The future of Europe

Limburg has acquired a strong position in the "Europe without frontiers" and the province is doing well, both from a national and a European perspective. Thanks to its broad international approach to a variety of issues, Limburg has the edge on other Dutch provinces. The fact that the province has proved to be an excellent location for many foreign businesses and companies targeting international markets is of increasing significance to Limburg's economy and employment. In the field of education, Limburg has again succeeded in benefiting from its strategie European location. Within a 25 kilometre radius of Maastricht, there are live universities of which two are in the Netherlands. Maastricht University and Maastricht University Hospital enjoy a transborder reputation thanks to the nature of their medical training programmes and medical-technological qualities. The Jan van Eyck Akademie for fine arts, the Conservatory of Music, the Maastricht Theatre School and the National Academy for Transport and Logistics in Venlo are also accessible to students from the German and Belgian border regions.
Parts of Limburg belong to one of the three Euroregions: the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion, the Rhine-North Meuse Euroregion and the Rhine-Waal Euroregion. Within these forums, cross-border cooperation is developing in various policy, public administration and social fields. Limburg's European identity was enhanced by the Maastricht Treaty, which was drawn up and signed in 1992 at the Provincial Government Buildings in Maastricht. If the future of the Netherlands lies in Europe then Limburg is already a European province.