25th ICLAM Conference

22-25 May 2016

Maastricht, Netherlands

www.iclam2016.org

congress.iclam.org

app.iclam.org

Newsletter #6 January 2016

1. Robert Kneepkens – President Organizing committee 2. Jan Buitenhuis – Member Organizing committee, President Scientific programme committee 3. Jan Bronsema – Member Organizing committee, Vice-president Scientific programme committee 4. Astrid Blaauw-Hoeksma – Member Organizing committee, President Social events committee 5. Jeroen Roke – Treasurer Organizing committee 6. Monique Tolsma-Piegza – Vice-president Social events committee, President GAV 7. Nico Croon – Member Scientific programme committee 8. Max Hendriks – Member Scientific programme committee 9. Liesbeth Wijnvoord – Member Scientific programme committee 10. Frans van den Wildenberg – Member Social events committee 11. Gerda van Beelen – Member Social events committee 12. John Evans – Member Scientific programme committee – no picture available

Congress Secretariat CIM Global Europe Carla Prevoo Liselotte Buijs

Contact details PO Box 302 1000AH Amsterdam Tel: +31 (0)20 5040 200 Email: iclam2016@cimglobal.eu

Visiting the office Waagdragerhof 102 1019HB Amsterdam

Website www.cimglobal.net

WELCOME TO MAASTRICHT!

ICLAM Membership • is free of charge. • entitles you to some discount or extra service

at the ICLAM Congresses, starting in 2016. • will give you access to the presentations of

the ICLAM Congresses, within one year after the congress at New Year's Day. Participants of an ICLAM congress will get access immediately (if there are no legal objections). Others will have to wait for one year more than ICLAM members.

• includes the subscription to ICLAM Newsletters and to official ICLAM announcements.

• opens the possibility of becoming a member of one of the portfolio committees (PFC).

• is open to insurance professionals interested in medical underwriting and claims assessment.

Apply for ICLAM membership at https://www.iclam.org/node/54

ICLAM History The history of ICLAM started in 1899, when Dr. E. Poëls, Chief Medical Director of Compagnie Belge d´Assurances Générales, organized the first International Congress in Brussels. ICLAM was founded on September 24th 1901 in Amsterdam as the Association Internationale de Médecins Experts des Compagnies d'Assurances (AIMECA). After a long silence since the Great War, the first ICLAM Congress in 29 years opened on July 23rd 1935 at Holborn Bars, the offices of Prudential Assurance Company in London, UK. Over the years ICLAM, which started out as an European organization, has expanded to hold congresses on other continents in keeping with its title. The 26th ICLAM Congress and 30th International Congress of Insurance Medicine in 120 years will be organized in Mumbai, India, by Dr. Himanshu Bhatia and his team.

ICLAM Bureau President : Dr. Rump, President-Elect of ICLAM; Bureau members : Austria: Dr. Munda; Austrialia: Dr. Benson; Belgium: Dr. Tricot; Brasil: Dr. Quintero; Canada: Dr. Meagher; China: Dr. Zhou; Finland: Dr. Gockel; France: Dr. Evans; Germany: Dr. Kühn; Ireland: Dr. Gueret; Israel: Dr. Perluk; Italy: Dr. Capurro; Japan: Dr. Izumi; Poland: Dr. Daniluk; Roumania: Dr. Soare; Singapore: Dr. Peshi; South Africa: Dr. Van Zyl; South Korea: Dr. Kim; Spain: Dr. Villanueva; Sweden: Dr. Sjöstrand; Switzerland: Dr. Widmer, Treasurer of ICLAM; United Kingdom: Dr. Croxson; United States: Dr. Clark.

ICLAM Board 2013-2016 – President : Dr. Chouty; General Secretary : Dr. Coetzer; President Elect : Dr. Rump; Members : Dr. Guzel; Dr. Kneepkens; Dr. Regenauer; Dr. Teichmann; ICLAM 2019 : Dr. Bhatia.

