Founded in Geneva in 1996 in association with the Council of Europe, FEDRE(www.fedre.org)has always focused on cross-border regions. In 2023, it formed a partnership with Crédit Agricole next bank to study the border effect in the regions surrounding Switzerland. Following Issue 1, which addressed food aid; Issue 2, which examined challenges in the healthcare sector; Issue 3, which presented a vital topic for our regions—water; Issue 4, which focused on culture; Issue 5, which tackled the sensitive issue of who compensates cross-border workers for unemployment; Issue 6 focused on the idea of a cross-border resident card,the next issue analyzed sustainable mobility in cross-border urban areas, Issue 8 was devoted to the European aspects of cross-border cooperation, Issue 9 to the diversity of tax systems for cross-border workers, Issue 10 to the difference between Switzerland and its neighbors in counting the unemployed, Issue 11 on the planning of sustainable transport infrastructure in border agglomerations, Issue 12 on the contribution of culture to a common cross-border identity, Issue 13 on the growing importance of border phenomena and the transformation of the role of borders, Issue 14 on the role of sports in cross-border relations, Issue 15 on democracy in cross-border regions, and here is Issue 16, dedicated to cross-border forest resources.
Just like the water (Newsletter3) that nourishes them and that they protect from heat and drought, trees know no borders. As essential components of our regions and powerful drivers of a sustainable economy, both water and forests are subject to the vagaries of climate change. Forest resources must also play a more prominent role in the framework of a cross-border economy focused on short supply chains. Developments in this direction are beginning to emerge. Let’s look at a few examples…
Greater Geneva is considering it…
TheCross-Border Territorial Visionfor 2050 for the so-called “Greater Geneva” metropolitan area ” (2,000km²) devotes a few paragraphs to forest resources but does not go into detail, despite some interesting observations, such as noting that forested areas “cover an average of 42% of the watershed,” though “their presence is limited to 10% within the heart of the metropolitan area” itself.
The report also includes this idea, which is inspiring but still lacks a concrete plan of action to bring it to fruition: “Peripheral areas, especially those at higher elevations, are occupied by coniferous trees capable of yielding a large quantity of lumber that could enable the construction of half (sic) of the housing needed in Geneva” (Main Report, p. 53). As we can see, the language used in the text remains purely descriptive, with no clear intentions or even a minimally developed implementation strategy in sight. That will surely come…
… the Jura Arc has joined in
The Jura Arc forest covers an area of 8,650km², or 40% of the total territory in question. Its estimated volume is around 270 millionm³.Weare gradually learning to manage it in a cross-border manner that could prove useful elsewhere, whether in Geneva or Basel, which lie at its two ends, which would justify developing mutually beneficial exchanges of experience.
The sector as a whole accounts for 24,500 jobs (10,200 in the core sector), spread across forestry, sawmilling, structural timber fabrication, packaging, panel and product manufacturing, the paper and cardboard industry, and construction. All these activities involve approximately 6,700 companies, nearly all of which (92%) employ fewer than 10 people. A study on the forestry and wood industry published in January 2025 by the Cross-Border Statistical Office of the Jura Arc (OSTAJ) reports that nearly 4 millionm³are harvested each year, mainly softwoods, of which 1 millionm³ areprocessed by local companies, with two-thirds on the French side and one-third on the Swiss side, where the facilities are smaller.
The Franco-Swiss Jura Arc, whose binational institutions date back to 1985, periodically organizes workshops for stakeholders in the forestry and timber industry to discuss responses to the impact of climate change on various tree species and, consequently, on the sector’s economy. In particular, consideration should be given to planting new species, both in lowland and highland areas, to anticipate rising temperatures. It is also important to explore ways to raise public awareness of these issues and developments. The last two workshops of this type took place in November 2023 in the French department of Jura, and then in June 2024 in Val-de-Ruz (canton of Neuchâtel) on the Swiss side.
Don't overlook cross-border resources
In no field is a cross-border approach a magic bullet that will magically solve all problems! However, we must be careful not to overlook it in favor of more traditional solutions, which in certain circumstances may prove less rational. Take, for example, theBois Suisse label, a certification of origin created in 2019 that guarantees that harvested wood comes from sustainably managed forests, that it is subject to quality control and supports regional jobs, and finally, that care has been taken to limit transport distances and environmental impacts.
All of this is commendable and should be encouraged, but it also needs to be adapted to different contexts. When a sawmill operates near a border—in Geneva or the Vaud Jura, for example—does it make sense for it to systematically favor Swiss wood that may come from the other side of the country (Graubünden or St. Gallen) rather than wood that could be found in sufficient quantities just across the border, a few kilometers away? Sustainable development and the fight against global warming would not suffer as a result, and this argues for reasonable choices that take geographical situations more clearly into account, bearing in mind that two-thirds of Swiss cantons border another country.