PANDEMRIC explores the benefits of Euregional cooperation during (health) crises

At the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, it became apparent that the majority of crisis policy was being implemented at a national level. Discoordination caused numerous bottlenecks in the border regions, which proved to have negative effects on Euregional cooperation. The PANDEMRIC project, aimed at promoting Euroregional cooperation in the field of health care, may offer opportunities for optimal cross-border crisis management. Together with four other projects, PANDEMRIC was awarded on 15 July 2020 by Interreg Euregio Meuse-Rhine, amounting to a total grant of €4.55 million. With EMRIC as the main partner of the project, the expertise centre ITEM is closely involved.

Within PANDEMRIC, the Institute for Transnational and Euregional cooperation and mobility / ITEM carries out a number of studies on a wide range of subjects. In particular, these include: outbreak research, legal consequences of ambulance transport, the limitations of cross-border procurement in times of crisis and the collaboration opportunities between the ICUs of hospitals in Dutch Limburg, Belgian Limburg, the Aachen City Region and the Province of Liège. ITEM members Hildegard Schneider, Martin Unfried, Pim Mertens, Lavinia Kortese, Sarah Schoenmaekers and Ruben Tans are involved in conducting the various studies.

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