Persberichten
Slotakkoord Limburgse conferentie in Brussel over arbeidsmobiliteit in
grensregio's
Limburg Crossing Borders 2008
Woensdag 3 december organiseerde de Provincie Limburg in samenwerking
met de Universiteit Maastricht en de Taskforce Grensarbeiders van de
Euregio Maas-Rijn de conferentie arbeidsmobiliteit in grensregios.
Deze derde editie van Limburg Crossing Borders vond plaats in het
Concert Noble in Brussel. Deskundigen, belanghebbenden en regionale,
nationale en Europese overheden wisselden ervaringen met elkaar uit
over arbeidsmobiliteit in grensregios. Van Nederlandse zijde sprak
onder andere mevrouw Van Es, Directeur Generaal van het ministerie van
Binnenlandse Zaken en van Duitse zijde minister Vigener van Justitie,
Arbeid, Gezondheid en Sociale Zaken in Saarland. Aan het eind van de
conferentie werden de resultaten en conclusies samengevat en werden de
afspraken bekrachtigd met het ondertekenen van het volgende
slotakkoord.
Labour mobility in Euroregions concluding statement
The Labour Mobility in Border Regions conference on 3 December 2008 in
Brussels declares:
* that the development of an innovative knowledge economy and labour
market shortages as a result of demographic developments have
resulted in the need to intensify cross-border cooperation in
North-West Europe, at both national and regional level.
* that the continued globalisation of the world economy means that
North-West Europe must be more accessible to knowledge workers
from other parts of the world, in which context account should be
taken of the specific problems of knowledge workers in border
regions.
* that as a consequence of the above developments, a new phase in
cross-border cooperation is being entered into, which focuses on
structural collaboration and a further integration of the economy,
labour market and education infrastructure.
* that bringing about a cross-border labour market will require us
to proceed to effect:
+ a simplification and reduction of the administrative burden
for cross-border and knowledge workers (on the Dutch and
Belgian side alone there are as many as 28 laws that affect
cross-border employment with all the implementation and
administration problems that this entails);
+ more flexibility in regulations if possible, in order to
promote cross-border employment
+ a better provision of information and supervision for
cross-border and knowledge workers;
+ a better cross-border matching of skills and jobs including
the exchange of vacancies data;
+ a better use of education infrastructure in border regions by
improved cooperation and interchangeability of diplomas and
competences;
+ education in linguistic and cultural differences on both
sides of the border and for knowledge workers from other
parts of the world.
* that bringing about a flexible and secure cross-border labour
market will require a focused and cohesive effort on the
above-mentioned action lines from knowledge institutions,
businesses and public authorities at European, national, regional
and local level.
Opportunities are being offered in this respect by the process in
which the Dutch government is consulting with Germany and Belgium in
order to find joint solutions to cross-border problem areas, based on
daily practice in border regions.
* that the European Commission makes an important contribution by
means of instruments such as EGTC, INTERREG, EURES. It is vital
that these instruments are continued and expanded where possible
in North-West Europe. It is also important that Europe develops a
strategic position with regard to border regions and that more
account is taken of the position of border regions when new
guidelines are drawn up.
* that with a view to the above objective, a further information
exchange and collaboration between border regions in North-West
Europe is vital.
* that this conference will build on the successful conference on
border regions held on 5 July 2006 in Saarbrücken, and that the
parties will be invited to follow up the conference of 3 December
2008 in Brussels in 2010.
******************************************
The Dutch government, represented by the Minister of the Interior and
Kingdom Relations, Dr Guusje ter Horst emphasises the importance of
having a properly functioning cross-border labour market for the
economic development of the border regions concerned and for
North-West Europe as a whole. At the 3-country meeting to be held in
the spring of 2009, she will therefore also be asking her German and
Belgian counterparts to focus on the cross-border labour market. This
subject has come to occupy a key position in the wide-ranging action
programme on cross-border cooperation which she started with State
Secretary Timmermans in January 2008. An effort must be made to agree
on specific solutions to strengthen the cross-border labour market,
especially in terms of the supply of information and the mutual
recognition of educational qualifications.
The regional government of Saarland, represented by its Minister of
Justice, Health and Social Affairs, Prof. Gerhard Vigener, and as a
partner in the greater SaarLorLux region, points to the key
significance of cross-border regions as major building blocks in the
European integration process. The border regions have realised that
the only way to achieve these goals is to remove barriers to mobility
and to have effective cross-border cooperation while reducing national
inequalities in employment and social law, in social security systems
or in tax law. For this reason, the greater SaarLorLux region will
follow the example set by the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion by setting up a
task force for cross-border workers. This task force is to work on
finding solutions for all the relevant problems which make
cross-border mobility difficult. Although barriers to cross-border
mobility must be identified at regional level, the political
cooperation of national governments is also required to remove them.
It is therefore important to continue to extend and intensify the
exchange of experience and knowledge between the greater SaarLorLux
region and the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion, as it is only by undertaking
joint activities that it will be possible to achieve our political
goals at national government level.
The Province of Limburg, represented by executive councillors Wolfs
and Vrehen, will, together with its Euroregional partners and
stakeholders, take the initiative to achieve better use and further
integration of the labour market and educational infrastructure in the
Euroregion. To this end, an agreement containing an action plan will
be prepared in 2009, which will make it possible to lay the
foundations for a Top Technology Region. The main focus of this
agreement will be on:
* Creating transparency in the Euroregional labour market and
educational infrastructure.
* Establishing Euroregional information and knowledge centres to
promote the cross-border labour market.
* Creating an attractive business climate that will bring in talent
and knowledge workers.
* Overcoming linguistic and cultural difference by such means as
strengthening facilities for teaching the language of the
neighbouring countries.
Brussels, 3 December 2008
Dr. Guusje ter Horst
Minister of the Interior and Kingdom relations The Netherlands
Prof. Gerhard Vigener
Minister of Justice Health and Social Affairs Saarland (Germany)
Odile Wolfs
Executive Education and Labour Market for the Province of Limburg (NL)
Ir. Herman Vrehen
Executive Economics for the Province of Limburg (NL)
4-12-2008 09:55
Provincie Limburg