What EMRIC does
Discover below the areas in which EMRIC is active in order to facilitate assistance across the borders of the Meuse-Rhine Euregion.
Health and care
Within the EMRIC partnership, both ambulance services and hospitals work together to provide the best possible assistance to citizens. Around 900 cross-border ambulance deployments per year and agreements and information exchange between hospitals make the Euregio Meuse-Rhine a unique region in Europe. In addition to hospitals and ambulance deployments, EMRIC also facilitates cooperation between the services responsible for infectious diseases. Viruses do not stop at the border. This makes the sharing of information crucial to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
Fire brigade
In the Meuse-Rhine Euregion, fire brigades have been working closely together for many years to provide residents with rapid and effective assistance, regardless of which side of the border the incident occurs. Whether it concerns technical assistance, fighting a major fire, or dealing with hazardous substances, clear agreements and solid cooperation are essential.
Disasters and major accidents
Disasters and major accidents sometimes require more resources than the impacted region has. In such cases, it is customary for neighboring regions to provide additional assistance. As a result of the EMRIC agreements, the emergency response capacities are many times greater. After all, in EMRIC's working area, the foreign neighboring regions are often closer and faster on site than the domestic services.
Information sharing and crisis communication
Information sharing is key to effective management of disasters and major incidents — especially in a border region such as the Meuse-Rhine Euregion. Whether it concerns the exchange of knowledge and data between emergency services or the rapid dissemination of advice to the population, clear, timely, and coordinated information sharing is an essential aspect of cross-border cooperation.
Projects
Within EMRIC, we not only work together on a daily basis to provide operational assistance, but also on innovative projects that strengthen cross-border cooperation. To this end, we make use of the subsidy opportunities offered by Interreg Euregio Meuse-Rhine. These projects result in concrete improvements, for example in the areas of crisis management and health. On this page, you can read more about some of the initiatives that demonstrate how EMRIC is working with various partners to create a safer region.
Exercises
To ensure that the euregional agreements on Emric, Eumed and the exchange of information work in practice and are known to all emergency services, it is important to practise these agreements on a regular basis. For this reason, there is a two-year exercise cycle that includes various types of exercises. The EMREX working group supports the implementation of exercise planning.
News and stories
Forest fire exercise Kreis Heinsberg
Two firefighter colleagues took part in a large-scale forest fire exercise in Kreis Heinsberg in April. Curious about their impressions? Read on below!
EMRIC Wildfires Network Day in Eupen
On 15 May, the first wildfires network day took place in Eupen. Firefighters from the three countries met there to share knowledge, experience and practical examples around tackling wildfires. Read a...
Meeting focus group Infectious diseases
On Wednesday 29 January 2025, the Infectious Disease Control Focus Group met at the Gesundheitsamt in Aachen. At this meeting, 19 members were present.