Five years of the Aachen Treaty
Germany and France signed the Aachen Treaty on 22 January 2019. The agreement has strengthened a partnership that has been close for decades.
For decades, France has been Germany’s key partner in Europe. The signing of the Élysée Treaty on 22 January 1963 marked a milestone in the reconciliation and close cooperation between the two neighbouring countries. The Aachen Treaty of 2019 is the follow-up to this historic agreement - in 2024, the two countries will be celebrating its fifth anniversary.
What is the significance of the Aachen Treaty of 2019?
Just how important the agreement is for Franco-German cooperation is illustrated by the way it is linked directly to the forward-looking Élysée Treaty. Exactly 56 years after the latter was signed, the then German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron signed the “Treaty on Franco-German Cooperation and Integration” at Aachen City Hall on 22 January 2019. The friendship agreement was intended to raise relations to a “new level” and prepare for challenges “that both states and Europe were facing in the 21st. century.”
What is governed by the Aachen Treaty?
The agreement aimed to deepen cooperation in various areas. The states agreed among other things to liaise more closely in the area of European policy, to deepen their cooperation in defence and security policy in particular, and to expand partnerships between Europe and Africa. The two governments also wanted to promote greater integration in the border regions. In the area of education, it was decided to simplify the recognition of school qualifications and to promote Franco-German degree courses.
How has Franco-German cooperation evolved since 2019?
According to the Federal Foreign Office, the majority of the 15 priority projects that were adopted in 2019 have now been implemented. These include, for example, a Franco-German Citizens’ Fund, which funds projects aimed at strengthening European civil society. To foster integration in the border regions between Germany and France, a Cross-Border Cooperation Committee was created with a view to identifying and removing obstacles to cross-border cooperation and coexistence. Germany and France cooperate closely on defence and security policy, as provided for in the Aachen Treaty.
In addition, new initiatives are launched time and again to further expand the close partnership between Germany and France. On 22 January 2023, for example, to mark the 60th anniversary of the Élysée Treaty, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron launched the network “Generation Europe. Young German and French Professionals” in Paris. Each year, funding is provided to support a group of around 20 young people who form a network to promote Franco-German relations for one year.
