|
|
|
Over the past five years, as Maastricht University's Rector Magnificus, I have come to know ITEM as 'our institute' in the field of cross-border mobility and cooperation. The combination of research, counselling, knowledge exchange, and training activities is cast-iron. It is exactly what our border region, but also many other border regions, need. A very topical case that illustrates this is the obstacles experienced by border workers in working from home during the coronapandemic, which we hope to put behind us in the near future. And there are many more dossiers where a cross-border view, in all possible ways, is necessary in order to move forward, in Limburg, in the Netherlands and in Europe.
At the ITEM & HNP Side event "How to avoid the return of national borders in a future pandemic and crisis situation" on 13 October, much more will be said about this. The ITEM Annual Conference, which will take place on 19 November in Middelburg, is another day to mark in your calendar. The province of Zeeland will host this annual gathering, where science and societal challenges meet, both content wise as in terms of governance. You are cordially invited to this fresh start of a new ITEM year, which also marks the end of the previous one.
You could almost say: where else than at 'the European University of the Netherlands' could such a wonderful institute be located? And of course this is only the case thanks to the people who make ITEM this highly relevant platform for research and knowledge exchange. People who have the knowledge, plus the ability to connect in collaboration. As the incoming president of Maastricht University, I am very proud that we have such an institute and wish you much pleasure in reading this news letter.
Rianne Letschert
|
|
|
|
|
|
Why is this Guest Column so special? Because it express the societal relevance of the ITEM scientific research.
The aim of ITEM is to contribute from science and knowledge to the development and realization of a well-functioning transnational society with a focus on cross-border economy and labour.
The mission of ITEM is to use science and knowledge to optimize European and Euregional social and economic developments and to strengthen cross-border cooperation for the benefit of quality of life in European border regions. ITEM's societal translation of interdisciplinary scientific knowledge is essential in this regard. ITEM wants to generate impact in society.
To achieve this impact ITEM is always in connection with society. In this newsletter we warmly present you our first Guest author Theo Bovens, Mayor of Enschede and former Governor of the Province of Limburg (NL).
Prof. dr. Anouk Bollen-Vandenboorn, Director ITEM
“Ich bin ein Grenzbewohner”
In all honesty, I have been angry, even shocked, in recent months. As a public administrator of Limburg and the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion I had to watch, how in a short time -despite 75 years of work on cross-border cooperation and the removal of barriers between countries- the differences in health systems became so dominant that physical borders were re-established once again. And that the consequences for mobility, cross-border working, recreation and education, due to the different crisis approaches, were greater than average for border residents. It seemed as though an atmosphere of hostility, or at least rivalry, was being planted in the minds of the Dutch, Belgians and Germans, almost to the extent that 'doing better than your neighbours' became a goal.
|
As a city administrator of Maastricht, and later as Governor of Limburg, I worked hard to develop a cross-border identity. Not based on common historical experience (although, as a historian, I value this), but from a conviction of a true added value -economically and socially- to be gained by dismantling cross-border obstacles. That was in fact something that had been ingrained in me since childhood, with ancestral family connections to the regions of Limburg, Aachen and Liège.
In recent months, I have really been asking myself whether I have been chasing a dream all these years. Whether my desire to harmonise systems with neighbouring countries, instead of linking them with subordinate constructions, was not inspired by false romanticism and naivety.
But then came the relaxations of measures. And I saw the hunger of people in my region to cross the border again. And I also saw this hunger among border residents on the other side of the national border. And I delved into the region around Enschede, of which I am now the mayor, and I heard the same anger about the impact of pandemic control in various countries. Then, I spoke with administrators from Hasselt, Liège, Eupen and Aachen, and heard how similar their experiences had been. And I also realised how much had been achieved in cross-border cooperation: the logistical cooperation on protective equipment, the medical cooperation on ICU care, the flexible way in which commuters could continue to work through vignettes and inexpensive tests.
And I saw a representative of ITEM on the television stations explaining the foolishness of border closures in a perfectly clear and convincing way. That it is not nationality or passport but the actual degree of infection that is a much more effective entry criterion. That message immediately helped me overcome my anger.
My anger has not been forgotten, but is accompanied by optimism. So many have now proclaimed: no more border closures, and so many have called for better coordination between countries and health systems. I heard ministers say it at the Grenslandconferentie in Enschede, but I also hear it from citizens and entrepreneurs in the regional media along the border.
So I will gladly continue working on my dream: To build cross-border regions. For example: that we disregard national borders when it comes to our health. That an infection in Heinsberg, Germany cannot be dismissed in The Hague with the words: 'oh, but that is across the border' (while it raged at less than 3 kilometres from Dutch village centres). Or for example: that we visit each other more than before as students, tourists or sportsmen, in our own Euroregions. And that real accomplishments may make us prouder of our fortune of being able to live in areas with other cultures at hand. That pride is something I would like to promote.
|
"I call on local and regional citizens and border officials to fight for more influence in the state capitals. This may well lead to a quicker and better recovery. May the border regions emerge stronger from the crisis in all respects: healthier, more meaningful, more powerful.." |
|
Theo Bovens
Mayor of Enschede Former Governor of the Province of Limburg
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
After a long wait, we can finally resume holding physical gatherings. This autumn, we are organising meetings at which experts can safely share their insights and where the audience can engage within the comfort of their own (home) office.
Our main events:
- ITEM & HNP Side event - "How to avoid the return of national borders in a future pandemic and crisis situation" (hybrid)
13 October 2021 | 15.45 - 17.30hrs Read more
- ITEM Annual Conference 2021 - Strengthening cross-border regions, more than ever?
19 November 2021 | 10.00 - 16.00hrs (hybrid) Read more
|
|
|
|
|
You are cordially invited to our:
|
|
Online ITEM & HNP Side event
|
|
"How to avoid the return of national borders in a future pandemic and crisis situation?"
