3.7 Cross-border mobility in employment, entrepreneurship and vocational opportunities
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Programmes and schemes for cross-border mobility
For several years, the German-speaking Community has been working quite successfully on cross-border mobility. There exists for example cross-border cooperation with Germany for the mutual recognition of training and education but also for common training in master classes (to achieve the Meisterbrief). This fosters the mobility of graduates. But also within the framework of EU programmes like Erasmus+ or the European Solidarity Corps, both of which are being implemented in the German-speakign Community by the Youth Office (Jugendbüro), young people can enhance their vocational and professional abilities and language skills. Moreover the German-speaking Community participated via the Youth Office in the German ASA-programme (which was however finally discontinued) and still participates in the Quebec-Wallonie programme. There also is cooperation in the field of professional and vocational mobility as part of the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion (Euregio Maas-Rhein) and of the Greater Region (Großregion). Of course the Job Center of the German-speaking Community (Arbeitsamt der Deutschsprachigen Gemeinschaft) is a partner in relevant networks.
Greater Region
There is an agreement between the German-speaking Community of Belgium, the Job Centre, the Institute for Training and Further Education of Medium-Sized Businesses (Institut für Aus- und Weiterbildung des Mittelstandes, IAWM), the Center for Training and Further Education of Medium-Sized Businesses (Zentrum für Aus- und Weiterbildung des Mittelstandes, ZAWM) and the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, the Regional Authority of Rhineland-Palatinate-Saarland of the Federal Employment Agency, the Chamber of Craft Trades of Trier, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Trier and the German Trade Union Confederation of Rhineland-Palatinate for the implementation of the framework agreement on cross-border professional training in the Greater Region.
The framework agreement is to be implemented e.g. in bilateral agreements between partner regions and actors. Thus consideration can also be given to the respective peculiarities and details of specific needs be given.
The German-speaking Community and the state of Rhineland-Palatinate have been maintaining trusting cooperation for many years in numerous areas of work whether at bilateral level or at multilateral level as part of the Greater Region.
Focuses of the agreement are the cooperation between the public employment agencies and other actors to overcome obstacles for mobility on the labour market like the introduction of dual diplomas in joinery and the joint creation of a range of further training “Wood & Design”. Furthermore the possibilities of an exchange programme for cross-border internships during training (in co-operation with Trier CCI) as well as a closer exchange between administrative authorities of the European Social Fund should be examined. For monitoring the agreement, a regular exchange between the parties and a biennial report to the respective heads of government is agreed.
Legal framework
Cross-Border Mobility in Employment, Entrepreneurship and Vocational Opportunities is regulated by the EU in article 45 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which states that
- Freedom of movement for workers shall be secured within the Union.
- Such freedom of movement shall entail the abolition of any discrimination based on nationality between workers of the Member States as regards employment, remuneration and other conditions of work and employment.