ITEM: Interreg project Crossquality closure event

The INTERREG-EMR-V-A project Crossquality is coming to an end.

On 16 March 2023, 10.45 to 13.30 CET, the closure event of this project will be held in Maastricht.

Programme

10.45	Registration
11.00	Welcome and introduction: The partners of the project Martin Unfried, Project leader, ITEM Crossquality, Moderator Prof. Martina Fromhold-Eisebith, RTWH Aachen (via zoom) Prof. Elly van de Velde, Hasselt University Prof. Roland Billen, University of Liège Michael Dejozé, EGTC Euregio Meuse-Rhine Rob van Vugt, Interreg Programme Meuse-Rhine
11.10	Crossquality – A methodology to better assess the quality of cross-border cooperation and the experiences with the first application in the Euregio Meuse Rhine Fabian Fahl, RWTH Aachen, Casper Kikken, Hasselt University
	A first round of feed-back from practitioners involved in the research Mike Lüker, Province of Limburg, Expert Public Transport Paul Hölsgens, Euregio Meuse-Rhine, Expert Education/Labour market
11.45	Crossquality – The pilot: What are the results related to the Interreg programme Euregio Meuse Rhine? Martin Unfried/Pim Mertens, ITEM, Maastricht University
12.10	Debate: Interreg Practitioners and the Crossquality team Peter Paul Knol, Interreg Programme Deutschland-Nederland Dirk Peters, DG Regio European Commission (responsible for Interreg Meuse-Rhine) Jean-Philippe Odeurs, Interreg Programme Euregio Meuse-Rhine Mike Lüker, Province of Limburg, Expert Public Transport Paul Hölsgens, Euregio Meuse-Rhine, Expert Education/Labour market
12.45	End of the closure session
13.00	Lunch and networking
13.30	End of the event

As a reminder, here some background information on Crossquality:
How good is the cooperation of public sector bodies, companies or citizens in our cross-border region? How can we describe the quality of cross-border networks and entities? And finally: what are precisely the positive effects of an Interreg programme on the different aspects of cooperation and governance across borders?

In 2021 and 2022, the Crossquality project developed a methodology to measure the quality of cross-border cooperation related to Interreg programmes. With this innovative qualitative assessment methodology, it is possible to better assess the effects of Interreg programmes in a specific programme area. One practical result of the project is a handbook for practitioners describing how to apply the assessment.

As a pilot, the team from RWTH Aachen, Hasselt University, University of Liège, Maastricht University and EGTC Euregio Meuse Rhine carried out a first assessment by approaching many Interreg experts in the cross-border territory, conducting interviews, organising workshop and launching a survey.

The results for the Interreg programme Euregio Meuse-Rhine will be presented and discussed during this closure event.