The video message from Jean-Michel Marsal from Mulhouse was particularly touching. The life of the Covid-19 patient was saved thanks to a collaboration of doctors from Alsace and Freiburg, and so he ended his message with a proclamation of ‘Vive la friendship!’.

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Michael Mack welcomed the participants of the Franco-German transport conference.

On 13^th July 2020, a transport conference for the representatives of the German and French municipalities and economytook place at Europa-Park in Rust. It was organised by the Bundestag member Peter Weiß and his French parliamentary colleague Antoine Herth. Both are members of the Franco-German Parliamentary Assembly. 

In addition to cross-border transport projects such as the Rhine Valley Railway, new rail connections and public bus routes between France and Germany, the networking of bike connections and tourism networking were also discussed. The results of this discussion should be presented at a joint meeting of the transport committees from the two countries. 

In his welcoming address, Honorary Consul Michael Mack emphasised that for Europa-Park, of which he is the Managing Partner, the further expansion of the transport infrastructure between Alsace and Baden is important not only for economic reasons, but also to promote cultural and political integration.

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Brigitte Klinkert, President of the Haut-Rhin Department Council, visited the Honorary Consul Michael Mack after the German-French border reopened.

On 22nd June 2020, a week after the German-French border reopened, the French Honorary Consul Michael Mack received Ms. Brigitte Klinkert, President of the Haut-Rhin Department Council. During the Coronavirus crisis, the two of them worked very hard to maintain Franco-German cooperation. For this reason, the main topic of their meeting was the continuation of the projects of cooperation between the Department of Haut-Rhin and the consular district of Freiburg & Tübingen, such as the Post-Fessenheim Plan and the construction of the Freiburg-Colmar railway line. Immediately following this, Brigitte Klinkert was appointed ‘ministre déléguée’ for integration measures at the beginning of July. Michael Mack congratulated her on this new position.

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Michael Mack took part in the reopening of the German-French border.

The ceremony to reopen the German-French border took place on 15th June 2020 at the Centre for European Consumer Protection in Kehl. In addition to the French Honorary Consul Michael Mack, there were also numerous public figures from both countries who are committed to maintaining and strengthening Franco-German relations during the Corona crisis. Their common message is: “The Rhine is no longer a border!”
In the period from mid-March to mid-June 2020, when the border between the two countries was closed, the French Honorary Consulate in Freiburg stood with French and German citizens and offered help and information. 295 emails and 172 calls were processed, sometimes on weekends or outside of normal working hours. The calls from other parts of Germany were not uncommon. Most of the inquiries, of course, related to the regulations for managing the spread of Coronavirus in France and Germany, and the easiest way to get across the border.

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