News from Berlin – After over ten years of intensive negotiations Germany and its neighboring country the Netherlands have come to an agreement about the so-called Ems-Dollart treaty. The treaty is destined to settle matters between the two countries regarding their shared border in their northern sea regions, and focuses on the division of resources, the establishment of green energy sources and the handling of sea traffic.

Both the German and Dutch delegation happily signed the negotiation texts in preparation of the actual signing of the finalized treaty. This will be done later this Fall by both Germany’s Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Dutch Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans. After this, the parliaments of both the Netherlands and Germany have to ratify the treaty.

Finishing the long negotiations happened with cooperation of the Ems Dollart Region (EDR), a cross-border organization dedicated to establishing and improving contacts between the people, companies and organizations within the most northern Dutch-German border region. The organization has developed itself into a Dutch-German meeting point, where cross-border meetings and other activities occur, as well as providing a launching point for many exciting cross border projects.

By establishing clear guidelines and stimulating partnerships between Dutch and German parties, the long-awaited agreement aims specifically to increase the cross-border cooperation between German and Dutch parties from both the public and private sector. In a world in which physical boundaries are disappearing faster than ever before, the treaty will serve as a way to break down the mental boundaries between the Dutch and German people as well.

News from Berlin – Berlin Global