Registration form : https://cm.cimglobal.eu/cmregistration/conferencemanager/register/ICLAM16/normal

Cancellation policy Your notification of registration cancellation must be made in writing to the Congress secretariat CIMGlobal, email: iclam2016@cimglobal.eu, by 1 April 2016. Cancellations until this date will be accepted with a refund of all prepaid fees less a 50 euro administration charge. Cancellations thereafter will be charged the full fee. Any refunds will be dealt with after the Congress.

The following countries are considered to have an Advanced Economy. America • Canada, United States Asia and Oceania • Australia, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan,

Korea, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan

Europe • Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech

Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom

Early Bird fees : 20% discount Early Bird fees with 20% DISCOUNT are offered until JANUARY 31, 2016. The payment has to be in at this day. If you pay by invoice, please take into account that the bank transfer can take a few days. Included services Services include the conference app and free access to internet in the MECC, both sponsored by SWISS RE; free public transportation in the City of Maastricht (also for accompanying guests). Included events Events include the Welcome reception on Sunday evening, the Gala dinner on Tuesday evening, the All participants tour on Tuesday afternoon, and depending on the type of registration either participations to the Scientific Programme, or Tours on Monday and Wednesday. On Tuesday morning an extra tour can be purchased separately.

ONLY ONE WEEK LEFT TO REGISTER AS “EARLY BIRD”! Delegates Advanced economies 725 euro (early bird 580 euro)

Delegates other countries 375 euro (early bird 300 euro)

Accompanying guests 400 euro (early bird 320 euro)

Sunday 22 May 2016 10:00 – 16:00 ICLAM Board & Bureau meetings invitation only 10:00 – 16:30 Mortality Introduction Course public, to be purchased separately 18:00 – 20:00 Welcome Reception delegates & accompanying guests

Monday 23 May 2016 09:00 – 09:10 Opening ceremony delegates & accompanying guests 09:10 – 17:00 Scientific programme delegates 09:10 – 17:00 Full Day Tour accompanying guests

Tuesday 24 May 2016 08:30 – 12:30 Scientific programme delegates 09:30 – 11:30 Tour (optional) accompanying guests, to be purchased separately 12:30 – 16:00 Tour & lunch bag delegates & accompanying guests 18:30 – 23:00 Gala Dinner delegates & accompanying guests

Wednesday 25 May 2016 09:00 – 16:15 Scientific programme delegates 09:30 – 11:30 Tour accompanying guests 16:15 – 17:00 ICLAM 2019, Closing ceremony delegates & accompanying guests

The Future of Risk - insurance and uncertainty in the territory of the unknown

Professor Dr. Frank Furedi The focus of this presentation is the changing cultural understanding of risk. Once associated with the calculation of probabilities risk is now frequently equated with threats that are difficult to interpret, manage and anticipate. This shift in orientation applies not only to virtually every dimension of human experience from personal health, child rearing to climate change. The implications of these developments for society’s need and relation to insurance will be evaluated.

Some highlights Scientific programme

Insurance and politics: Decision Making in Europe

Dr. Ralf Fischer zu Cramburg European lawmakers are still committed to major reforms in the insurance sector not at least when it comes to the life and health sectors. This will not be without effect on national laws whose vast majority is a mere transposition of Brussels made regulations. Thus, it is even more important to raise the concerns of the industry at the appropriate time and level. This presentation will have a specific focus on how politicians think and what can be learnt from recent experiences in order to make our business model more tangible and transparent to decision makers.

Prolonged work absence following injury: The role of psychological factors?

Professor Dr. Michael Sullivan In recent years, pain catastrophizing and perceived injustice have emerged as robust psychological predictors of adverse health and mental health outcomes of injury. Clinical studies have shown that catastrophizing and perceived injustice contribute to prolonged disability beyond the variance accounted by pain or physical status variables. This presentation will address the processes by which these psychosocial risk factors impact on disability. Methods of detecting and intervening on psychosocial risk factors will be addressed.

Mental Illness: An Often Underappreciated Cause for Increased Mortality

Dr. Clifford Titcomb The presentation will review the overall mortality associated with the forms of mental illness most commonly encountered in insurance underwriting. It will include a review of the risk modifiers that influence outcomes and will focus on depression, anxiety disorders, bipolar disease and schizophrenia.