INVITATION | 13 October 2021 | 15.45 - 17.30
During this side event the Institute for Transnational and Euregional cross border cooperation and Mobility (ITEM) and the House of the Dutch Provinces (HNP) together with partners and stakeholders are looking for solutions and methods for (border) regions to ensure a healthy, sustainable and strong future for all European regions in the post COVID 19 situation.
*This event will be held in Dutch.*
After sharing specific practices and stories from inhabitants of Dutch, German and Flemish cross border areas, instruments and recommendations will be presented to the European Commission in cooperation with the Committee of the Regions on how cross border challenges can be addressed. How to empower regions in a new pandemic, by bringing multilevel governance into practice? The programme is divided in three parts: (1) borders during Corona, (2) cooperation in the Benelux with sustainable and safe corridors and (3) impact assessment and instruments.
Click here to learn more about the programme
You can register until 8 October 2021 via this link.
We hope to welcome you as a participant in this online event. With kind regards,
Prof. Dr. Anouk Bollen-Vandenboorn, Director ITEM Drs. Rob van Eijkeren, Head of office House of Dutch Provinces (HNP)
|
Read more
|
|
|
|
|
ITEM Annual Conference 2021
|
|
Empowering border regions - more than ever? “Lessons learned, opportunities and challenges of cross-border cooperation”
INVITATION | 19 November 2021 | 10.00 - 16.30
The Corona pandemic has shown that attention to tackling obstacles is achieved not only by streamlining regulations, but also by recognizing a border identity. A joint strategy of the stakeholders involved and working together with partners on both sides of the border, each from their own background (practice, knowledge, governance), appears to be necessary to establish relevant casuistry, a shared and concrete agenda and a structural approach.
How border regions and Euroregions can play a role in this and which instruments can be used for this will be discussed at the ITEM Annual Conference 2021, with a substantive focus on the ‘new way’ of working (working from home) after COVID-19 and major developments in cross-border security and care. The Province of Zeeland is hosting the ITEM Annual Conference 2021. It will take place in the Provinciehuis, the Abbey, in Middelburg. Of course, we hope to see you in Middelburg on 19 November.
Please register via this link. The final programme will be announced on our website shortly.
Kind regards, Prof. Dr. Anouk Bollen-Vandenboorn, Director ITEM Drs. Han Polman, King’s Commissioner for the province of Zeeland
|
Read more
|
|
|
|
|
|
Lessons from a border region
|
|
Borderlessness is one of Maastricht’s unique selling points. Home to the Netherlands’ most international university and one of the EU’s defining treaties, the city bustles with employees and shoppers from neighbouring Belgium and Germany. But the pandemic has called into question the idea of a Europe without frontiers. Sarah Schoenmaekers and Martin Unfried—specialists in EU law and Euregional cooperation, respectively—search for answers.
|
Read more
|
|
|
|
|
Cross-Border Impact Assessment 2021
|
|
The annual research cycle of the ITEM Cross-Border Impact Assessment experienced some delay due to the crisis containment measures against the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, this year’s edition of the Cross-Border Impact Assessment is almost completed and about to go into print soon. To get an idea about the content the impact assessment team has prepared a short abstract of each dossier.
|
Read more
|
|
|
|
|
|
ITEM has been involved in a project on joint doctorates titled 'LINK EDU-RES': a project aimed to increase cooperation in the field of joint doctorates in Europe. A summary of our research findings were presented during the YERUN-event on 21 September in Bremen.
|
|
Read more
|
|
|
|
|
|
In March 2021, the INTERREG V-A project EMR-Lingua was launched. The project runs from 2021-2023 and has the overarching goal of promoting knowledge of the so-called "neighbouring languages" (Dutch, French, and German) in the Euregio Meuse-Rhine. To this end, a Euregional Centre for Neighbouring Languages has been established.
|
Read more
|
|
|
|
|
|
In March 2021, INTERREG project called “Crossquality” was launched. The kick-off took place on June 25th, 2021. ITEM is the lead partner in this new project. Together with RWTH Aachen, Université de Liège, Universiteit Hasselt and the Euregio Meuse-Rhine, ITEM will develop a methodology to better assess the quality of cross-border cooperation in the framework of the INTERREG programme Euregio Meuse-Rhine.
|
Read more
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Publication highlights |
Daan Hovens (Aug 2021) Power dynamics at work: an ethnography of a multilingual metal foundry in the Dutch-German borderland |
F. Cörvers, J.Reinold, S. Chakkar, F. Bolzonella, V. Ronda, (Aug 2021) WODC, Literature review labour migration: An exploratory study into the shortages of qualified personnel at the upper secondary vocational level and the possibilities and limitations of employing migrants
|
Katja Zimmermann (June 2021) Facilitating cross-border real estate transactions in Europe: An exploration |
Sander Kramer, Stefan Bemelmans, Pim Mertens (Sep 2021) Vakblad Grensoverschrijdend Werken, 'De individuele pensioenvoorziening van de grensoverschrijdend mobiele werknemer vanuit Belgisch, Duits en Nederlands perspectief (deel III)' |
Sander Kramer, Stefan Bemelmans, Pim Mertens (May 2021) Vakblad Grensoverschrijdend Werken, 'De aanvullende pensioenvoorziening van de grensoverschrijdend mobiele werknemer vanuit Belgisch, Duits en Nederlands perspectief (deel II)' |
Sander Kramer, Stefan Bemelmans (Apr 2021) Vakblad Grensoverschrijdend Werken, De wettelijke pensioenvoorziening van de grensoverschrijdend mobiele werknemer vanuit Belgisch, Duits en Nederlands perspectief (deel I) |
More publications from ITEM Staff |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|