We continuously deliver products that increase knowledge and expertise in the possibilities of cross-border information exchange. Our experts develop practical guides, based on case studies.
Professional jargon
The list of professional jargon compares and defines the most important concepts in the context of the administrative approach to organized crime in Germany (NRW), Belgium and the Netherlands, systematically showing the similarities and differences. The list contains German, Belgian, French, English and Dutch translations of all terms.
Consulting public sources
In public sources foreign administrative bodies can consult a lot of information themselves. EURIEC has developed guides on relevant Belgian, German and Dutch public sources, clarifying the data that can be retrieved and information on how to consult these sources.
Belgium
- Consulting Belgian insolvency data
- Consulting Belgian cadastral data
- Consulting Belgian business data
- Consulting Belgian laws and regulations
- Consulting Belgian UBO-register
Germany
- Consulting German insolvency data
- Consulting German cadastral data
- Consulting German business data
- Consulting German laws and regulations
- Consulting Information from the central commercial register
- Consulting German UBO
Netherlands
Practical guides
Because of the diversity in cases, the EURIEC has built up broad expertise in issues related to the cross-border exchange of information for the administrative approach to organized crime. Based on its findings, the EURIEC publishes practical guides to share good practices.
EURIEC best practices and recommendations
The EURIEC has created a practical guide with best practices and recommendations for EU Member States that want to further develop the administrative approach to organised crime.
Belgium
- Documents to be requested by permit applicants
- Application manual KBO Belgium
- Application model for the Belgian land register
Germany
- Requesting information from the German population register
- Documents to be requested by permit applicants
- An application from the “Gewerbezentralregister”
Netherlands
Sample letters
Case studies show that not only unfamiliarity with the possibilities of information exchange and the language are a major barrier to requesting information. Therefore, EURIEC has developed standard formats for various written requests for information, which can be used by (administrative) authorities in Belgium and the Netherlands. This allows administrative bodies to send written requests to foreign (administrative) bodies in an accessible and simple manner. The difference in language does not have to form a barrier anymore.
Germany
EURIEC Final Report
The EURIEC Final Report contains an overview of the activities and findings of the Euregional Information and Expertise Centre (EURIEC) for the period from 1 September 2019 to 31 August 2021. In this period, we have gained insight, based on case studies, into the opportunities and challenges of cross-border information exchange for administrative approaches to organised crime.
The report consists of four parts:
1. Overview of the current opportunities and obstacles to the cross-border exchange of information, divided into themes.
2. The development of awareness for an (international) administrative approach.
3. Recommendations.
4. A brief description of the contribution of science.
Below you will find the various downloads. For each theme from part 1, you can additionally download a brief brochure and a more detailed legal memorandum.
Cross-border exchange of administrative data
Cross-border Exchange of administrative fines and recovery claims
Cross-border exchange from the population register
Cross-border exchange of police data
Cross-border exchange of judicial data
Cross-border exchange of tax data
Cross-border exchange of social security data
Applications for open government
How to access foreign administrative documents through the use of open government legislation?
Despite the fact that there is currently no general explicit legal basis in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany to exchange administrative personal data internationally, there are other methods besides special legislation to still receive information. One of the options available in the three countries, is to try to obtain information by using the laws on public access to government information. After all, foreign (natural) persons can make use of these laws.
This method has already been successfully tested in several cases brought to EURIEC by municipalities, including with regard to the revocation of licences. Below is a guide on obtaining administrative documents in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and North Rhine-Westphalia by foreign administrative bodies.
- Access to Belgian administrative documents by foreign administrative bodies through freedom of information laws
- Access to Dutch administrative documents by foreign administrative bodies through freedom of information laws
- Access to German federal administrative documents for foreign authorities via the Freedom of Information Act
- Access to North Rhine-Westphalian administrative documents for foreign authorities via the Freedom of Information Act
Information from the Belgian register for director disqualifications for foreign municipalities
In Belgium, there is an online register that can be consulted to check whether someone has been banned from management. Indeed, directors of companies or other legal entities can be banned from management by criminal and corporate courts.
The EURIEC publishes information on how it is included in the register and how foreign public bodies can use it in the guide below.
Information from the Belgian register for director disqualifications for foreign municipalities
Overview of information exchange options
This document provides an up-to-date overview of information exchange opportunities between Belgium, Germany (NRW) and the Netherlands. As a result, it allows you to see at a glance similarities and differences in terms of information exchange possibilities. The document is available in English, French, German and Dutch.