France-Spain Relations

[Gallop]

France and Spain, together for high-level naval cooperation

[Gallop]

Spanish-French scientific cooperation

France maintains a close research collaboration with Spain: it is currently its third largest scientific partner. This cooperation is based on bilateral agreements and links the main French research organizations with their Spanish counterparts (CEA/CSIC, CEA/CIEMAT, CNRS/CSIC, CNIO/Institut Curie, etc.).

Scientific exchanges between France and Spain

Several research initiatives associate French and Spanish teams: within the framework of numerous bilateral agreements established between institutions, these are European H2020 projects or other international projects in which both countries are involved. Horizon Europe is the European Union's new program for research and innovation (2021-2027).

Cooperation will also eventually become part of the "European Universities" program initiated by the European Commission, following a proposal by the French President.

Among the many calls for applications and projects proposed by France, there is the Make Our Planet Great Again (MOPGA) initiative, created in 2018 to finance the hosting of international students and researchers in France.

The Embassy's support for French research in Spain

The Scientific and University Department (PSU) of the French Embassy in Spain carries out numerous actions to promote the attractiveness and disseminate French scientific excellence: organization of conferences (in Madrid and other regions), establishment of contacts between researchers from both countries, participation in high-level meetings, support for cooperation projects.

This area proposes a call for projects every year in order to support scientific cooperation projects (in all fields) between our two countries. Many institutions have obtained support in Spain through this channel.

[Gallop]

Message from the dududud without coming to the point and without having had any mishap, what he perhaps ignored is that it would not affect me in the least.

"The Americans or Canadians have gotten into the head that being European is just being Germanic and that will be difficult to change, anyway the rest of Europe does not have to follow that pattern of thought because we have the global vision of the That is a European."

In France, Spaniard have a bad reputation, we don't like them because of their look and their arab mentality.

[French Rolland]

"In France, Spaniard have a bad reputation, we don't like them because of their look and their arab mentality."

Yes, that's why castillan is in head of learned languages in school with English. That a looot of french go to spain for their holidays and you can find tapas bar in almost every big city.

[Gallop]

Joint Declaration - XXVI Franco-Spanish Summit (Montauban, March 15, 2021)

Twenty-sixth Franco-Spanish Summit
Joint Declaration
in Montauban, March 15, 2021

The President of the French Republic and the President of the Spanish Government, meeting today in Montauban for the 26th Franco-Spanish Summit, have adopted the following joint declaration:

***

1. As friends, neighbors and allies, both on the European and international stage, Spain and France have developed a relationship of exceptional trust, nurtured by very close human ties.

2. On the occasion of this twenty-sixth Spanish-French Summit, our countries have celebrated the historical ties that unite them, including the memory of the more than 500,000 Republican refugees who left Spain after 1939 to settle in France, many of whom later contributed to its liberation. Our countries have undertaken common work in the great fields of the future: the ecological transition, the digital environment, but also the orderly management of migrations. Spain and France wish to strengthen their bilateral cooperation ties in the service of the prosperity, security and mobility of their citizens and have emphasized their support for a Europe that is more sovereign, more sustainable, more social and more resilient in the face of crises.

***

Our two countries solemnly reaffirm that their friendship and cooperation find their meaning in and for Europe. It is through active participation in a strong and united European Union that we will be able to respond to the concerns of our citizens, defend our values and interests, preserve the strategic autonomy of our economic and industrial choices, better control our supply chains, achieve the necessary ecological and digital transition of our economies and reinforce the cohesion of our societies.

4. Since the 2017 Spanish-French Summit, significant progress has been made in Europe, as seen in the decision to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, the adoption of a recovery plan, the subscription of a common loan or the reinforcement of our health cooperation. Wishing to contribute to strengthening the European project, Spain and France underline their desire to take an active part in the Conference on the future of Europe. This moment of democratic reflection is essential to enable the Union to respond to the challenges of the 21st century, to act to achieve a genuine project of European citizenship and to reinforce the feeling of common belonging.

