Euroregion Scheldemond (Belgium - The Netherlands)

• Author: Viaggi, Raffaele; Rubio, Jean; Peyrony, Jean
• Pages: 18-20

 ANALYSIS OF THE IMPACT OF BORDER-RELATED MEASURE S TAKEN BY MS IN THE FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19

 CASE STUDIES

18

Euroregion Scheldemond ( Belgium – The

Netherlands )

Border controls and

cross-border mobil-

ity

(Reduced crossings

points, type of con-

trols, congestion, CB

public transport…)

Between the two countries, only Belgium closed its border and there

were only a few CB points left open for CB workers in the area. The

Belgian police checked people going in and out of Belgium. Border-

checks were only based on justification: a certificate from the em-

ployer was requested for employees or self-made justification. By

having a reasonable justification to cross the border, all border

patrols would let people through: rules were strict, but police/bor-

der patrols applied them with flexibility and allowed people to cross

the border with the minimum required justification. There was no con-

gestion in the Euroregio Scheldemond. There were still possibilities to

cross the border by train, if one had viable reasons to cross the border.

As for existing cross-border bus lines, buses stopped right at the bor-

der.

CB coordination and

dialogue during the

crisis and the de-

containment phase

The first measures were very unclear and confusing because the needs

of border regions were not taken into account, and communication

was not clear enough.

At a later stage, there was a teasing of measures and a possibility for

social contact at the beginning of June as crossing borders was allowed

for family visits and grocery shopping. Informally, the borders were

opened again.

Impact on cross-

border workers

(Remote working and

taxation, social secu-

rity, unemployment…)

Cross border workers could cross the border with a permit stamped

by their employers and essential workers or keyworkers even got a

pass to skip the queue at the border control (nurses, workers

of the sea-port and other relevant industries): they could down-

load an auto-certificate, a sticker, which could be put on the car’s

window. Other exceptions were made for non-professional caretakers

or an emergency doctor’s visit.

There were agreements on exemp tions on the consequences for tel-

eworking, taxes and social security between Belgium and the

Netherlands except for independent CB workers. Cross border