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The Euregio Meuse-Rhine
Situated in the heart of Europe, the Euregio Meuse-Rhine, with its five regions, three countries and three languages, has, as far as the European idea is concerned, numerous "strong points" to offer: a rich cultural heritage, an enormous economic potential, future-oriented economic structures, a variety of landscapes and, last but not least, first-hand experience in living and working together with their European neighbours.
The Euregio Meuse-Rhine comprises the Belgian provinces Limburg, Liège and the German-speaking community of Belgium, the Dutch region South Limburg, the German districts of Aachen, Düren, Euskirchen and Heinsberg and the city of Aachen itself, covering a total area of 10,400 km2, with a population of 3.7 million and approximately 250,000 established companies. About half of the population lives in Belgium, a third in Germany and a fifth in the Netherlands.
Right in the Middle of Europe
The Euregio Meuse-Rhine can be regarded as the nucleus and the driving force behind European integration. Here, where the language changes every ten minutes, where you go shopping in the Netherlands, live in Belgium but go to the doctor's in Germany, the advantages of open borders and the common currency are only too obvious. The Euregio has always seen itself as a podium for cross-border contacts and cultural and economic exchanges.
Its central position and efficient traffic infrastructure ensure that the major European economic centres are readily accessible. For instance, the high-speed trains Thalys and ICE offer excellent connections to Brussels, Paris, London, Cologne and Frankfurt am Main. Via the road network an area encompassing a population of 55 million can be reached within four hours. The Port of Liege, linked with the European mainports of Antwerp and Rotterdam, is Europe’s second inland port, in terms of tonnage handled (30 million tonnes annually), following Duisburg and pushing Paris into third place. The regional airports in Maastricht and Liège and the international airports nearby in Brussels, Cologne/Bonn and Düsseldorf ensure European and intercontinental connections.
A Region that's Going Places
The considerable stream of commuters bears witness that the national employment markets of the Euregio are already closely intertwined. Every day more than 30,000 people cross the border to go to work. A well developed road network guarantees the Euregio population a high degree of mobility. Improvements are also planned for the railway network, with the cross-border "euregiobahn" in Germany and projects in Belgium and the Netherlands. High-quality services in the field of research and development play a very important part here. The many universities and research institutes are producing a new highly-qualified and internationally orientated generation of scientists with their main emphasis on technology and natural science. This enormous technological potential has been a decisive factor in the revival of the Euregio Maas-Rhine.
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