Cross-border inter-organisational cooperation in crime control

The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) has awarded a grant under the SGW open competition to a research proposal written by Prof Dr Math Noortmann (Institute for Transnational and Euregional cross border cooperation and Mobility / ITEM) and Prof Dr J.B.M. Koning (UM School of Business and Economics). The project will run for two years and aims to map and analyse cross-border cooperation between police, public prosecutors and municipalities in the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion in an interdisciplinary way.

The project brings together researchers from various scientific fields such as law, social sciences, organisational studies and public administration with prosecutors, police officers and municipal officials. In doing so, the research project aims to generate both scientific impact and societal impact.

The research, focused on cooperation in cross-border crime control, is in line with current discussions within the Meuse-Rhine Euregion, the Limburg security region, the BENELUX and developments in police and judicial cooperation between the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. Cross-border security is thus an important topic within ITEM.

A total of 60 researchers (out of 180 applications) from Dutch universities and knowledge institutions have been awarded more than 23 million euros from the SGW Open Competition – M Round 2022. Of these, seven were awarded to UM researchers. This funding gives them the opportunity to conduct research on a topic of their own choice, without thematic preconditions.