ITEM / HNP round table event
Details evenement
Watch the live stream on YouTube After recent regional and national elections in
Details evenement
Watch the live stream on YouTube
After recent regional and national elections in the Netherlands (March & November 2023), Belgium (June 9 2024) and the European elections (June 6-9 2024), a new political reality has emerged on several levels; the regions, the Netherlands and Belgium, the Benelux and the European Union.
In this fourth online HNP/ITEM round table, we want to discuss and interpret the results of these elections for the position of border regions in the context of the current global and European challenges, the increase in regional disparities and the rise of right-wing parties in recent elections.
Unintended side effects are occurring or may occur at Europe’s internal borders due to a new political climate. The territorial dimension of Impact Assessments is currently still described as weak and border-specific assessment rarely takes place. Border regions are living labs of European integration. Strengthening territorial cohesion and cooperation on Europe’s internal borders is essential to meet the challenges European integration poses.
What is to be expected in the new political reality on a national level and in the European Union? What are regional representatives and other involved stakeholders planning to do in a Europe of regions? Is the European approach to regions and border regions adequate with regard to legislation and regulations?
As it becomes increasingly important to better assess territorial effects in border areas, we will discuss the role of regions in this process. Emphasis will be placed on the need for better regulation that takes into account the position of border regions and Europe’s internal borders through border impact assessment. The importance of targeted European instruments that strengthen cross-border cooperation in a sustainable way is ever increasing. We will reflect on the usefulness and necessity of Coordination Points and the importance of targeted EU instruments that stimulate and strengthen cross-border cooperation in border regions in a sustainable way.
Preliminary programme
Strengthening the perspective of border regions in policy and legislation is key during the round table, consisting of three rounds:
Round 1: New political reality in the EU and in the region
- Introduction and analysis of the European, Dutch, Belgian and Flemish elections and the respective coalitions that have been or are being formed.
- Arthur van Dijk, HNP President and King’s Commissioner
- Dr. Anouk Bollen-Vandenboorn, Director at ITEM
- Discussion on the effects of the different, aforementioned coalitions for EU-regions, specifically border regions.
- Karl-Heinz Lambertz, former President of the Parliament of the German-speaking Community of Belgium.
- Erwin Hoogland, Regional Minister for Economy of the Dutch province of Overijssel
- Frans Weekers, Secretary-General of the Benelux Union
- Q&A
Round 2: Future of cross-border cooperation and the available instruments
- Introduction on European cross-border cooperation and the available instruments based on the different, aforementioned coalitions.
- Martin Unfried, Researcher at ITEM
- Pim Mertens, Researcher at ITEM
- Discussion on the instrument “Schakelpunt” and the efforts and effects of European legislation and financing regarding cross-border cooperation.
- Carina Van Cauter, Governor of the Belgian province of Oost-Vlaanderen
- Dirk Gotink, Member of the European Parliament
- Raquel Garcia Hermida – Van der Walle, Member of the European Parliament
- Q&A
Round 3: New (cross-border) frontiers in Europe?
- Journalistic reflection on the future of Europe
- Bert van Slooten, Editor in Chief of Brusselse Nieuwe
- Conclusions
- Arthur van Dijk
- dr. Anouk Bollen-Vandenboorn
This event will be live broadcast on YouTube.
Tijd
11 september 2024 16:30 - 18:00(GMT+01:00)