Making European integration. come true. INTERREG IIIA best practice in the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion

Transcription

1 Making European integration come true INTERREG IIIA best practice in the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion

2 Dear reader, The European Union s INTERREG Community Initiative has made a key contribution to the dynamic development of cross-border cooperation in the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion. As part of INTERREG A, cross-border cooperation is being promoted on the basis of transnational programmes for which the European Union provides grants from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Since the first phase of this programme began in 1991, some 300 projects involving partners from Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands have been completed in the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion. A total of almost EUR 115m from INTERREG funds has now been spent in the region centred around Aachen, Liège, Maastricht, Hasselt and Eupen, which takes in three countries. The main focus is on economic integration of the partner regions, and on intensifying the level of co-operation in exploiting its economic potential. The specific interests of the population are an equally important concern. Specific manifestations of this include numerous activities linked to skills training, increased provision of information and advice, improvement in local cross-border transport services and the support given to societies and organisations for socio-cultural activities. INTERREG funding also assists economic structural change within the Euroregion by promoting cross-border cooperation as part of the European integration process. In order to achieve a modern knowledge and technology region with a competitive economy and a high standard of living, many projects have been completed to secure the future prospects of the threecountry region: projects relating to the labour market, the development of industry, trade and services, the conservation of the natural environment, cooperation between universities and colleges, the use of health care facilities and cooperation between police forces and emergency services. Despite many successes, the challenge of structural change in the Euroregion is still far from being overcome. In particular, there are a number of practical approaches to establishing cross-border infrastructures which are awaiting further development. These include intensive efforts to provide workers with the necessary skills to enter the cross-border labour market, the expansion of the transport infrastructure, the modernisation of health services and the strengthening of cooperation in areas such as life sciences, technology transfer, biotechnology or the automotive sector. Preface

3 In this European laboratory of the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion, which takes in three countries and five regions, cross-border cooperation is creating positive synergies, networks and close collaboration in many sectors, to the benefit of its 3.8 million inhabitants. In this brochure we present a selection of current projects involving crossborder cooperation. I hope that these examples clearly illustrate the added value of crossborder cooperation as a building block in the European integration process which will continue to rank highly with member states and the European Commission in the allocation of the necessary financial assistance. Michel FORET Governor of the Province of Liège President of the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion Y ou can find more information on the following website:

4 Euroregional transport plan A plus in terms of mobility A Euroregional transport plan improves development of the three-country region. 1-2 Life Sciences Heartbeat of Life Sciences In the region between Aachen, Eupen, Hasselt, Liège and Maastricht you can feel the heartbeat of life sciences. 3-4 T ime travel in the Euroregion Exciting time travel in the Meuse-Rhine triangle Small municipalities in the Euroregion are teaming up to promote cross-border cultural tourism. 5-6 Heath and moor Intact nature improves quality of life Active protection for the unique landscapes of the Eifel and the Hautes Fagnes. 7-8 Europom Maintaining tradition but with added value Rosy future for traditional fruit farming in the Euroregion Regional marketing Improved market opportunities Joint marketing of agricultural produce from the three-country region Contents

5 Regenbogen Back to the world of work Cross-border integration assistance for young people with mental health problems Proqua Euroregional competence Finding work across the border An additional occupational qualification makes applicants fit for the Euroregional labour market Euregio Konekt Settling disputes without violence Successful violence prevention campaign among the Euroregion s young People to people Contact creates trust A lively neighbourhood is growing across borders in the Euroregion Zorg over de grens in the Meuse Rhine Euroregion More freedom in health care Successful cooperation between hospitals and health insurance providers in the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion Dutch German citizens advice centre Security without borders Exemplary cooperation between German and Dutch police Y ou can find more information on the following website:

6 Euroregional transport plan A Euroregional transport plan improves development of the three-country region. A plus in terms of mobility A well designed transport infrastructure is a basic prerequisite for economic prosperity and the quality of life. In the Euroregion INTERREG funds are used to improve cross-border connections and public transport services. With the Euroregional Transport Plan which is set to run for three years, the three-country region is giving the green light to the harmonisation of different public transport systems. The closer the individual regions in the Euroregion are economically, socially and culturally integrated, the more important it becomes to facilitate and support this exchange by providing suitable mobility options. There have already been similar initiatives in the past: introduced in 1998, the Euregioticket is a day ticket offered by transport operators, which can be used on almost all cross-border bus and rail routes in the Euroregion. The cross-border rail services, i.e. euregiobahn from Stolberg to Heerlen and euregioaixpress from Aachen to Liège, function as major links between neighbouring countries. Building on approaches of this kind, the current initiative is faced for the first time with the need to draw up an overall plan for the three-country region. As the powers governing public transport are at different levels and in different institutions in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands, any attempt at cooperation in the past often encountered difficulties. This is set to change with the creation of the Euroregional Public Transport Platform, where for the first time all the project managers and executives in the three countries will be cooperating directly to develop a common, comprehensive and integrated strategy for the modernisation and expansion of cross-border public transport. An integrated solution is not possible without the commitment of all those involved, including the authorities and the politicians, says Thomas Clemens of Aachener Verkehrsverbund. 1 Euroregional transport plan INTERREG IIIA best practice in the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion

