Europe Week in Maastricht

30 years after the signing of the Maastricht Treaty, Studio Europa Maastricht, together with its partners in the province, university and city, is shaping a dialogue on the role and future of European cooperation in border regions. What has it brought, and where can the borders be further blurred?

These questions are the starting point of conversations between different generations and encounters within different cultures and visions. During the Europe Week from 9 to 13 May, Studio Europa Maastricht provides a platform for the groundbreaking ideas, creative expressions and inspiring initiatives that color the European profile of the Limburg city, province of Limburg and Maastricht University. On the website of Studio Europa Maastricht you will find the full programme (refers to another website)(opens external website) which has been put together in collaboration with partners.

Wopke Hoekstra in Maastricht for the kick-off

The Europe Week will be kicked off on May 9, Europe Day, with a visit by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wopke Hoekstra to the Limburg capital. Hoekstra will share "our" view of Europe during a Europe speech. Among other things, he will discuss the way in which citizen dialogues make a valuable contribution to the formation of Dutch EU policy. Using the State of the European Union 2022 as a basis, he will also look back on the most important developments in the EU over the past year and present a vision of the Dutch agenda in the EU in the coming year. The minister will also address the latest developments surrounding the war in Ukraine.

After his speech, the minister, together with moderator Annette van Soest, will enter into a discussion with the audience in the hall and the followers of the livestream. The lecture will take place between 16:00 and 17:00 in the Muziekgieterij in Maastricht and can also be followed online via a livestream(refers to another website)(opens external website).

Followed by a student event: breaking the Brussels bubble

After completing an EU-related degree, many graduates follow the beaten path to Brussels. But working on a better Europe and cross-border issues doesn't just happen there. Many border regions, such as the Province of Limburg, are also the places where hard work is being done on these issues. And this event on May 11 will contribute to a hot topic, namely the retention of talent of young professionals in our region in the field of Europe.

Finalizing the workshop Europe: Circular economy without borders

This final event on May 13 aims to share knowledge and promote community building about circular economy in border regions. During this workshop, Studio Europa Maastricht aims to bring together, on behalf of the partners, representatives of regional companies, circular start-ups, multinationals, science hubs, intermediaries, civil society organizations, governments and universities.