Welcome to the Euregio Meuse-Rhine

Euregio Meuse-Rhine characteristics 4 millionen inhabitants 3 member states: Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands km² 3 languages: Dutch, French, German Five different cultures 5 partner regions: Provincie Limburg (the Netherlands) Regio Aachen (Germany) Provincie Limburg (Belgium) Province de Liège (Belgium) Deutschsprachige Gemeinschaft (Belgium)

Euregio Meuse-Rhine characteristics Connectivity to densely populated areas such as Dusseldorf, Cologne-Bonn, Brussels, Amsterdam and Frankfurt within a radius of 300 km More than 2/3 of the population of Western Europe lives in a 500 km perimeter Around 1.5 million workers Around cross-border workers Around Enterprises 4 Universities 10 Graduate schools 300 research and excellence centres About students (including technical colleges)

Staat BelgienNiederlandeDeutschland RegionWallonische RegionFlandern North Rhein- Westphalia CommunityGerman- speaking Community Frensh Community Flamish Community GovernorateColongne ProvinceLiègeLimburg Dietrict5 District Municipaliti es Different administrative structures

New governance instruments European Gouping of Territorial Cooperation EGTC The EGTC is a new European legal instrument designed to facilitate and promote cross-border, transnational and interregional cooperation. Unlike the structures which governed this kind of cooperation before 2007, the EGTC is a legal entity and as such, will enable regional and local authorities and other public bodies from different member states, to set up cooperation groupings with a legal personality. For example, an EGTC or EGTC members can be: Member States regional or local authorities associations any other public body

European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC) The EGTC is unique in the sense that it enables public authorities of various Member States to team up and deliver joint services, without requiring a prior international agreement to be signed and ratified by national parliaments. Member States must however agree to the participation of potential members in their respective countries. The law applicable for the interpretation and application of the convention is that of the Member State in which the official EGTC headquarters are located. An EGTC convention sets out in particular: An EGTC convention sets out in particular: the name of the EGTC and its headquarters the list of members the area it covers its objective its mission its duration

Three phases Overcoming the national and linguistic obstacles Opening the borders > more mobility > more obstacles New governance tools needed The Euregio Meuse-Rhine since 1976

Reorientation after 30 years Vision: «Accelarate and deepen cooperation » 7 core areas : - Economic Development (Sustainable Growth, Environment and Employment) - Knowledge Institutes - Labour Market and Education - Health Care - Mobility und Infrastructure - Culture and Tourism - Security + Climate as a transversal objective

A Vision EMR surrounded by metropolitan areas

EMR: Powerful region in Europe Polycentric metropolitan area EMR?

New EMR-Structure Economic Development Knowledge Institutes Labour Market and Education Health Care Mobility and Infrastructure Culture and Tourism Security Climat Metropolitan Area EMR … Economic and Social Council Temporary Committees Secretariat / Office Strategic Support Groups 3-year- Plans Board of Directors Euregional Council Networks

Revenues and Expenditures Expenditures Office expenses Personnel expenditures 216 Translation costs 16 Expenditures Board of Directors 16 Expenditures Euregional Council 17 Expenditures Economic and Social Council 17 Administrative costs 30 Accounting costs 10 Expenditures print products 3 Automatisation 7 Telephone costs 5 Other costs such as representation costs, … 38 Subtotal 375 PR activities 170 Activities of Networks and Temporary Committees 39 Total 584 Revenues Contributions of the partner regions 510 Interests 25 Total 535

INTERREG-IV-A Programme Euregio Meuse-Rhine

Priorities of the Operational Programme 1. Strengthening of the economic structure, promotion of knowledge, innovation and creation of more and better jobs 2. Nature and environment, energy, natural resources and mobility 3. Quality of life Budget for the period : 72 million ERDF INTERREG IV-A Programme Euregio Meuse-Rhine

1. Strengthening of the economic structure, promotion of knowledge, innovation and creation of more and better jobs Promotion of entrepreneurship Competitiveness Promotion of innovation and technology Promotion of the cooperation between research institutes and enterprises Cross-border labour market Tourism INTERREG IV-A Programme Euregio Meuse-Rhine

2. Nature and environment, energy, natural resources and mobility Preservation of nature and landscape Support of production and use of renewable energy resources Improvement of local public transport INTERREG IV-A Programme Euregio Meuse-Rhine

3. Quality of life Promotion of cultural diversity Cooperation in the field of public safety Improvement of health care Reduction of burdens for cross border workers to promote mobility INTERREG IV-A Programme Euregio Meuse-Rhine

Priorities% of the budget Budget of the programme ERDFEU- inter- vention rate Co-financing, private or public contributions 1. Strengthening of the economic structure, promotion of knowledge, innovation and creation of more and better jobs 65% % Nature and environment, energy, natural resources and mobility 18% % Quality of life11% % Technical Assistance6% % TOTAL100% % The INTERREG IV-A- Budget in detail

Overview of the total investment in cross-border projects 1991 – 1993 INTERREG I 67 million 1994 – 1999 INTERREG II 75 million 2000 – 2006 INTERREG III108 million 2007 – 2013 INTERREG IV144 million

Project selection criterias Distinct cross border nature of the project content, organisation, finances and personal on both sides of the border Innovative idea Clear added-value for Euregio Meuse-Rhine Clear and measurable objectives Sustainability of the project Attention to principal of equal opportunities Maximum duration of the project = 36 month Exclusion of double financing

Project selection criterias Who can apply? Public bodies Legal entities (public and private) Private companies The initiative must fit into the priorities of the operational programme The total costs of the project should be of min Euro

INTERREG IV-A EMR Joint technical secretariat (JTS) RA TS

Consultation and decision procedure of the INTERREG-IV-A programme Trilingual project outline to be submitted to the regional Trilingual project outline to be submitted to the regional managers Sketch-CALL Check and discussion of the outline in the JTS First assessment of the outline by the programme partners GO / NO GO 2nd Meeting GO / NO GO: Preparation of the Monitoring Committee Technical assessment by JTS and control of accordance by programme partners Official submission of the project proposal to the JTS in compliance with the remarks formulated by the programme partners Submission for decision to the Monitoring Committee of the EMR (3 times/year)

Theory and practice

Successful projects Please visit us at the Biomedica on the 17th and 18th March 2010 in Aachen (Eurogress) EMR Life science region

A B K O M M E N A TaskForce facilitating commuter mobility in the Euregio Meuse-Rhine Reducing barriers The Commuter TaskForce is an INTERREG project launched by the Euregio Meuse-Rhine. The aim of this project is to reduce or remove the main barriers to job-related mobility within the border triangle Aachen, Maastricht, Hasselt, Lüttich und Eupen. Successful projects

EPICC Euregional Police-Information- Cooperation-Centre Successful projects

Programm Evaluation Project evaluation Interim Program evaluation ( Technical evaluation of the program management) Ex-post evaluation (by the EU- Commission, DG Regional Policy) INTERACT New iniciative Territorial Cooperation projects : INTERACT Project Evaluation and Selection Manual

Progress report and outlook on INTERREG V 48 projects approved so far 97% of the budget committed What we want for INTERREG V The further strengthening of cross-border strands (A) A set of priorities which is focused but matches the needs of the programme area A simplification of the administrative procedures for applicants and programme management More proportionate control mechanisms

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