7 Y ou can find more information on the following website: 2 The main objective of the Euroregional Transport Plan is to create a crossborder fare system, in which only one ticket is required to travel on buses and trains. Just as important are the establishment of a uniform structure for marketing and for customer information and the expansion of bus and rail connections. Project time-span Costs Total: INTERREG: Project leader Meuse-Rhine Euroregion

8 Life Sciences In the region between Aachen, Eupen, Hasselt, Liège and Maastricht you can feel the heartbeat of life sciences. The life science sector is booming especially in the border area of the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion. A large number of medical technology and biotechnology companies have settled here in recent years. An INTERREG project is promoting cooperation in this area. Heartbeat of Life Sciences Well-known companies such as Heerlen-based Philips Medical Systems B.V., Aachen-based Grünenthal GmbH and Eurogentec S.A. in Liège are represented as well as many small companies and university spin-offs. They all benefit from the excellent conditions of an education and research landscape in which Maastricht and Liège Universities and the Rheinisch- Westfälische Hochschule (RWTH) in Aachen plus over a dozen other research institutes and interdisciplinary centres working in the field of life sciences have set up shop. To exploit this future potential even more fully through cross-border cooperative ventures and to take even greater advantage of growth opportunities, e.g. by creating additional jobs for highly skilled workers, is the aim of the project Heartbeat of Life Sciences in Europe Meuse- Rhine Triangle, which is being promoted for three years as part of INTERREG III. Since November 2002 seven partners with a budget of euro 1.7 million have been creating a type of Silicon Valley in medical technology, biotechnology, pharmaceutics and the related biosciences. What Ute Steinbusch, the project coordinator, wishes to see is the Euroregion becoming part of these partners corporate identity and indeed of the identity of all the companies and organisations in the region: When we have reached the stage where a business no longer considers itself as company X with head office in Liège but company X from the Euroregion and represents it this way to the world, we will have achieved a lot. This interweaving of activities in the three countries will make the region even more attractive to investors, says Steinbusch. The database at the Internet portal ( provides information on the companies in the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion which are involved in life sciences. This listing, which now contains over 3,500 addresses, makes it easy for organisations to contact each other. Regular 3 Life Sciences INTERREG IIIA best practice in the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion

9 Y ou can find more information on the following website: 4 events and informal meetings such as the Biostammtisch or joint marketing at international trade fairs and conferences are also essential components of cooperation. In addition, the project partners have already grouped together common core competences, by means of which the many different addresses are intended to grow into a single unit. Project time-span Costs Total: INTERREG: Project leader AGIT mbh, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen (RWTH), UM Holding (Universiteit Maastricht), Université de Liège (Interface Entreprises- Université), Wirtschaftsförderungsgesellschaft Ostbelgien, NV Industriebank LIOF (Maastricht), Gemeente Maastricht

10 Time travel in the Euroregion Small municipalities in the Euroregion are teaming up to promote cross-border cultural tourism. Exciting time travel in the Meuse-Rhine triangle Castles, churches, factories, fortresses and mines even the Euroregion s smaller towns and municipalities have high-quality buildings and attractions suitable for cultural tourism. These are being systematically developed and marketed with the aid of an INTERREG project. Outside the big cities in the three-country region which are well developed for tourism, there are also cultural treasures which are waiting to be discovered by the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion s residents and visitors alike. The INTERREG III project Time Travel in the Euroregion, in which 38 Belgian, German and Dutch local authorities are cooperating, assists activities to develop these attractions. The municipalities involved have joined forces in the CULTour Euregio association, which acts as the project sponsor. Whether it s fairy-tale castles, impressive fortifications, industrial and craft museums or picturesque villages, the people of the three-country region are to be made aware of these special places of interest and encouraged to visit them. Cross-border cooperation and the sustained networking of the project partners and their CULTour buildings will also highlight the shared history of this three-country region. A common logo and a unique corporate design should represent a brand with recognition value. This brand stands for quality cultural tourism and for cooperation in the form of partnership. Published twice a year in the Euroregion s three languages, CULTour Journal is very popular, with a circulation of 150,000 copies. This publication fills the gap that used to exist in the cross-border organisation of cultural tourist attractions. Equally innovative is the CULTour Voucher, which is a folding card that combines a picture postcard of a building, he receives a bonus system and a competition. Anyone who undertakes time travel to at least four CULTour buildings, receives a bonus and is entitled to take part in the six-monthly draw. Measures to attract the public are supported by an Internet site, CULTour adventure trips and much more besides. Other travel offers include themed group tours which take in several CULTour buildings. 5 T ime travel in the Euroregion INTERREG IIIA best practice in the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion

