Statuut voor Limburg? Final Report – project phase 1 (EN) 9 November 2018 Het Institute for Transnational and Euregional cross border cooperation and Mobility / ITEM is de spil van wetenschappelijk onderzoek, advisering,1 kennisuitwisseling en opleidingsactiviteiten omtrent grensoverschrijdende samenwerking en mobiliteit. ITEM project report „Statuut voor Limburg“ – 9 November 2018 Institute for Transnational and Euregional cross border cooperation and Mobility / ITEM A Statute for Limburg? Exploring the legal and practical possibilities of interregional cross-border cooperation in the Dutch border region Final report – project phase 1 (English version) - 9 November 2018 - Het Institute for Transnational and Euregional cross border cooperation and Mobility / ITEM is de spil van wetenschappelijk onderzoek, advisering, kennisuitwisseling en trainingsactiviteiten omtrent grensoverschrijdende samenwerking en mobiliteit. ITEM is een initiatief van Universiteit Maastricht (UM), het Nederlands Expertise en Innovatiecentrum Maatschappelijke Effecten Demografische krimp (NEIMED), Zuyd Hogeschool, de Gemeente Maastricht, de Euregio Maas-Rijn (EMR) en de Provincie Limburg (NL). 2 ITEM project report „Statuut voor Limburg“ – 9 November 2018 Contents Overview of Tables ......................................................................................................................... 5 Overview of Case Studies (text boxes) ........................................................................................ 5 Table of Annexes ............................................................................................................................. 6 Abbreviations .................................................................................................................................. 6 Acknowledgement .............................................................................................................................. 6 Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................ 7 1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 10 1.1 Objective and background .................................................................................................... 10 1.2 Problem statement ................................................................................................................. 11 1.3 Structure of the report .......................................................................................................... 11 2. Administrative division of the Netherlands ............................................................................ 12 2.1 Division of tasks and scope of provincial competences .................................................. 13 2.1.1 Distribution of competences ............................................................................................... 14 2.1.2 The scope of the provincial powers ..................................................................................... 15 2.2 Reflections on the Dutch Parliamentary System .............................................................. 17 2.3 Legal tools for experimentation: framework laws and differentiation clauses......... 19 2.3.1 Opening clauses in legislation ...................................................................................... 19 2.3.2 Framework laws (kaderwetten) and the fragmentation of legislative power .... 25 3. Regions with legislative power: a look at Limburg’s neighbours ........................................ 29 3.1 Belgian Regions (Gewesten) and Communities (Gemeenschappen) ............................. 31 3.2 German Regional States (Länder) ....................................................................................... 34 3.3 Typical problems of cross-border cooperation and the complex search for possible solutions.......................................................................................................................................... 38 4. Multilateral instruments that facilitate (interregional) cross-border cooperation ....... 44 4.1 European level ........................................................................................................................ 45 4.1.1 EU cohesion policy - The Union’s toolbox for supporting CBC ............................... 45 4.1.2 Council of Europe ............................................................................................................ 57 4.2 International and regional level .......................................................................................... 69 4.2.1 The Benelux Union .......................................................................................................... 69 4.2.2 Nordic cooperation and the Free Movement Council – Gränshinderrådet .......... 78 4.2.3 International cooperation at the basis of the river Rhine ...................................... 86 4.2.5 The German-French-Swiss Upper Rhine Conference – Oberrheinkonferenz ...... 94 4.2.6 The Austrian-Italian Three Provinces' Parliament – Dreier Landtag ................. 100 3 ITEM project report „Statuut voor Limburg“ – 9 November 2018 5. A model for Limburg to address cross-border problems more efficiently? .................... 103 5.1 Setting the scene: The Dutch Government’s position on CBC ...................................... 104 5.2 The innovative potential of the Benelux model – solving cross-border problems for its citizens ..................................................................................................................................... 106 5.3 A comprehensive governance model à la Nordic Free Movement Council? ............. 113 5.3.1 Problem definition – First stages in the FMC’s obstacle elimination system .... 113 5.3.2 The Free Movement Database – Ensuring the political ownership of cross-border problems ........................................................................................................................... 114 5.3.3 The obstacle elimination process – Prioritisation and elimination .................... 115 5.3.4 FMC as an efficient multilevel governance model .................................................. 117 5.4 A German-French-Swiss governance model – the Upper Rhine Trinational Metropolitan Region ................................................................................................................... 117 5.5 The proposed ECBM as a complementary process – an option for Limburg? ........... 121 5.5.1 EU typology of cross-border obstacles ...................................................................... 121 5.5.2 Aim and content of the Commission’s proposal ...................................................... 123 5.5.3 ECBM a solution for Limburg? .................................................................................... 125 5.6 Summary multilateral arrangements for enhancing CBC and dealing with cross- border obstacles .......................................................................................................................... 128 6. Conclusion and recommendations .......................................................................................... 129 6.1 Summary of main findings .................................................................................................. 130 6.1.1 Unilateral instruments to solve the mismatch of legislation ............................... 130 6.1.2 Multi-level instruments ............................................................................................... 131 6.2 Recommendations ................................................................................................................ 132 Research Team .................................................................................................................................... 138 4 ITEM project report „Statuut voor Limburg“ – 9 November 2018 Overview of Tables Description Page Table 1: Division of tasks between the three levels of administration in the Netherlands 15 Table 2: Federal competences of the Kingdom of Belgium 32 Table 3: Overview of competences of the Belgian Regions and the different language 33 Communities Table 4: Distribution of competences between the German Federation and the regional 36 States Table 5: Overview of legislative competences per policy field (based on matrix in Annex 4) 39 Table 6: Overview of EGTCs involving one or more Benelux countries 50 Table 7: Non-exhaustive overview of Benelux cooperation instruments 75 Table 8: Overview of priority policy areas for the cooperation between the Benelux & NRW 77 Table 9: Ten potential cross-border projects where legislation could (or could not) be 108 adapted in accordance with the legal framework of the Benelux Union, , and considering the possible application of the proposed ECBM Table 10: Typology of legal and administrative cross-border obstacles identified in the EU 122 Commission’s Cross-Border Review Overview of Case Studies (text boxes) Description Page NORTH SEA PORT Gent-Terneuzen-Vlissingen 41 EUREGIONAL Centre for Paediatric Surgery 43 EGTC Hospital of Cerdanya 53 EGTC(s) Grande Région 55 EGTC Lille-Kortrijk 56 EUROREGION Rhine-Waal 61 EURODE Business Centre 62 ALBERTKNOOP cross-border industrial zone between Maastricht (NL) and Lanaken (BE) 76 EUROAIRPORT Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg 99 CROSS-BORDER Tramway between Strasbourg