The Role of Regional Cross-border Cooperation between France and Germany in the Ecological Transition Implementation

An environmental agenda is getting increasingly important for international cooperation. Since France and Germany have a common border area in the most industrially developed region of Europe, they both share an interest in effective cross-border cooperation to boost the ecological transition. However, the question of the impact of transboundary cooperation on sustainable development and its limitation in the region is currently not answered. The objective of the research is to investigate the ways cross-border cooperation in the Franco-German border area influences environmental-related activities. To the aim, a case study research design will be applied as well as the networks analysis to indicate key features of the cooperation system within the Rhine Valley. The study illustrates that although Franco-German cross-border environmental cooperation contributes to the ecological transition, it has serious limitations in issues affecting national interests, where at the moment both countries are not willing to make concessions.