5. In accordance with the commitments made in the framework of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals, Spain and France reaffirm their willingness to commit to ambitious environmental and climate results at COP15 in Kumming and at COP16 in Glasgow. This joint commitment will also translate into support for an ambitious implementation of the Green Pact, in particular the carbon adjustment mechanism at the Union's borders by 2023. We will carry out joint actions in favor of biodiversity and support the adoption of new European regulations to fight against imported deforestation, promote responsible corporate behavior, encourage the development of renewable energies and the promotion of energy efficiency, in particular through the modernization of the Energy Charter Treaty, in order to ensure its correspondence with the Paris Agreement.

6. Our two countries reiterate their continued commitment to the further development of electricity interconnections, which will strengthen the integration and greening of our respective energy matrices and accelerate the reduction of carbon in our economies. Electricity interconnections between Spain and France are essential for the proper functioning of high-voltage networks within the European Union.

7. Our countries wish to strengthen their cooperation in the digital transition and share the conviction that Europe has an essential role to play in strengthening our digital autonomy, particularly in cybersecurity. We share the vision of a secure, neutral and open cyberspace, thanks to investments in semiconductors and microprocessors, quantum computing, large critical equipment in high-performance computing, 5G, satellite communications, cloud computing and data storage and reuse. The digital autonomy of our countries and of Europe will also depend on the ability to regulate large platforms and networks and to achieve data sovereignty. Spain and France wish to limit the dissemination of harmful content and to create a regulated digital market that is conducive to innovation and fairer for all participants. We welcome the European Commission's initiative on services, digital markets and data governance. Both countries reaffirm their commitment to a global solution on international digital taxation and are prepared to move forward at the European level if a global solution is not found.

8. We reaffirm our determination to work towards the creation of a new system of international taxation for the 21st century, which is more equitable and more redistributive, adapted to the new models of the digital economy and which enables a transition towards the strategic objectives of sustainable competitiveness. The Next Generation EU recovery plan will be able to accompany the response to these two transitions and strengthen the resilience of our economies to the consequences of the health crisis. Our two countries will strive to coordinate the implementation of their recovery plans in order to preserve jobs, promote the creation of decent and quality employment, and invest in sectors with a future.

9. Spain and France welcome the Commission's proposal to maintain the general derogation clause of the Stability and Growth Pact and stress the importance of pursuing a budgetary policy in support of activity in order to ensure a sustainable and inclusive recovery.

Spain and France wish to work on strengthening the governance of the Economic and Monetary Union and on its deepening, in order to take better account of the evolution of the European and world economic situation and to ensure a permanent macroeconomic stabilization function. Our countries also underline the importance of continuing to deepen the Banking Union and to achieve the Capital Markets Union.

11. Our two countries commit themselves to accelerate the actions designed for the realization of quality cross-border connections in the Mediterranean and Atlantic corridors, as well as to promote the works in progress for the connection through the central Pyrenees.

12. Within the framework of a sustainable mobility policy, Spain and France welcome the resumption of activity on the Gijón-Nantes and Vigo-Nantes freeways of the sea and undertake to promote international rail transport, inter alia, by streamlining and accelerating the procedures for the authorization of rolling stock and personnel, which are necessary to enable free competition. In this respect, both countries reaffirm the need to continue promoting the activity carried out by the Franco-Spanish Observatory for traffic in the Pyrenees, as an instrument that has proved very useful for monitoring the evolution of mobility between the two countries and, consequently, for the effectiveness of the decisions adopted.

13. The resilience of our economies also implies the ability of the European Union to contribute to the creation of a new system of global economic governance, based on an ambitious and balanced trade agenda, with the WTO playing a central role, and to equip itself with a trade policy that contributes to its strategic autonomy, while maintaining an open economy, and that contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals and the objectives of the 2030 Agenda. Spain and France want a level playing field between European companies and those of third countries, through the creation of European instruments guaranteeing fair access to public sector contracts to fight against coercive or extraterritorial practices by certain partners and against the effects of foreign subsidies within the internal market. We also share the conviction that the multilateral trade framework must be modernized by reforming the World Trade Organization, in particular by providing a long-term solution to the current crisis in its dispute settlement system and modernizing its procedural rules, in order to meet the challenges of digital trade and environmental, social and health challenges, including respect for the Paris Agreement.