11 Project time-span Costs Total: INTERREG: Project leader Vereniging CULTour Euregio Kerkrade Y ou can find more information on the following website: 6 Time Travel and CULTour activities contribute to the economic strengthening of the cultural tourism in which all five subregions of the Euroregion participate.

12 Intact nature improves quality of life Heath and moor Active protection for the unique landscapes of the Eifel and the Hautes Fagnes. The landscape at the German-Belgian border features some quite special flora und fauna. These valuable habitats are being maintained and enhanced by the INTERREG Heaths and Moors project including from an economic point of view. The romantic wild wasteland areas of the German and Belgian Eifel are extremely valuable as they are the home to a large number of threatened indigenous species of plants and animals and are classified as seminatural habitats in the special protection areas designated by the European Habitats Directive and in the European Ecological Network. The protection of these spaces is not an end in itself, it generates a new economic impetus both for agriculture and for tourism in this region, which is characterised by structural weaknesses. A sustainable maintenance system is required if the remaining stocks of high-value natural habitat in the border region are to be preserved. This goal is being pursued by the INTERREG project to establish a German- Belgian biotope network, Heaths and Moors. The restoration of these biotopes is the first priority in the creation of the transnational Hautes Fagnes-Eifel nature reserve. As recently as 150 to 180 years ago, this area contained not only heaths and moors but also wet grassland and mat grass swards, which were mainly used for grazing sheep. The introduction of cattle rearing and the mechanisation of agriculture then brought about a stark transformation of the Eifel landscape: the wasteland ceased to be used and was neglected. Measures such as removing thatch and nonindigenous wood types and clearing bushes and the restoration of the natural water balance are intended to give this land back its original character. The intensive use of this land for forestry will also be ended. Moreover, these habitats are dependent on sustainable management for their continued existence. Their subsequent inclusion in existing nature protection programmes creates the conditions for the long-term maintenance of wasteland biotopes and the promotion of small-scale 7 Heath and moor INTERREG IIIA best practice in the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion

13 Project time-span Costs Total: INTERREG: Project leader Y ou can find more information on the following website: 8 Biologische Station im Kreis Aachen e.v., Biologische Station im Kreis Düren e.v., Biologische Station im Kreis Euskirchen e.v., Naturpark Nordeifel e.v. - Sektion Rheinland-Pfalz, Verwaltungskommission des Naturparks Hohes Venn-Eifel, Réserves naturelles RNOB a.s.b.l., Université de Liège - Station scientifique des Hautes-Fagnes farming. Taken together, these measures also help considerably to increase the attractiveness of the region as a whole both for the local population and for tourists from elsewhere.

14 Maintaining tradition but with added value Europom Rosy future for traditional fruit farming in the Euroregion. Many varieties of apples, pears, plums and cherries have been grown in the three-country region for generations: a legacy the retention of which has a future in both cultural and economic terms. INTERREG supports these activities. As the distinguishing feature of the landscape and a piece of transnational cultural heritage, fields of high fruit trees are of inestimable and irreplaceable value to the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion. They make a significant contribution to protecting the environment and quality of life in general. Because of their recreational function and the resulting benefits for soft tourism, they also have a direct effect on regional development. The transnational revival of traditional fruit growing is the focus of the INTERREG III Europom project. This involves preserving and maintaining stocks of orchards in the Euroregion and safeguarding the diversity of fruit varieties by replanting and recreating orchards with typical regional varieties. The five project partners from the regions in the three countries bring their special knowledge and skills with them to this task: from collecting hundreds of fruit varieties via techniques for breeding old cultivated plants all the way to practical measures to care for them. The fact that they exchange experiences puts the subregions on the same level in terms of Europom. Besides mapping existing orchards, the partners are planting old regional fruit varieties and are now also offering, for example, tree sponsorships for old cherry varieties. In this way, those interested can make their own contribution and identify themselves with the project objective by having their own fruit trees. The decentralised strategy of collecting old fruit varieties in model gardens protects fruit tree stocks against a total wipe-out due to possible diseases or other damaging events. In addition to orchard tours, those interested are given practical assistance on preservation and maintenance in these model gardens. This involves pruning and grafting fruit trees and harvesting, storing and various techniques for processing the fruit. Goal-oriented 9 Europom INTERREG IIIA best practice in the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion

