Home page »  Organization

Background

On September 9, 1988, with the European Single Market on the horizon (January 1, 1993), the four member regions of the Four Motors for Europe - Baden-Württemberg, Catalunya, Lombardy and Rhône-Alpes - signed a cooperation agreement.

The two-fold aim was to bring an international dimension to these regions and their citizens while promoting the role of Europe's regions within a fledgling European Union.

Unhampered by a shared border or a permanent bureaucratic structure, the Four Motors is a flexible alliance, ahead of its time in terms of decentralized cooperation, which has proved capable of perpetuating its actions and forging solid links between the four member regions.

In practice

The Four Motors for Europe cooperation hinges on the principle of institutional flexibility. Each partner region takes it in turn to occupy the presidency for a one-year period. A Coordinating Committee meets three times a year in order to define and manage the concerted action approved by the Task Force.

Since 2007, the Four Motors for Europe has tailored its interregional strategy with a view to consolidating the economic, scientific and technological competitiveness of the four regions against a backdrop of global interdependence and the drive for sustainable development. To achieve this, dedicated working groups ("The Economy", "Higher Education and Research", "The Environment", "Education, Sport and Youth") launch and follow through joint projects.

> Virtual exchange platform of the Economic group

Frequently, the Four Motors for Europe invites other regions to participate in certain initiatives as associated regions; Flanders (Belgium), Wales (United Kingdom) and Malopolska (Poland) are key examples.