How to make risk estimates more credible

Professor Dr. John Ioannidis Most estimates of risk factors and even treatment effects have substantial uncertainty and many have large bias in their estimation, based on suboptimal evidence. The talk will discuss the current state of credibility of this literature and potential solutions that can enhance the quality and credibility of the evidence base that is used to obtain risk estimates in biomedicine.

Big Data Analytics for Health Insurance

Dr. Fabian Winter Big data and business analytics are raidly gaining impact along the complete value chain. Data collected on a global scale can produce enormous volumes in a very short time. This gives rise to the need for new methods to generate added value for businesses from the inexhaustible potential of big data. Business analytics provides structure when dealing with such data. For health insurers, big data and business analytics are central issues for the future. But what is behind these buzzwords? What actual effects will it have on your business?

And over 50 more ... ...

Gold sponsor

• Prof. dr. Frank Furedi : The Future of Risk - insurance and uncertainty in the territory of the unknown

• Prof. dr. Johan Mackenbach : Global trends in life expectancy: roads into an uncertain future

• Prof. dr. Mike Nurmohamed : Cardiovascular risk (management) in rheumatology • Prof. dr. Jim van Os : Mental health diagnosis: sick care or health care perspective • Dr. Clifford Titcomb : Mental illness: An often underappreciated cause for

increased mortality • Prof. dr. John Cockcroft : Aortic stifness and pulse wave velocity as risk marker • Prof. dr. Philip Scheltens : Early detecting of dementia • Prof. dr. Arno Akkermans : The anti-therapeutic effects of compensation

procedure and the responsibilities of lawyers • Prof. dr. David Cassidy : Recovery from injury – why we need to pay attention to

insurance legislation • Prof. dr. Harald Merckelbach : Five myths about feigning illness. And why we

believe them • Prof. dr. Michael J.L. Sullivan : Prolonged work absence follow injury: The role of

psychological factors • Prof. dr. Johan Vlaeyen : Pain science: its all about behaviour • Prof. dr. Steven Linton : Psychological risk factors for pain-related disabiity: what

they are, how they work and what they mean • Prof. dr. Regina Kunz : Evidence Based Insurance Medicine • Dr. Shinji Maruo : The present state of the regenerative medicine using iPS cells

in Japan • Prof. dr. Bert Otten : Extraordinary human movement: disabled athletes and

unique talents • Prof. dr. Jan Hartvigsen : Everyone is an athlete!

• Prof. dr. Bruno Dubois : New approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease

• Prof. dr. Gerd Assman : Personalising cardiovascular risk today and tomorrow • Prof. dr. Brigitte Autran : HIV infection in 2016: a chronic insurable disease • Prof. Dr. Ab Osterhaus : New developments in infectious diseases • Prof. dr. Kristina Alexanderson : Disability pensions and mortality • Prof. dr. John Ioannides : How to make risk estimates more credible • Dr. Luc Bonneux : Too much medicine: the dangers of screening • Dr. Ralf Fischer zu Cramburg : Insurance and politics: Decision Making in

Europe • Dr. Gina Guzman : Medical use of Marihuana • Karsten Filzmaier : How often is rare ? The challenge of underwriting rare

diseases • Dr. Michael Clark : Long-term prognosis of corrected congenital heart disease • Dr. Himanshu Bhatia : Breast cancer in the east vs the west: Is it the same

disease? • Dr. Christoph Nabholz : Radical medical innovation and its impact on the

insurance industry • Dr. Tommaso Camerota : Prostate cancer: insurance problems and critical

illness • Dr. Fabian Winter : Big data analytics for health insurance suggested by board • Tracy Peterson : Cancer, social status and socioeconomics • Dr. Marianne Cumming : Long-term prognosis of corrected congenital heart

disease • Prof. dr. Ian Cameron : Encouraging health recovery after motor vehicle

crashes: research informed interventions • Dr. Shanil Ebrahim : Psychotherapy in patients on sick leave due to mental

health disorders • Dr. Jason Busse : The role of psychological factors in predicting disability

following surgery

Invited speakers

+ 20 more submitted presentations

Gold sponsor

• Aamer Fattah : Rise of the cyborgs • Ine Van Hoyweghen : Big Data, Small Solidarity? • Paul Triggs : Lessons from a deep morbidity database • Fang Li : Big data based innovations in Life Insurance • Rebecca Gallagher : Value of Rehabilitation • Anja Holwerda : Collaboration between mental health and employment

services to support employment of individuals with mental disorders • Lieke Lammerts : A participatory supportive RTW program for workers

without a permanent employment contract, sick-listed due to a common mental disorder

