On Wednesday, December 2, 2020, the second Borderland Conference between the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the State of North Rhine-Westphalia took place. This conference was digitally organized from Duisburg (D), and many participants experienced a well-designed program over the Internet, moderated by Dr. Holthoff-Pförtner, NRW Minister for European Affairs.
Along with the Dutch State Secretary Knops for the Interior and Kingdom Relations and the King’s Commissioner of the Province of Limburg, Governor Bovens, they announced the results of the Borderland Agenda 2019 during the two-hour program. In addition to the current situation regarding the sustainable financing of the existing Border Info-Points, cross-border employment services were prominently discussed. The cross-border employment agencies, established in Kerkrade-Herzogenrath in 2016, have grown enormously since then.
It was made clear once again that cross-border employment administrations, along with the border information points, have an important role in the border regions and can no longer be ignored where they operate. The call for sustainable financing by the various SGAs is becoming increasingly louder, and the need for it was confirmed by those present at the conference. The hope and ambition are that ultimately a cross-border service structure can be secured.