Pim Mertens is scientific coordinator and researcher at ITEM – Maastricht University. He holds master’s degrees in Tax Law and Fiscal Economics from Maastricht University, but at ITEM he focuses on all cross-border issues – from the labour market and mobility to governance and cooperation. In particular, he is involved in border impact assessments of policy and legislation, for example in the context of the annual ITEM Cross-Border Impact Assessment, the Guideline Border Effects for the Dutch Ministry of the Interior and various ITEM reflections on social developments. Since 2024, Pim has also been heavily involved in the cross-border coordination point Flanders-Netherlands (Schakelpunt Grensbelemmeringen), which works on behalf of the Flemish and Dutch governments to resolve border barriers more effectively.