• Monica Garcia : Can we predict who is at long term risk of disability? • Sohail Mullah : Factors associated with disability claim duration among

Canadian workers • Marc Du Bois : The unbearable lightness of “abnormal damage” in the

Belgian no-fault scheme • Nieke Elbers : Differences in perceived fairness and health outcomes in two

injury compensation systems • Stephan Becher : Disability due to infections • Lyubov Ruzina : Evaluation of risk assessment in cases of Diabetes Mellitus

type 1 • Takeshi Uchiyama : Kawasaki Disease and its Impact on Underwriting • Marissa van Maaren : Insurability of cancer survivors • Liesbeth Wijnvoord : Evaluation of the effect of exclusion clauses in

disability insurance • Rainer Hakimi : Insurance Medical Consultation in the Private Health

Insurance • Stephen Holland : Long Term Care Insurance in the USA • Kevin Somerville & John Schoonnbee : Overinvestigation and overdiagnosis • Tripthi Mathew : XY Chromosome Variations

One of the innovations this year is the Call for presentations. 25 people reacted, 20 were chosen to give an oral presentation, 15 will also present their abstract on a poster.

ICLAM Award for submitted abstracts The members of the ICLAM Bureau, representing over 30 countries in the world, will assess the abstracts on criteria like relevance, importance, newness, validity and quality of the evidence, presentation, and quality of research. The first author of the best abstract will win the ICLAM Award. The runner-up will also receive a prize out of hands of a representative of the ICLAM Bureau. With the Award, ICLAM hopes to stimulate young professionals in insurance medicine to dedicate time and effort into research and evidence-based practice.

Mortality Introduction Course

15 points

Continuing Medical Education

The ABSG, the Dutch Accreditation Bureau for Social Medicine, has accredited the scientific programme of the ICLAM conference with 15 CME points in two fields:

Insurance Medicine (including Social Security);

Society & Medicine, profile Policy & Advice, which focuses on Health Insurance.

Most countries recognize CME points of the ABSG. The Scientific programme committee will also apply for European CME points, that are recognized in all countries.

Dutch doctors will need the ABSG registration ID: 239561.

Course objectives • You know the terminology and statistics involved in analysis of mortality data

needed for underwriting Life insurances. • You know the difference between survival and mortality and are able to

translate survival data into mortality data. • You know the basis methodology to translate data from a scientific

publication for underwriting. • You are able to assess an applicantion by using literature, tables and

guidelines.

Basic course information • Language : English • Capacity : Maximum number of participants 50. • Costs : 200 euro, Early Bird fee until 31 January 2016 175 euro. • Certification / CME : 5 points, ABSG registration ID: 240136. • Venue : MECC (Maastricht Exhibition & Conference Centre). • Staff : Jan Bronsema MD MSc, Willem Appeldoorn MD, Eric Groenewegen MD.

Basic Mortality Introduction Course For starting medical advisors and underwriters, organized by the Educational committee of the GAV (Dutch Association of Medical Advisors

in Private Insurance Affairs), available to all delegates and accompanying guests. It has to be purchased separately.

