INFOBEST Palmrain Thirty Years

24 April 2023

The German-French-Swiss INFOBEST PALMRAIN has provided free bilingual information, mediation and advice to citizens, associations, companies, public authorities and political actors on a wide range of cross-border issues for 30 years.

The organisation was founded on 1 July 1993. The trinational institution celebrated its 30th anniversary on 21 April in the former customs station at the Weil am Rhein – Village-Neuf border crossing.

Background

Since its establishment, this information and advice centre has answered about 150,000 (!) individual questions. In addition, around 1.2 million contacts have obtained information via the INFOBEST website.
Background

The Upper Rhine region (Haut-Rhin/Oberrhein) covers the German-French-Swiss border area. It comprises the four regions of Alsace, northwest Switzerland (the cantons of Basel-Stadt, Basel-Landschaft, Solothurn, Aargau and Jura), South Palatinate and Baden.

INFOBEST is the abbreviation for “INFOrmations- und BEratungsSTelle”. The four INFOBESTs are the first contact points for cross-border issues with Germany, France and Switzerland.

The organisation advises on numerous topics such as social security, work, taxes, moving to the neighbouring country, education, health insurance or transport. INFOBEST also guides and supports citizens in their administrative procedures in the other countries.

The INFOBEST network also acts as a hinge between the administrations of the three countries and promotes mutual exchange and cross-border cooperation. It identifies regulatory gaps or incompatibilities and helps find solutions.

The four advice centres are located in Lauterbourg, Kehl/Strassburg, Vogelgrun/Breisach and in Palmrain-Village-Neuf (the trinational French-German-Swiss advice centre).

Home office on the Upper Rhine 

On behalf of the German-French-Swiss Upper Rhine Conference  (Oberrheinkonferenz) and in cooperation with the Euro-Institut and EURES-T Upper Rhine, the INFOBEST network has also developed a guide for cross-border commuters and their employers on cross-border home office working in the Upper Rhine region.

The guide provides answers to various questions that may arise in connection with home office work in the country of residence, especially in the areas of social security, taxation and labour law. It also addresses possible risks for cross-border workers and their employers in the private sector and contains recommendations and practical examples. In addition, it refers to helpful documents and names the relevant contact persons.

Upper Rhine Service Centre

Under the title Service Zentrum Oberrhein (Service Centre Upper Rhine)  INFOBEST is working on strengthening and further developing the digital network. This task is implemented in three pillars: One Stop Agency (for help with digital applications), digitalisation, coordination, and communication. The project may start in autumn 2023 or next year.

(Source and further information: INFOBEST)