The new academic year was again festively opened at Maastricht University, where we had the honour of welcoming the Minister of Education, Culture and Science Dijkgraaf as keynote speaker. He highlighted the theme 'Rethinking borders; rails of creativity' by, among other things, questioning the boundaries between different educational levels. I myself felt the need for a rebuttal in the discussion around internationalisation of Dutch higher education.

Seeing current and future tensions on the labour market (in particular in care, education and technology) and a decrease in the influx of Dutch students based on the demographic development of The Netherlands, our country should continue its positioning as a thriving knowledge-based society and allow international students to enter our labour market to fulfil our future needs. In current politics, we see politicians increasingly opening up to European cooperation, whether it is in the area of climate issues, the energy crisis, or defence and security. The conviction that international cooperation is necessary to address these complex issues is stronger than ever. Isn’t it a bit odd, then, to put Dutch universities in a frame of returning to the nation state identity? ITEM has been illustrating the importance of cross-border cooperation for years.
This important institute builds and maintains cooperation with various research partners, governments and civil society organisations and industry. It thus contributes to defining the best, knowledge-based solutions to challenges such as the energy crisis. This hinges on sustained cooperation between the research community and civil society partners.

Very concretely, ITEM organises together with HNP, for example, a 'Side event Energy' during the Open Days of the European Regions in Brussels, on 12 October. The ITEM Annual Conference in November in Groningen will provide feedback on these and other developments, plus the importance of structural attention to continue living borderless with each other in Europe. With a focus this year on the impact for border residents on security, health and energy supply, ITEM is making an important contribution to the challenges we all face.

Rianne Letschert
President Maastricht University

Readers of this column will remember that one of the previous times my former colleague Theo Bovens wrote here 'Ich bin ein Grensbewohner', with the strong conviction of someone who believes in the importance and usefulness of cross-border cooperation. Theo and I share the same conviction and have both worked together for many years and dedicated ourselves to improving relations and cooperation between border regions. To build a border identity.

Belgian and Dutch Limburg have a special relationship and it may be said, both are also pioneers in the operation of the EGTC Meuse-Rhine Euroregion, the oldest cross-border cooperation association in Europe. 

I would add 'I am a European'. I grew up with parents who lived through World War II and gave me the message that only a strong Europe can ensure peace and prosperity. They were proven right. For me, and I assume many others, it has become even clearer in recent years that we need the EU more than ever. You may well criticise the workings of the European institutions - too slow, too cumbersome, too costly - but the handling of the pandemic still saved us from economic recession. And today too, with war next door and an unprecedented energy crisis, we look to the EU and expect action, in concert with national governments, to safeguard families and businesses from poverty, bankruptcy and an unprecedented economic crisis. The EU is vital to us, not least to continue to claim our place in the world. We need Europe although far from everyone is convinced of that.

I am convinced that border regions can play an important role in making Europe more acceptable and visible. After all, cross-border cooperation is more than organising good neighbourliness and cross-border friendships between administrators. Or looking back nostalgically at a shared history.

Besides solving specific border problems around, for instance, security and border labour, border regions are also working on eliminating differences between countries and finding ways to align legislations. In short, to improve cooperation between the different countries and regions of the EU. But also connecting people and organisations across those same borders. After all, it is an opportunity and a luxury to live in areas with other cultures within cycling distance. And is it not these things that can greatly increase support for European cooperation? Removing barriers between EU countries, such that people clearly see the benefits of that European cooperation in their immediate lives.

So border regions actually have a dual role to play. But for that, you also need structures, people and resources. And institutions that provide scientific and substantive support to the administrators of those regions. Until now, it was mainly the border regions themselves that financed their cross-border operations. From some capitals, this cooperation is even viewed rather pityingly as if it is inspired by false romanticism and naivety. Interest there is limited to the finances of European programmes.

It is high time that this changes and that both the federal and regional governments assume their responsibilities, recognise the importance of sustainable cross-border cooperation and put the necessary resources on the table. With the Flemish provinces' powers and also their financial clout reduced, this is even reasonably urgent.

Mr. Herman Reynders, Honorary Governor of the Province of Limburg (Belgium) 

On 29 September at 13:00 hrs, Eva van Ooij defended her PhD-research, called Highly Mobile Workers and the Coordination of Social Security in the EU Opening and Closing Pandora’s Box.

In a globalizing world, national borders are frequently crossed. Moreover, flexibility is a key skill in the knowledge economy of the 21st century. Accordingly, an increasing number of workers can be labelled as ‘highly mobile’, which are persons that combine various forms of work (on-call contracts, employment agency work, platform- work, teleworking etc.) that are carried out in several countries.

On Friday 26 August, the annual ITEM Preuvenemint-meeting once again took place. During this informal meeting, the status of ITEM activities and the upcoming plans for 2023 were presented to the stakeholders present. Here, the four core activities of ITEM were briefly explained in more detail by director Prof. Dr. Anouk Bollen-Vandenboorn.

The House of the Dutch Provinces (HNP) and Institute for Transnational and Euregional cross border cooperation and Mobility (ITEM) are pleased to host their second annual side event during the European Week of Cities and Regions (#EURegionsWeek) 2022.

In light of the recent energy crisis, the Russian invasion in Ukraine and the effects of climate change, this event will focus on how we can accelerate the energy transition through cross border cooperation. We will showcase examples of interregional cooperation between the Netherlands, Flanders (BE), North Rhine-Westphalia (DE) and Lower Saxony (DE). On the basis of our shared experiences, we will present cross-border possibilities and solutions with our closest European neighbours, in addition to the 27 national energy initiatives.

Since its establishment in 2015, the ITEM expertise centre has specialised in analysing border effects. In several dossiers, border effects have been investigated and recorded in a Cross-Border Impact Assessment. An overview of the dossiers in recent years, as well as for this year, can be found here. 

A Cross-Border Impact Assessment, however, is not only important for the Dutch border regions, but for all border regions that have internal EU borders. Two further steps have been taken recently by ITEM, to make the methodology wider known and usable. 

On 20 October 2020, the report 'Not adapt, but deviate' of the Administrative Working Group on Border Barriers was delivered, which was published a little later. The report discusses how border obstacles can be tackled more efficiently, both from a methodological perspective as from the perspective of governance structures. ITEM reflects on this report, in which we briefly summarize the advice, and discuss other best-practices and examples such as the Nordic Freedom of Movement Council and the Treaty of Aachen. ITEM also discusses the potential embedding with the Benelux Union.

Find the Dutch version here and the English version here.

On Friday 18 November, the ITEM Annual Conference will be held. The conference is organized together with the Province of Groningen. It will take place in Groningen from 9.30 to 17.00 hrs. The conference is titled:

The future of border regions in Europe
“Impact on security, health and energy supply for border residents”

Please mark the date in your agenda and keep an eye on our website. More information will become available soon.

Contact ITEM

Institute for Transnational and Euregional cross border cooperation and Mobility / ITEM 

item@maastrichtuniversity.nl

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Address:
Kapoenstraat 2, 6211 KW Maastricht, The Netherlands




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