The MECC will be the venue for the 25th ICLAM 2016 conference and the Mortality Introduction Course in Maastricht, the Netherlands. The Maastricht Exhibition & Conference Centre is owned by the city of Maastricht. Please visit the website of the Maastricht Exhibition & Conference Centre for more information on the Venue. The website is available in English, French, German and of course Dutch. Following page : Floor plan MECC

Address : Forum 100, 6229 GV Maastricht Telephone : +31 (0)43 38 38 383 Email : info @ mecc.nl Latitude : 50.837725 | Longitude : 5.713192

Maastricht Exhibition & Conference Centre www.mecc.nl

On the right The main entrance of the venue gives access to the Trajectum. Here you will find the registration desk, the booths of the sponsors, the poster presentation. Lunches and refreshments will be served here. Below The Trajectum gives access to the Auditorium (plenary sessions) and to the ground floor, where the rooms for the concurrent sessions are located.

Silver sponsor

Free wifi sponsored by

In the Mecc, our congress venue, all participants will have free acces to the internet via wifi

Since a few weeks our special ICLAM 2016 conference app is available for mobile phones and tablets. Go to your browser and op http://app.iclam.org to have always the most actual information at hand. The ICLAM Conference app is sponsored by

The Welcome Reception is sponsored by the City of Maastricht and:

Photographs by Etienne van Sloun

Design between Heaven and Earth. The 15th century Kruisheren cloister and monumental gothic church has been transformed into a very special designer hotel with restaurant. The modern hotel accommodates 60 individually decorated rooms. The Kruisherenrestaurant is situated in the nave of the church on a mezzanine. The magnificent interior by Henk Vos and Ingo Maurer will complete your heavenly feeling.

All participants and accompanying guests are invited to the Welcome Reception

We will welcome you on the terrace. The terrace is accommodated at the beautiful and intimate cloister courtyard.

Sunday 22 May 2016, 18:00 Kruisherenhotel

Kruisherengang 19-23 6211 NW Maastricht

The Netherlands

Admission included in Registration fee

Gala dinner Tuesday 24 May 2016 19:00 – 01:00

For the Gala dinner we will visit a beautiful country estate in Belgium, located in the heart of a verdant wooded area. The welcome aperitif will be served in the stately garden with small avenues, ponds and idyllic spots that may take you into reveries of times gone by. The expanses of the Hoge Kempen National Park start right outside the front door to offer the wonders of nature.

18:20 - 18:40 : Touring cars leaving for Lanaken; 19:00 - 20:00 : Welcome aperitif, in the garden if the weather permits; 20:00 - 21:30 : Gastronomic dinner in a number of adjoining rooms; 21:30 - 23:00 : Party in the Alexanderhof; 22:00 - 23:00 - 24:00 - 01:00 : Touring cars leaving for Maastricht. Costs : all food and drinks included in the conference fee.

Sponsored by

Martial history is the leitmotiv of this walk. You still can see the old fortifications on several locations in town.

This parade of delicacies will introduce you to all the culinary delights that Maastricht has to offer! Take a walk with a guide who not only knows the highlights of the city, but has a unique eye for the local specialities.

This tour on foot will pass the many beautiful places in the city centre of Maastricht including stokstraatkwartier (restored town district in the inner city), the O.L.Vrouweplein and the Vrijthof. The guide will show you the treasure chamber of the Basilica of St. Servatius.

You'll go ashore at the St. Pietersberg (Zonneberg System) for a tour through the marlstone caves in the St. Pietersberg hill. Even today the walls and ceilings show us how the 'block breakers' used to work in there. On the walls one can find numerous interesting inscriptions and drawings, some of which are very old. Or discover the secrets of St. Pietersberg with a kick scooter.

Many tours to choose from The South of Limburg : A full day bus tour for accompanying guests: The

famous hills of South Limburg with the undulating landscape; Lunch at Drielandenpunt Vaals; Guided tour Jesuit caves; Apostelhoeve.

Apart hotel Randwyk Endepolisdomein 30 6229 EM, Maastricht Price per night Single use: €138,00 Double use: €160,50 All prices include breakfast and (city) taxes 4* Hotel in the centre of Maastricht next to the MECC and near the train station.

NH Maastricht Forum 110 6229 GV, Maastricht Prices per night Standard room € 175,00 Superior room € 195,00 Suite € 205,00 All prices include breakfast and (city) taxes 4* city centre hotel and bar, located next to the MECC.