14. In the context of the serious health crisis we are going through, our two countries will continue to coordinate their strategies to fight the Covid-19 epidemic and will work to establish a true Europe of health, which requires: strengthening EU resilience to serious cross-border health threats; a pharmaceutical strategy for Europe, to fight against shortages of medicines and medical devices; an industrial strategy in the field of health, ensuring the autonomy of the European strategy; a long-term European approach to public health challenges, including better digital health coordination at European level; European support for WHO reform.

15. We need to continue to protect the elderly, the most vulnerable, as well as women and young people. We call for a recovery that focuses on people, decent and quality jobs, labor rights and social protection, and ensures that no one is left behind. Welcoming the work done by the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Spain and France wish to contribute to the success of the Porto social summit on May 7 and 8, 2021, by strengthening their involvement in the European social agenda and for the implementation of the European pillar of social rights and its action plan 2021-2025. A Europe that protects is a social Europe that guarantees the right of all to education, training and lifelong, inclusive and quality learning; that guarantees a decent minimum wage for all, favors wage transparency to achieve real and effective equality between women and men in the workplace, guarantees a fair legal framework for platform workers. To this end, social dialogue must be encouraged at all levels, and the fight against poverty - in particular child poverty - must be strengthened, as well as the fight against social exclusion through effective mechanisms such as minimum income schemes. We call upon the European Commission and the other Member States to mobilize generally for the youth of Europe, in particular through the reinforced European Youth Guarantee.

16. France and Spain commit themselves to implement the European Consumer Agenda, collaborating in particular in the defense of the rights of the consumers.

17. Our countries reiterate their willingness to support the cultural and creative sectors, which have suffered greatly from the health crisis, in particular through their national recovery plans. Exchanges will continue to take place to work towards the creation of European support mechanisms for creators. The increasing digitization of culture makes a harmonized application of European directives on copyright and audiovisual works indispensable. We will work for the regulation of platforms and their fair participation in the creation and remuneration of cultural content.

18. Spain and France reiterate their support for the preservation of the free movement of persons within the Schengen area, in particular by ensuring the coordination and proportionality of decisions relating to internal European borders. Their maintenance must be ensured through modern and efficient management of external border controls, improved Schengen governance and strengthened police cooperation. Cooperation in the fight against terrorism remains a common priority.

19. Building on the good results achieved so far, both countries undertake to continue to work together to minimize the impact that special situations may have on the free movement of goods across the Pyrenees. In this regard, they undertake to continue to support the Community initiative of the "green lanes" and to coordinate positions with a view to the European Union's Mobility Strategy.

22. Since the last Summit in 2017, the Member States have decided to strengthen European Defense both from an operational and capability development point of view. Permanent structured cooperation, the European Defense Fund and the European Peace Facility are the pillars of a Europe capable of assuming more responsibilities and acting more autonomously. A stronger European Union in security and defense will be an asset for its global partners. The strategic compass will set a course for 2030: stronger missions and operations, a more resilient Europe in industrial and technological matters, guaranteed free access to contested strategic spaces - maritime, cyber, air, space - in the face of persistent or worsening threats and increasingly determined competitors. We have already begun to act within this framework, such as our joint participation in the coordinated maritime presence in the Gulf of Guinea, and ambitious partnerships with our traditional allies and our partners in Africa and the Indo-Pacific. Our two presidencies of the Council of the European Union will be the occasion to adopt the compass and to ensure the follow-up of its implementation.

23. Strengthening the capacity of Europeans to defend their interests in a sovereign manner, and the means they devote to it, will make a decisive contribution to the strength and cohesion of the transatlantic and NATO. Our countries support the strategic reflection addressed at the London Summit and will work together in preparation for the next NATO Summit, whose Allied Heads of State and Government will set the parameters for the adaptation of the Alliance to current and future challenges.Moreover, Spain and France are fully aware of the importance of a revitalization of the transatlantic link to respond to the deterioration of the security context and to meet common challenges.

In addition, the health crisis has demonstrated the ability of the Spanish and French armed forces to adapt quickly to new operational requirements. In this context, our two countries are committed to developing a process of lessons learned from this crisis to strengthen the resilience of the European Union, in particular in the framework of the first congress on military medicine of the Union to be organized by Spain before the end of the year.