15 Project leader Y ou can find more information on the following website: 10 INTERREG: (A) (B) A: Nationale Boomgarden Stichting (Vliermaal-Kortessem), Stichting IKL (Roermond), Stichting Botanische Tuin (Kerkrade), Nature & Technique (Bilstain) B: RWTH Aachen für das LFA Lehr- u. Forschungsgebiet Abfallwirtschaft, Freundeskreis Botanischer Garten Aachen e.v. marketing, raising the public s awareness of this subject by organising exhibitions and school projects and attracting nature-conscious tourism with a planned orchard route are intended to provide additional support for the long-term preservation of existing orchards in future. Project time-span Costs Total: (A) (B)

16 Regional Marketing Joint marketing of agricultural produce from the three-country region. Improved market opportunities Consumers are rediscovering regional markets, with produce from local agriculture often enjoying a high degree of trust on account of its quality. The marketing of regional produce is being systematically promoted with the aid of an INTERREG project. The aim of the INTERREG III Regional Marketing project is to link up existing marketing initiatives across borders. This produces synergy effects which will strengthen the market position of the agricultural produce grown in the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion. The initiative is based on the principles of sustainable development. The project area covers Northern Luxembourg as well as the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion. An important effect of this promotion of regional economic cycles is that the added value of the production remains within the region with the farms and small producers. The measures that will become necessary during the establishment of a marketing network include the construction of a Euroregional logistics structure to improve the distribution and availability of regional produce and increase the range of produce. In the urban centres of Aachen, Liège and Maastricht, these products from all the subregions of the Euroregion can be presented close to the consumer. In addition, all the partners will benefit from having a comprehensive marketing concept. Consumers are confident that regional products have been sustainably produced and processed. That is why it is important to communicate the integrity of producers and suppliers and safeguard this by means of labelling. A joint Internet site has a key role among the various information sources available, providing a versatile communication platform in the Euroregion s three languages for consumers and producers, which covers all the main issues and themes surrounding regional produce. The German producers association Mergelwind managed to gain new partners in Belgium within the framework of the Regional Marketing project. The exchange of products between the participating countries has created direct jobs in 11 Regional marketing INTERREG IIIA best practice in the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion

17 Y ou can find more information on the following website: 12 the case of network partners and indirect jobs in the case of individual businesses. In the Belgian town of Hergenrath the first sales outlet for the REGIOmarché network offers not only its own farm produce but also Luxembourg, German and Dutch produce: a first success on the way to offering regional agricultural produce from the entire Euroregion everywhere in the Euroregion. Project time-span Costs Total: INTERREG: Project leader Agentur für Nachhaltige Entwicklung V.o.E. (Eupen), Kathy-Beys-Stiftung (Aachen), Landwirtschaftskammer Rheinland Kreisstelle Aachen-Düren, Interessengemeinschaft Regionale Produkte (IG-Regionale Produkte e.v. Monschau), Les 4 Aliments (Liège), Provincie Limburg (NL), Mergelwind e.v.

18 Regenbogen Cross-border integration assistance for young people with mental health problems. Back to the world of work Higher self-esteem and greater self-reliance: on three farms in the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion young people with mental health problems are prepared for their return to working life. The project is financed from INTERREG funds. The number of juveniles and young adults who suffer mental health problems as a result of addiction is also on the increase in the threecountry region. In these cases, psychiatric in-patient treatment and conventional rehabilitation are often sufficient to return those affected to an independent life and work situation. What is actually needed, however, are measures to provide participants with suitable qualifications which, as well as providing them with direct occupational skills, will also increase their self-esteem and self-confidence. This is the approach adopted by the cross-border Rainbow project which has been established in the area of ecological agriculture. The farms run by the three project partners, VIA Aachen Regenbogen, Hergenrath Day Centre Tierhof and Stichting WAD in Heerlen, have been extended and converted into training and employment centres for people with psychiatric problems. Besides manual skills in market gardening and environmentally responsible animal husbandry, participants are trained and employed in the marketing of their own produce through a free home delivery service, in the areas of sales, customer service and consultancy. During the project period from January 2002 to July 2004, the planned number of participants (55 to 70) was already comfortably exceeded by a total of 84 trained participants. As part of the project, 16 permanent jobs have been created and the placement of participants in their first jobs was supervised for the first three months. The three organisations even employ a further 38 participants on regular employment contracts and this is eight people more than originally expected. The cross-border cooperation between the three partners makes a substantial contribution to the project s success through an intensive exchange of experiences. Even after the project phase the organisations will continue to collaborate in the areas of work supervision, marketing 13 Regenbogen INTERREG IIIA best practice in the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion

19 Y ou can find more information on the following website: 14 and sales as well as animal husbandry. Moreover, their participation in the creation of a Euroregional marketing chain known as REGIOmarché and the opening of their farms and workshops for cross-border tourism also promotes the integration of people with a mental illness. Project time-span Costs Total: INTERREG: Project leader Verein für Integration durch Arbeit (Aachen), Tagesstätten Kelmis und Umgebung, V.o.E. König Baudouin (Hergenrath), AIGS (Vottem), Stichting WAD (Kerkrade)

20 ProQua Euroregional competence An additional occupational qualification makes applicants fit for the Euroregional labour market. Different languages, different legal systems, different cultures in the world of employment mean that people who want to take advantage of job opportunities in the cross-border labour market will have to improve their knowledge. An INTERREG project is promoting such initiatives. Finding work across the border The INTERREG III ProQuA Euregiocompetence project is an addition to the content of national systems of initial and continuing vocational education. The Euregiocompetence certificate course provides students in the national systems of vocational education with additional foreign language competence, intercultural competence and information competence. Participants inhibitions as regards mobility and making contact are gradually broken down by providing them with job-specific language courses and selective knowledge of the cultures of neighbouring countries. The aim of information competence is to teach people how to access and deal with information on the social and legal systems in the labour market on the other side of the border. Participants then complete a placement in another linguistic and cultural area in order to validate their newly acquired knowledge and skills at first hand. Initially, as part of the project, the curriculum and examination regulations were developed for the qualification. A working party made up of representatives of the responsible ministries, regional education authorities, chambers of commerce and employer and employee organisations from the five Meuse-Rhine regions revised the results, which were then tried out in colleges of vocational education and other educational establishments in the Euroregion in school year 2003/2004 with a total of about 250 students taking part. After the first agreements were signed with the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion in December 2003 on the introduction of the new additional occupational qualification by the relevant bodies, the materials were supplemented and further developed. The conclusion of the project means the permanent integration of this qualification in the national systems of vocational education throughout the Euroregion. 15 ProQua Euroregional competence INTERREG IIIA best practice in the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion

21 Y ou can find more information on the following website: 16 The unique Euregiocompetence Certificate is jointly issued and recognised by the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion and the responsible ministries and education authorities in all five partner regions. The students who took part in the trial year are the first who can prove their Euregiocompetence by showing this certificate. Project time-span Costs Total: INTERREG: Project leader Meuse-Rhine Euroregion

22 Young people are increasingly prepared to resort to violence an observation that is true in all parts of the Euroregion. In order to put a stop to this trend, a cross-border violence prevention project was initiated in The successful project was financed from INTERREG funds. Euregio-Konekt Successful violence prevention campaign among the Euroregion s young. Settling disputes without violence The INTERREG III project Euregio-Konekt Violence prevention in the Euroregion started on 1 March This cross-border project set itself the task of encouraging juveniles and young adults to learn and use non-violent methods for resolving their conflicts. Euregio- Konekt familiarises not only the young people themselves with specific action models but also, more importantly, the youth workers who act as multipliers. An essential component of this violence prevention strategy is mediation as a means of settling disputes. Euregio-Konekt is funded by Würselen youth welfare office in conjunction with the Bildungswerk further education institute in Aachen and Belgian partners from Eupen, Liège/Waremme and Genk. The systematic exchange of experiences, procedures and concepts produces real synergy effects with regard to project goals. In October 2004 it became apparent that the total of five qualification courses planned for teachers on Mediation a building block in violence prevention would rise to nine by the end of the project. These multiplier courses are used to introduce the dispute settlement model to schools in the Euroregion. The vast majority of the 40 or so schools which have until now sent teachers to this further training course have already made a start with school mediation, i.e. by training students as mediators to settle disputes, or are shortly about to do so. Added to this are other training courses for educators and social workers and the pre-school sector. With some 75 one-day events, the number of associated educational conferences has more than doubled compared with the 35 originally planned. All in all, Euregio-Konekt has established itself as an efficient cross-border network of schools, 17 Euregio-Konekt INTERREG IIIA best practice in the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion