The Instititute for Transnational and Euregional Cross Border Cooperation and Mobility

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Centre profile

The Institute for Transnational and Euregional Cross Border Cooperation and Mobility (hereafter: ITEM or the Expertise Centre), founded in 2015, is the pivot of research, counselling, knowledge exchange and training activities with regard to cross-border mobility and cooperation. ITEM is established to support and stimulate the cross-border and international functioning of the Euregional and transnational society. In the first place, this means the support of the development of a well-functioning cross-border agglomeration. In addition, it concerns the reinforcement of the international functioning of the Euregion in a globalising economy.

ITEM, in view of the ambitions of the Meuse–Rhine Euregion, its partner regions and the Benelux in cooperation with North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), considerably contributes to the development of an international and cross-border labour market. The development and further expansion of the Euregional cooperation call for a transparent and attractive Euregional labour market with as few border barriers as possible. Lowering these border barriers also plays a role at the European level and at the level of third countries outside of Europe. ITEM hence does not only approach the cross-border issues from a Euregional perspective, but also from a transnational point of view.

The activities of ITEM concentrate on the simplification of cross-border mobility and cooperation from a legal, economic, cultural and administrative approach. ITEM’s strength is the scientific and interdisciplinary approach that brings concrete practical solutions for the advisory bodies, politics and interested parties.

FASoS and ITEM

ITEM builds on the activities of MACIMIDE, the inter-faculty Maastricht Centre for Citizenship, Migration and Development. Within the scope of MACIMIDE researchers of various faculties collaborate closely in the research fields of migration and development issues, citizenship, nationality and integration, international family relationships, European and international immigration law and right of asylum, work mobility, social security, tax law and pensions. On the basis of the existing experience that was built over the years in the various concerned faculties of Maastricht University and at NEIMED, the Expertise Centre has taken off immediately by setting up concrete topical research projects, by creating and filling the database, by strengthening the contacts with knowledge institutions in the Euregion and the public authorities in the Benelux and Germany/NRW and with other interested parties such as companies, information points, expat centres and advisory bodies.

You can access the website of the Centre here.