Page: BELVAL
Printed: 09.10.2010 03:44:51 PM
Website: http://www.adielor.com/zone/focus/us/belval.php?s_lg=us
Cross-border synergy to develop the North of the Lorraine region
> BELVALThe ambitious Belval development project undertaken by the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is right on the French border. So straight away representatives of the State and its regional and departmental partners understood that this was an unparalleled opportunity to revitalise the North of the Lorraine region, which had suffered greatly through the recession in the steel industry and the recent closing of plants."This is a programme of development taking place over fifteen to twenty years which aims to transform the former Arbed waste land in Belval into a new economic and knowledge transfer centre", explained the Prefect of the region. In the middle of the Alzette basin, so only a stone's throw from Audun-le-Tiche, Villerupt and Micheville, any development taking place on just one side of the border is unthinkable.
Last May, the CIADT authorised Prefect Hagelsteen to enter into discussions with the Luxembourg authorities. He was also given the task of organising wide-ranging discussion and of coming up with a shared vision of the development project, emphasising features which are complementary to the Luxembourg programme. The Prime Minister confirmed this authorisation in a letter of authority and a cross-border working group was set up. Its mission is to organise cooperation on the various issues and problems raised by the Belval project.
Opening up
Above all it is a matter of ensuring accessibility from France to the whole Belval development site, at the same time providing access to the Alzette area. So the Conseil Général de Moselle (Moselle General Council) decided to build a new road based on the rotary intersection project located to the south of Belval, which will provide a diversion from Audun-le-Tiche.
As for the Conseil Général de Meurthe-et-Moselle (Meurthe-et-Moselle General Council), it has decided to come up with a route which will extend this diversion towards the A30 motorway. So Villerupt will be bypassed and Belval will be connected to the main road network on the French side. The cooperation between the State and the General Councils and the Regional Council has produced a project and there will be a public enquiry on it in the first quarter of 2004.
Three options
Carried out by Ernst and Young in cooperation with the authorities in question and the economic world, a study has already thrown up some broad outlines. First of all it is a matter of working on a large-scale urban project , which should boost the living environment in the Alzette area which goes from Differdange (Luxembourg) to Thil (France). The creation of a business park in the Alzette basin near Belval-Ouest would offer business property to investors looking to stay close to Belval. More widely still, our neighbours' programme should lead to joint discussions leading to a cross-border development project for the whole of the north of the Lorraine region, from Longwy to Thionville.
The State's economic role
In economic terms, the State's role is first of all to promote industrial and technological development and to encourage innovation. It uses direct aid packages to do this. In the future these will become the prerogative of the Regional Council once decentralisation has borne fruit. Even so the State is not pulling out altogether. Rather it will be concentrating on anticipating economic changes and long-term economic development. Recessions will continue to be monitored at both departmental and regional levels. The Lorraine industrialisation fund will allow work on long-term economic planning in Lorraine.
Sources: Républicain Lorrain Publiscopie, 11th December 2003
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