Euregio Meuse-Rhine: Economic Development Hub in Europe

1. Welcome to the Euregio Meuse-Rhine

2. Euregio Meuse-Rhine characteristics • 4 millionen inhabitants • 3 member states: Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands • 10 700 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)

3. 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 30.000 cross-border workers • Around 200.000 Enterprises • 4 Universities • 10 Graduate schools • 300 research and excellence centres • About 114.000 students (including technical colleges)

4. Different administrative structures

5. 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

6. European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC) The EGTCis 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

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

8. Reorientation after 30 years • 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 Vision: «Accelarate and deepen cooperation »

9. A Vision EMR surrounded by metropolitan areas

10. EMR: Powerful region in Europe Polycentric metropolitan area EMR?

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

12. Revenues and Expenditures

13. INTERREG-IV-A ProgrammeEuregio Meuse-Rhine

14. Priorities of the Operational Programme INTERREG IV-A Programme Euregio Meuse-Rhine • Strengthening of the economic structure, promotion of knowledge, innovation and creation of more and better jobs • Nature and environment, energy, natural resources and mobility • Quality of life Budget for the period 2007-2013: 72 million ERDF

15. INTERREG IV-A Programme Euregio Meuse-Rhine • 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. The INTERREG IV-A- Budget in detail

19. Overview of the total investment in cross-border projects • 1991 – 1993 INTERREG I 67 million € • 1994 – 1999 INTERREG II 75 million € • 2000 – 2006 INTERREG III 108 million € • 2007 – 2013 INTERREG IV 144 million €

20. 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

21. 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. 100.000 Euro

22. INTERREG IV-A EMRJoint technical secretariat (JTS) RA RA RA TS RA RA

23. Consultation and decision procedure of the INTERREG-IV-A programme Trilingual project outline to be submitted to the regionalmanagers  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 Trilingual project outline to be submitted to the regional 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)

24. Theory and practice

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

26. A B K O M M E N Successful projects 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.

27. „ “ Successful projects EPICC Euregional Police-Information-Cooperation-Centre

28. 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 2007-2013: • INTERACT Project Evaluation and Selection Manual

29. 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

30. Any questions?Thank you for your attention!