The similarity between Le Quattro Stagioni and the Brabançonne
Since the elections of 26 May 2019 for a new Belgian federal government, intensive negotiations have been held and various possible coalitions have been explored.1 Eventually, the Vivaldi coalition2 succeeded in forming a new Belgian federal government on 30 September 2020. 3This contribution examines how much music the coalition agreement4 of the Vivaldi coalition actually contains when it comes […]
Quarantine exception insufficient for border region
Continued disproportionate impact on daily life in the border region With the circulation of the Coronavirus, governments are trying to restrict the movement of people. Staying at home and limiting unnecessary travel and visits is a frequently used and successful recipe against the flare-ups of Corona infections. To this end, border traffic is also being […]
Why do Dutch entrepreneurs just across the border not receive corona benefits?
During the corona crisis, national measures in the three countries on the Limburg borders are not coordinated equally well. As a result, there is currently a situation in the border region where certain border entrepreneurs fall between the cracks, such as in the Dutch newspaper NRC on April 2nd (“Emergency support for entrepreneurs? Not for these ‘border cases“) […]
Three countries, three ways of counting?
Comparing figures on corona infections and mortality can be misleading The number of people dying in Belgium from the effects of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) is higher than in neighbouring countries. This high mortality rate makes it seem as if Belgium is not doing as well as its neighbours. The Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant even reported on 17 […]
Corona-creativity-boost or corona-energy-drain?
Creativity needed more than ever in the creative industry The Corona-crisis and the lockdown hits severely, and particularly the cultural and creative industries. Already a traditionally precarious industry not having deep pockets, COVID‑19 knocks out most core activities of the sector. Concerts, expositions, performances, teaching activities… they all have human interaction and social gathering at its […]
Not crossing the border: recommendation or ban?
During the Easter weekend there was a lack of clarity about what the rules are at the German-Dutch border. What is actually still allowed when it comes to travelling from the Netherlands to Germany and vice versa? Both the government in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and in the Netherlands have communicated recommendations not to enter the […]
Border perils and the Hofstede dimensions
During my lunch break or in the evening, it is a pleasure to take a walk and visit the border crossing, because I want to know how our southern neighbours have cordoned off the border. The Dutch-Belgian border is about 300 meters away from me. Only recently I realised that my father once guarded that […]
The closing of national borders within the EU is a reflex and not the most effective instrument for health protection
Cross-border non-coordination Yesterday I was in Maastricht at the Belgian border which is no more than 1 km behind my house. I wanted to see it with my own eyes: the border was closed. The Belgian government has put up barriers to prevent us from entering their country. For five years we at ITEM have […]
Working from home: not a self-evident matter for frontier workers
With the prevailing Coronavirus (COVID-19) it is recommended to work from home as much as possible. For frontier workers, however, working from home can be disadvantageous. This is because they then work in another country from one day to the next. International and European rules on the coordination of tax and social security rules in […]
The Netherlands ignores advice from the European Commission on foreign pension transfers
Last November, the European Commission (EC) sent the Netherlands an advice stating that the Netherlands should amend its tax rules. The Dutch tax rules prevent that pension accrued in the Netherlands can be transferred when you move abroad. The so-called cross-border value transfer of pensions exposes the debate between European freedoms and fiscal autonomy. The […]
