However, as they highlighted, harmonisation processes between the different administrative structures of the five regions – further complicated by language barriers – are a real challenge. They also explained how ITEM proactively tackles cross-border issues in many ways, for example, by conducting ex-ante impact assessments for the Dutch government to evaluate how new laws and regulations will affect the border regions, or via ex-post evaluations to determine whether existing policies effectively serve their purpose. Regarding specific obstacle management, they outlined the Schakelpunt initiative, which is a cross-border coordination point, handling systemic obstacles since September 2025, with a clear process starting from “quick scans” up to in-depth legal analyses and policy recommendations, covering multiple fields, ranging from waste management to employment or housing issues.

The line of presentations was continued by Susanne Sivonen (Researcher of ITEM), who gave an overview of cross-border healthcare services in the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion. She discussed the major legal obstacles the trinational region face, and underlined the mediator rule of ITEM in resolving such legal obstacles, like specific reimbursement issues related to medical treatments. Regarding emergency health services, she explained a certain discrepancy between practice and regulation, as the Benelux Treaty makes it possible for ambulances to cross the border and medical qualifications to be recognised between Benelux states, but practice does not always follow this legislation. For example, cross-border calls for ambulance cars and ambulance helicopters are not integrated into daily practice, regardless of the fact that no legal obstacles exist to prevent it. However, she highlighted some successful projects in this field, for example, the Euregio Meuse-Rhine Incident Response and Crisis Management (EMRIC), a cross-border partnership between emergency services of the region. Another innovative good practice of the euroregion is the EDEN-Medical project, testing drones for urgent medical logistics between hospitals, and the Hawkeye project, which focuses on cross-border crisis management, also with the involvement of drone technology. She also mentioned other cases of borderless healthcare, such as the Euregional Paediatric Surgery Center or exchanges of medical staff between hospitals. 

Regarding cross-border public transport, Dominik Elsmann (Head of Euregional Coordination Centre of Aachener Verkehrsverbund, AVV) presented the example of the Liège–Maastricht–Aachen trinational railway, a flagship project for the region. The cooperation of the transport authorities in the region provides a pragmatic approach in splitting the revenues meaning that income goes to the respective partner where the passengers bought the ticket in question. One of the greatest outcomes of the cooperation in cross-border public transport is the euroregional ticketing system, the daily pass in particular. Same prices are available for all customers, however, national VAT rates differ, consequently this model sometimes results in unequal profits, yet this is the most effective method for inter-country ticketing in the region, and could also serve as a blueprint for all cross-border regions across the European Union. He further touched on topics such as the allowance of cabotage, subsidised transport fares, and the importance of a pragmatic approach by piloting practical solutions to cross-border transport issues.

The afternoon session featured Michael Dejozé (Director of the Euregio Meuse-Rhine EGTC), who outlined the EGTC’s essential role in maintaining cooperation between the five different partner regions, offering the proper framework to manage the euroregion’s complexity. He introduced the region’s strategic goals while emphasising the importance of finding shared goals with enough willingness to implement them. This method transformed the EGTC’s ambitious Strategy 2030 into a more focused 2026 workplan that prioritises initiatives where all five partners demonstrate this collective will and common contribution. Moreover, he highlighted the euroregion’s success stories, such as the trinational railway, bilateral disaster management, cross-border firefighting, and the deployment of joint mobile flood barriers. Michael Dejozé also mentioned the issue of the funding gap that the EGTC might face after 2028/29, warning that the “Interreg gap” (i.e. missing Interreg support until the announcement of new calls from the upcoming programme period) could jeopardise the EGTC and broader regional cooperation. He urged moving beyond temporary, project-based initiatives and creating permanent, sustainable structures that stakeholders find essential to maintain, keeping them engaged even after finishing a shared project.

Concluding the series of presentations, Paul Hölsgens (Network Coordinator of Euregio Meuse-Rhine EGTC) introduced Connect’ED and CrossCircular projects focusing on cross-border career guidance and circular economy, while stressing the importance of fostering intercultural relations in the trinational area through native-language assistant programs and school “labels” that promote neighbouring languages. Last, but not least, Sem Jans (Researcher of ITEM) introduced the existing police cooperations in the euroregion, via projects like NeBeDeAgPol, the Euregional Police Information and Cooperation Centre (EPICC) or the Euregional Information and Expertise Centre (EURIEC), which aims to boost the cross-border administrative collaboration against organised crime between Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands that happens via administrative loopholes. She further emphasised the best practice of GPTs (Grensoverschrijdende Politie Teams), which are binational police units that allow Dutch and German officers to patrol together, creating a more integrated security system in the German-Dutch border region.