25. In the field of armaments, in which Spain and France are already partners in the framework of numerous major programs (Tiger, A400M, Eurodrone, NGWS/FCAS, ESSOR...), our two countries will continue to collaborate actively to implement the partnerships initiated, which are essential to meet the needs of our armies and to strengthen Europe's defense industrial and technological base, currently put to the test by the health crisis we are experiencing. Spanish-French cooperation will also be strengthened in other technological fields, such as software-defined radio. This cooperation, on existing and yet to be developed elements, will increase the interoperability of our Forces and will further strengthen the collaboration between the industries of both countries.

26. In the framework of the Sahel coalition, and as a follow-up to the N'Djamena Summit, our two countries will maintain an excellent level of cooperation on the ground, similar to Spain's continued and consistent support to the Barkhane operation. The implementation of the Sahel forces remains our common priority, in particular our commitment to the European training mission EUTM Mali, which is led by Spain, and our determination to support European initiatives in the Sahel. Spain and France are also setting an example in terms of stabilizing and reinforcing the capacities of internal security forces in the Sahel, highlighting the success of the GAR SI Sahel project, in which the Spanish Civil Guard and the French Gendarmerie are involved, and supporting its continuation. Under the impetus of the Spanish presidency of its General Assembly, the Sahel Alliance and its members are committed to concentrate their efforts on the most fragile areas, accompanying the action of the G5 Sahel countries.

27. Spain and France share a keen interest in the development and prosperity of their southern neighborhood and are committed to playing a shared leadership role in the process of revitalizing relations between the European Union and its southern partners within the framework of the European Neighborhood Policy. Both countries advocate within the European Union the promotion of these relations and the increase of their political weight through the deepening of the dialogue with our southern partners. In this regard, they have undertaken to implement the new agenda for the Mediterranean.

28. Spain and France pay particular attention to strengthening their relations with Latin America as strategic partners. Our countries also wish to adopt, on the basis of a framework document, an ambitious, open, inclusive and cooperative European Union strategy for the Indo-Pacific.

[Gallop]

***

29. The twenty-sixth Franco-Spanish summit was an appropriate occasion for:

Sign the Convention on nationality between the French Republic and the Kingdom of Spain, which constitutes a decisive step in our common history, giving nationals of both countries the possibility of acquiring the nationality of the other State, which will facilitate the daily lives of thousands of our fellow citizens.
Reaffirm our commitment to collaborate on economic recovery, the Recovery and Resilience Plans and the promotion of Europe's industrial, technological and digital autonomy through the development of industrial projects, including major projects of common European interest (PIICE) in areas such as electronics and connectivity, and Cloud storage.Convinced of the important role that hydrogen will play in the decarbonization of industry and the heavy mobility sector, Spain and France are committed to working together to promote and develop this area.
Sign the statement of intent regarding the promotion of sustainable fuels for aviation, in order to intensify joint efforts to develop capabilities conducive to the supply of sustainable fuels in the field of aviation.
Reaffirm the importance of bilateral cooperation in the agricultural and agri-food fields, particularly in plant and animal health, as well as in the wine and fruit and vegetable sectors. Continue to put forward common positions at the European level on the future of the CAP and the Farm to Fork Strategy.
Strengthen cooperation between our internal security services to fight vigorously against terrorism, which has hit our countries particularly hard, by promoting joint investigations and common projects, such as the joint investigation team against terrorism in Niger or the project for a Franco-Spanish police unit on the border. We will continue to collaborate and coordinate in the fight against organized crime, drug trafficking and illegal immigration networks, both bilaterally and at the European and international levels. We will also continue our coordination on projects in Africa and Latin America.
Strengthen the exchange of information for the identification, seizure and confiscation of assets resulting from criminal acts, through the cooperation of judicial authorities, in line with the declaration of the Ministers of Justice.
On October 7, 1983, Spain and France signed a cooperation agreement in the field of defense. In view of developments in the strategic context and in relations between the two countries, Spain and France have agreed to revise its content and to include in it their common desire to strengthen cooperation in the field of common security and defense policy. In particular, the aim is to reinforce our common response to new threats, particularly hybrid threats, to protect strategic flows, to defend our freedom of action in contested strategic areas (maritime, air, space, cyber) and to strengthen the already intense cooperation between our armed forces. In this regard, our countries will soon be organizing a Franco-Spanish Defense and Security Council in the form of a defense and security
Spanish Defense and Security Council in defense format (CFEDS), which will also provide an opportunity to update the roadmap established at the last edition of the Council in 2013.
To deepen cross-border health cooperation, especially to facilitate, on both sides of the border, the free provision of medical services by French and Spanish health professionals and the immediate recognition of their qualifications, in order to reinforce at the European level the unique hospital model of the binational Franco-Spanish hospital of Puigcerdá and its attractiveness, as well as to define the modalities of cross-border cooperation in terms of emergency health care, on the basis of the common premises already assumed.

