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Professor Hildegard Schneider
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Recently, world politics seem to be dominated by discussions and open quarrels on borders, mobility and migration. Close co-operation and mutual trust seems to be sometimes far away. This is rather frightening in the year 2018, the year when we will commemorate the end of WW I 100 years ago!
Will the world leaders of today be able and willing to investigate in co-operation, solidarity and trust? How will the European Union solve the contradicting views concerning migration? Will these discussions and meetings lead to more solidarity and co-operation? Can we still be proud on our European achievements in the field of human rights and the rule of law? Not only geographical borders are dominantly in the news, but increasingly also moral borders seemed to be crossed by some world leaders.
During heated political exchanges, it increasingly seems to be forgotten that peace and prosperity, as we here can enjoy since decades, is built on open borders and strong co-operation across them. The 21st century does not differ from the decades before: some borders are being opened, co-operation is intensified whilst on the other hand co-operation treaties are neglected and borders are being closed, sometimes by preparing actual walls, sometimes by adding extra hurdles for certain people or for certain goods crossing borders.
There are, however, also positive developments. As I have mentioned in an earlier newsletter already, at this moment, special attention is given to fruitful cross border co-operation by the European Commission, but also by the Dutch government, the Benelux and North Rhine Westphalia with the clear intention to tackle some of the most urgent barriers and hurdles. This attention is important and stimulating. I am very happy with this extra political awareness and attention, as it is urgently needed to encourage the citizens living in border regions to trust in the common achievements of the European Union and its member states.
Within the European Union, 40% of the population is living in border regions, within the Netherlands 1/3 of the inhabitants do. If no border barriers existed, these regions could be even more prosperous as they are now. Therefore, I am glad to see that the attention given by the European Commission and by the Dutch government in the coalition agreement, encouraging intensified cross border co-operation are beginning to result in concrete projects. With our institute ITEM we want to contribute by finding solutions for a better functioning of Europe and its border regions.
Hereby, I would like to invite you all to the ITEM annual conference in Brussels on November 16th 2018. It is with great pleasure that we can announce that this year’s annual conference will be organized in close co-operation with the European Committee of the Regions and Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy of the European Commission. Let us all work together on Europe and on ‘cross-border co-operation: challenges ahead’.
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More insecurity in border regions over increased VAT rate
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In its coalition agreement, the third Rutte government has expressed the intention to raise the lower VAT rate from 6 to 9 percent. This increase will affect, among other things, vegetables, fruit and many other foods, medicines, books, as well as repair services for clothing, footwear and bicycles. After the increase, the lower VAT rate in the Netherlands will exceed the lowest rates in Belgium (6%) and Germany (7%).
What does this announced VAT increase mean for the Dutch border regions? Read more on the results and recommendations in ITEM's report 'Verkenning van grenseffecten van verhoging lage Btw-tarief'.
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Recognition of diploma's: roadmap
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One of the projects that has been submitted in the B-solutions call from the European Commission is about a roadmap for the recognition of qualifications. This project has recently been granted.
The roadmap and factsheet for the recognition of qualifications concerning highly demanded professions are aimed at boosting cross-border mobility and employability by improving recognition.
The action strives to develop two practical guidance documents for first line supporters and citizens. Spanning over the Dutch border region, thereby comprising the Netherlands, Belgium, North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony, the pilot seeks to ascertain how recognition takes place for selected highly demanded regulated professions and what steps may be applied in practice.
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The influence of education on cross-border regional identity in the Meuse-Rhine Euregion
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In April 2018 new ITEM PhD research started on cross-border identity and education:
The Meuse-Rhine Euroregion is a complex cross-border region with diverse cultures and languages (Dutch, German and French). Despite this complexity and the relatively low level of economic, educational and cultural exchanges between the different parts of this region, there is (or at least seems to be) an increasing political and societal will to focus on the Euroregion for the region’s economic and cultural development. The existence, creation or inspiration of a cross-border regional identity could be a precondition for the development of a politically and socially strong Meuse-Rhine Euroregion.
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Update on DigiD for cross-border workers
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The case on the DigiD for cross-border workers is ongoing before the Dutch Administrative Court.
The survey distributed with the previous newsletter received many responses, for which ITEM would like to thank you. The results from the survey were used at the court hearing, which took place in May. ITEM expects to receive the judgement in the upcoming weeks.
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The Burdensome Fiscal and Social Security Status of Highly Mobile Workers
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Due to globalization and the increasingly integrated nature of regional economies, workers largely operate cross-border on a highly mobile basis. Truck and train drivers employed in the road and railway transportation, for example, often commute cross-border on a daily basis.
Because of this highly mobile character of activities, difficulties arise regarding the place of exercise of employment for tax purposes, and affiliated (dis)coordination difficulties between tax and social security rules.
Case study: A Belgian resident works as a traveling truck driver (employment relationship) cross-border assume the following two situations: i) the truck driver works 50% in Belgium and 50% in Germany for an employer established in Cologne (Germany), and ii) the truck driver resides in Belgium and usually drives through Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands for an employer established in Hasselt (Belgium). Which state may tax the income of the truck driver? In which state does the truck driver need to pay the social contributions? Is the tax and social security position coordinated?
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Launching ITEM's cross-border portal in September
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ITEM supports and promotes - from science - the euregional and transnational functioning of society. In order for society to use ITEM's research, a cross-border portal will be launched in september 2018.
ITEM's cross-border portal has a dual function of housing a knowledge base on cross-border issues and of housing the ITEM casuistry (real life cases).
The ITEM knowledgebase features high quality and unique content on diploma recognition, pensions, social security and taxation seen in cross-border perspective.
A new home for the ITEM casuistry (real life cases): Do you experience problems that impede your mobility across borders or which hamper cross-border cooperation, for example in the area of social security, access to education, migration legislation or taxation? If you are interested in previous analyses conducted by ITEM you can find anonymised cases in the case database as part of the ITEM knowledge base.
More information on the launch of the ITEM cross-border portal will be sent in September 2018.
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Are you submitting real life casus to ITEM? Or are you interested in the answers from ITEM to real life casus? The ITEM cross-border portal, to be launched in September 2018, will be the central place to submit cases and to read about solution paths for casus regarding cross-border issues. Already interested?
Take a sneak preview of some cases via https://itemcrossborderportal.maastrichtuniversity.nl/p/publiccases
Read for example more about:
- third country nationals (with a non-EU nationality) working as cross-border workers;
- the recognition of qualifications of physical education teachers in the Netherlands and Belgium;
- the duration of recognition of qualifications.
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SAVE THE DATE - 16 November 2018
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ITEM ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2018
‘Cross-border cooperation: Challenges Ahead’
Friday 16 November 2018 | 10.00-18.00 | European Committee of the Regions, Rue Belliard 101, B-1000 Brussels
The ITEM annual conference 2018 ‘cross-border cooperation: challenges ahead’ which is organized in cooperation with the European Committee of the Regions
and the Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy of the European Commission will be about:
• setting up strong networks for people and society in European border regions,
• collaborating in cross-border labour markets,
• improving information on the impact of laws on border regions,
• building mutual trust.
The ITEM annual conference 2018 will take place on Friday 16 November 2018 at the European Committee of the Regions in Brussels. Please mark the date in your calendar!
The official invitation will be sent in September.
Institute for Transnational and Euregional cross border Cooperation and Mobility / ITEM
European Committee of the Regions (CoR)
Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy of the European Commission (DG Regio)
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Disclaimer and privacy policy
This message was sent to you because you have subscribed to receive ITEM news messages, because you have a connection to one of the organizing partners or because you have a professional interest in receiving this information. Your data will solely be used for communication purposes and will not be provided to third parties.
If you wish to unsubscribe from our mailings, you can do so at any time by sending an e-mail to item@maastrichtuniversity.nl. Requesting and/or rectifying your saved contact details can also be done by sending an email to item@maastrichtuniversity.nl. You can also request to have your personal information deleted from our records.
More information on how ITEM deals with personal data can be found in the privacy statement on our website.
If you have any questions, please contact ITEM via item@maastrichtuniversity.nl
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Calendar
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Planned events
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10-14 september 2018
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First Euregio Summer School, Euregio Meuse Rhine
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September 2018
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Launching ITEM's cross-border portal
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11 oktober 2018
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ITEM/Team GWO informationsession: Actualiteiten Internationaal Belastingrecht (IBR)
Maastricht
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15 November 2018
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Expertmeeting recognition of qualifications, Benelux Secretariaat-Generaal, Brussels
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16 November 2018
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ITEM ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2018
Location: European Committee of the Regions, Rue Belliard 101, Brussels
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Verkenning van grenseffecten van verhoging lage Btw-tarief - in Dutch
Cross-border mobility of Specialised IC Nurses the Netherlands-Belgium - in Dutch
A Simple Guide to the Professional Qualifications Directive - in Dutch, in German
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