Crowne Plaza De Ruiterij 1 6221 EW, Maastricht Price per night Single use: €231,50 Double use: €---- All prices include breakfast and (city) taxes 4* hotel in the centre of Maastricht on the shore of The Maas.

These 3 ICLAM hotels can be booked via the ICLAM Hotel booking form. Visit https://congress.iclam.org/node/8

Use this link to search for ICLAM Hotels in Maastricht via Booking.com: http://www.booking.com/searchresults.html?city=-2149006&aid=908871.

Travelling to Maastricht Maastricht lies in the "Tail" of the "Dutch Lion", near Aachen in Germany and Liege in Belgium. Intercontinental travellers should also look for German and Belgian airports and use the train to get to Maastricht. This might save you much time and keep the travel costs low. For many European delegates, travelling by car might be a good solution, specially if delegates travel together. If you want to come by car, please look for parking places near the hotels. The Congress Venue has 2500 parking places, so we do not expect any troubles with parking there. We will give parking information for all official congress hotels and the congress venue.

For an overview of the possibilities, please visit http://maastrichtconventionbureau.com/maastricht-2/accessibility/?lang=en

Transit bus arrangement MECC Maastricht When you use the transit bus arrangement, you can travel for free through the center of Maastricht with your congress badge as ticket for the Veolia buses. Maastricht provides an excellent transit service to reach fast and easy your hotel, train station or MECC Maastricht. All buses of Veolia inside Maastricht belong to the transit bus arrangement. Unfortunately, you can’t use the transit bus arrangement for the bus to Maastricht Aachen Airport.

Do you need a Visa?

Please check this page: http://www.government.nl/issues/visa-for-the-netherlands-and-the-caribbean-parts-of-the-kingdom/short-stay-visas-for-the-netherlands

Letter of invitation If you need a letter of invitation, please contact the Congress Secretariat at iclam2016@cimglobal.eu.

Netherlands and Belgium Your Visa is a so called Schengen Visa, so it will be valid for both the Netherlands and Belgium. This means that you do not need a second Visa for the Gala dinner, which takes place in Belgium. Your Visa for the Netherlands is sufficient!

By Inoue-hiro - Photograph taken by myself (本人撮影), CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3323939

Belgium – Germany – the Netherlands

Phone numbers In case of emergency: 112 Transportation Taxi for you Maastricht : +31 26 000 05 43 Jacobs Bus & DMC : +31 43 601 38 77 Venues MECC (congress) : +31 43 383 83 83 Kruisherenhotel (reception) : +31 43 329 20 20 La Butte aux bois (gala dinner) : +32 897 397 70 Hotels Aparthotel Randwyk : +31 43 361 68 35 Crowne Plaza Maastricht : +31 43 350 91 91 Kruisherenhotel : +31 43 329 20 20 NH Maastricht : +31 43 383 82 81

Registration desk (23-25 May) The registration desk at ICLAM is located on the ground floor next to the entrance of the MECC. At the registration desk you can pick up your conference bag and materials. Opening hours registration desk: Monday 23 May 07:30-17:00 Tuesday 24 May 07:30-13:00 Wednesday 25 May 08:00-18:00

Congres Secretatriat CIMGLobal Ms. Carla Prevoo Ms. Liselotte Buijs Phone +31 20 50 40 200 Mail iclam2016@cimglobal.eu Web www.cimglobal.net

Main sponsor

Dutch people do not feel comfortable with too strict dress codes. So please see the dress codes on this page as mere guidelines to help you choose the right dress for the occasion. Visit https://congress.iclam.org/node/13 for the meaning of the designations.

Welcome Reception • Business Casual for men. • Business Casual for women.

Congress venue • Business Casual for men. • Business Casual for women.

Congress tours • No dress code, except for visits to places of worship.

Comfortable clothes and shoes are recommended. Gala dinner

• National dress for both, if suitable for the occasion. • Lounge suit for men. • Cocktail dress for women.

