Euregionaler Kongress 2024

On Wednesday 22 May, the EUREGIO Summit took place at the Discovery Museum Kerkrade. During the EUREGIO Summit, we dwelled on the challenges, but above all the many opportunities offered by the unique location of our Border Region, consisting of Parkstad Limburg, Heerlen, City of Aachen, City Region of Aachen, Vaals and the German Community of Belgium.

Together with the Oberbürgermeisterin of Aachen, Sibylle Keupen, the mayor of Heerlen and chairman of Parkstad Limburg, Roel Wever opened the summit. ‘This border region has infinite potential, if only we can keep looking, working and especially thinking across borders. Today is all about showing how Europe lives here day by day,’ Keupen said. Weaver complemented: ‘Much has already been achieved, but let our region continue to develop into an area of experimentation as an example for the whole of Europe. That calls for a master plan.’

Former Governor Theo Bovens, in his keynote speech, stressed the importance of really removing bureaucratic bumps, barriers, not just offering possible solutions to them, especially for our region. ‘The paradox is that the more problems become visible and solvable in advance, the less sense you make of those bumps. Until we harmonise our systems, we have to live with auxiliary constructions, and that alone is less attractive.’

The first panel session focused on the role of our border region in making our economy and energy more sustainable. Developments in innovative solutions for circularity and energy transition are happening so fast that (national and European) legislation often cannot keep up. Border regions in particular suffer from this. What if precisely here in the Euroregion space was offered to experiment with new concepts, without the hindering effect of national legislation? Initiatives abound with the European Centre for Circular Building and Transformation (ECCBT) and the development of a hydrogen infrastructure.

After a tour of the Discovery Museum and a sneak preview of the state-of-the-art Einstein Telescope Education Centre, attendees were treated to ‘Dutch humour in a German jacket’ (or vice versa) by comedian Patrick Nederkoorn. The second panel then addressed the development of a cross-border daily urban system, where it does not matter whether you live in Aachen, Eupen or Heerlen to work/study/recreate in this region. For this, the basic infrastructure, both in terms of public and education and digital infrastructure as well as the labour market, must be as compatible as possible. In this respect, says panel member Markus Terodde, our border region acts as a seismograph for Europe. If things go wrong here, it applies to the whole of Europe. But so too: if borders are settled here, things will also go well in Europe.

In the words of Bovens, ‘Cross-border cooperation pays off. The paradox is that nobody is against it, but you always need people who want to put their shoulders to the wheel. Pioneers, visionaries, people sitting here in the room. They usually live in border regions. Just as all great Europeans come from border regions.

Welcome to the Euregio Summit, the forum where we overcome borders and harness the power of cooperation. 

Parkstad Limburg, Gemeente Heerlen, the City of Aachen, Städteregion Aachen, Gemeente Vaals, and the German-speaking Community of Belgium form a unique agglomeration with almost 900,000 inhabitants. The area has a rich history and despite our borders, we share the same common identity.

In our region, where three countries converge, we recognise the need and potential for cross-border collaboration in various areas. In the realm of energy transition, facilitating cross-border energy exchange is imperative for realising sustainable solutions that move our region forward. It should make no difference whether sustainable energy is generated in Belgium, Germany or the Netherlands. Within our region, initiatives and concepts are emerging on how cities become climate-neutral in the foreseeable future.

As far as the circular economy is concerned, we want to position our region as a leader in the field of circular construction, with innovative partnerships such as the recently established "European Centre for Circular Construction and Transformation" in Heerlen setting the standard.

As a hub of knowledge, education is the key for future-orientated development.

With local universities and top-level research, we have an enormous potential at our disposal.

The attractiveness of our border region lies in its diversity of opportunities and offers. Our objective is to develop our region into a shared space where national borders have an minimal impact on daily life.  

The Euregio Summit represents another significant step into this direction; we face challenges together and seize forthcoming opportunities.  

We warmly invite you to actively engage and contribute to our beautiful border region. Together, we can forge a future where boundaries fade and cooperation thrives.

Yours