Reinforce bilateral cooperation in the labor field, with the common objective of strengthening the social dimension of the EU and reinforcing cooperation between the respective labor inspectorates in the area of cross-border employment, with the aim of combating fraud and job insecurity, as well as improving the conditions of posted workers.
Continue to harmonize the educational systems of both countries in accordance with the modifications of the agreement signed regarding the Bachibac. Reinforce knowledge of Spanish and French language and culture by developing curricula of linguistic and cultural excellence (binational bachibac sections, Spanish international sections and French-speaking bilingual sections); establish channels of cooperation between French professional campuses and Spanish vocational training centers to facilitate the recognition of skills acquired by students in their studies abroad; facilitate the incorporation of new students in French and Spanish universities; and encourage the mobility of university professors and students.
Continue the work of recovering the memory of our common history, initiated with the implementation of the bilateral agreement of April 24, 2006 concerning the archives of the Spanish civil war, exile, resistance and deportation. Work together to take advantage of the enormous value of the historical archives of the Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons on the Spanish refugee population, as well as to reactivate cooperation in this field based on the recent work carried out in France.
Create a Bilateral Commission for the organization of events related to the work and life of Pablo Picasso, the Franco-Spanish embodiment of our European history, with a view to the commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of his death in 2023.
To welcome the dialogue established between the business organizations CEOE and Medef, and their willingness to organize a business forum in parallel to the forthcoming summits, and to recognize the work of the official chambers of commerce.

***
30. On the occasion of this twenty-sixth summit, Spain and France, which have a long-standing friendship that continues to be forged on a daily basis thanks to the intense human, cultural, political and economic exchanges between our countries, have expressed their desire to further deepen their bilateral relations, within the framework and in the service of the construction of Europe.

31. Because of its concrete dimension for many of our fellow citizens, cross-border cooperation constitutes one of the foundations of our bilateral relationship. Joint efforts will be made to define a cross-border strategy between the two countries.

32. Within the framework of their European commitment, our countries share many common interests and express their will to strengthen, through greater coordination, their cooperation and convergence. To this end, Spain and France have resolved to initiate the necessary work for the signature of a bilateral Franco-Spanish cooperation treaty.

https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/es/fi...ban-15-03-2021

[Gallop]

Sánchez and Macron sign the agreement that will allow French-Spanish dual nationality

Nearly 350,000 Spaniards in France and some 160,000 French nationals residing in Spain could benefit from the measure



The President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez, and the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, have signed an agreement between their countries that will allow dual nationality. In this way, Spaniards will not have to renounce their nationality if they wish to obtain French nationality, as was the case until now.

No privileges for obtaining nationality
The objective is to stop requiring citizens of both countries to renounce their nationality of origin when acquiring the nationality of the other party. No privileged ways of access to nationality are envisaged, nor a reduction in the number of years for obtaining Spanish nationality by residence, which will remain at ten years for French citizens.

https://www.rtve.es/noticias/2021031.../2082353.shtml

[Gallop]

King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain traveled to the French capital to meet with Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte despite the outbreak of the coronavirus. The most commented gesture was the greeting between the two couples, since due to the pandemic that is sweeping the world, they are forbidden to shake hands and the French president greeted the kings with a "Namaste", a prevention measure for Covid-19.