Carnaval is the

best event

to experience

the love

of the people

of Maastricht

to dress

for the

occassion

Dressed for the City Maastricht, capital of the province of Limburg, is a popular destination for Dutch, Belgian, German and French tourists. The city owns the third congress venue of the Netherlands and it harbours an international University. For these reasons the "city dress code" is very broad-minded - anything goes - although the people from Limburg like to "dress for the occasion", looking smart. In the morning and afternoon, casual or smart casual - depending on your own preferences - will be excellent for almost all occasions. In the evening smart casual will be preferable. For a visit to the theatre, a concert or a Michelin-starred restaurant, you may feel more comfortable if you wear business casual, but smart casual will still be appropiate.

Main sponsor

The streets in the Netherlands are safe, but..... Maastricht is the number 2 tourist destination of the Netherlands (Amsterdam is the number 1). This fact is well known by pickpockets! The best defense is keeping a distance.

The city Maastricht is an international city - with 120,000 inhabitants - offering many opportunities. The city is located in the Meuse-Rhine Euregion, close to international cities such as Aachen, Düsseldorf, Liège, Brussels and Antwerp. The diversity of European culture is clearly visible in Maastricht. It is for good reason that Maastricht stood at the cradle of the European Union in 1992 at the time of the signing of the Maastricht Treaty - the treaty on European Union. Today, Maastricht still plays a major international role. Many congresses are held here, and transnational agreements are signed. Large numbers of tourists also come to Maastricht every year for a taste of the epicurean character of the south of the Netherlands. In and around Maastricht is a lot to see, and taste. This old city with mediaval streets is well known for its gastronomy. You will be able to enjoy excursions in and around Maastricht and neighbouring towns like Liege (Belgium). Golf courses and free use of bicycles will make your stay complete.

Distances During the congress, every venue is within walking distance (< 30 minutes). Every registered guest will receive a free public transportation ticket. For long term ICLAM website members there will be free bicycles available.

Places of Worship In the Netherlands, about 31% practises the Roman Catholic religion, 20% Protestantism (the religion of the Royal Family) and 5.5% is Muslim. Of the Dutch people, 2.5% has another conviction and 41% claims to practise no religion or to have no specific conviction, although the majority does have a general monotheistic view. In Maastricht, like in the rest of the southern parts of the Netherlands, most Christian people are a member of the Roman Catholic Church. You will find here in alphabetical order some information on Churches, Mosques, Synagogues, Temples. The selection is arbitrary, with special attention to services in English. If you miss important information, please do not hesitate to ask us for it. Maybe we can't help you, but we can certainly try.

Churches Catholic Catholic Mass in English is held every Saturday at 5:00 p.m. in the crypt under the altar in the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwe-basiliek. Everyone is welcome and preparation for first communion is also available in English. More information: Sterre-der-Zee website http://www.sterre-der-zee.nl/.

Damascus Road International Church Damascus Road International Church is an English-speaking church that connects people from many nations and backgrounds. It meets on Sundays at 11:00 at the StayOkay Hostel, Maasboulevard 101, Maastricht, Phone: +31 (0)6 26673880.

Mosques

El-Fath Mosque Sint Lucassingel 70, 6217 JC Maastricht, +31 (0)43 3437120, Background: Marocco

Tevhit Mosque Weustenraadstraat 24, 6217 HZ Maastricht, +31 (0)43 3436598, Background: Turkey

Synagogues

Jewish Maastricht Jewish Maastricht is the English website of the Jewish community in Maastricht, with many useful links for Jewish visitors. http://www.joodsmaastricht.nl/index.php/en/

Temples ISKCON Temple Bhakti Yoga Maastricht, Andre Severinweg 47, 6214 PL Maastricht, Tel: +31 (0)43 3257123, meeting at Wednesday May 25 19:00.

Maastricht International Church 1st and 3rd Sunday of each month – 10.30am in rooms at the back of the Onze Lieve Vrouw church. Junior Church is also provided. Last Sunday of each month – 5pm, St Jan’s Church in Maastricht (red-spired church on Vrijthof). These services are held with the backing of the Church of England. Everybody is welcome. For more details, please contact Claire and Richard Middleton or Alex Hobson, Anglican Chaplain to NATO base at Brunssum.

Gold sponsors

Silver sponsors

Other sponsors