EUBORDERREGIONS

"European Regions, EU External Borders and the Immediate Neighbours. Analysing Regional Development Options through Policies and Practices of Cross-Border Co-operation"

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'EUBORDERRREGIONS will investigate the manifold consequences of increasing cross-border interaction for the development of regions at the EU’s external borders and, in this way, contribute to scientific and policy debate on the future of economic, social and territorial cohesion within the EU. Importantly, the project will contextualise development issues in selected EU “Borderlands” with regard to interaction between the EU and countries of the immediate “neighbourhood”. Within the context of these challenges, the regions at issue here are struggling to define new opportunities for social and economic development and are also attempting to create greater capacities for territorial cooperation with other regions. Despite all criticisms levelled at the European Commission, the EU as market and political institution has been absolutely essential in preparing the ground for greater economic and political interaction. Much will therefore depend on how EU policies and policy discourses translate into political capital for local/regional cross-border cooperation in the new borderlands. At the same time, the issue of capacity building and exploitation of the benefits of strategic cross-border co-operation must be clearly addressed at the local and regional level.As such, these border regions will be treated as interfaces between development dynamics and policy frameworks operating within the EU, on the one hand, and in neighbouring countries, on the other. In doing this, the project will also contribute to the state of the art of policy-oriented research on regional development and cohesion within Europe.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

EU border regions have direct positive and negative impacts on each other and on neighbouring countries. An EU initiative is exploring how an increase in cross-border cooperation may affect both the EU and regions at its outer borders.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

Despite their socioeconomic imbalances and cultural and historical disparities, border regions are building channels of communication for mutual economic and political benefits.

The overall goal of the EU-funded http://www.euborderregions.eu (EUBORDERREGIONS) project is to look at how these intensified relations help to achieve regional development objectives within a broader European context. It will also examine the obstacles to economic, social and territorial unity for the EU's periphery.

Project work is centred on the external border regions of Bulgaria, Estonia, Greece, Italy, Poland, Romania, Spain and Finland, and their dealings with neighbouring countries such as Morocco, Russia, Tunisia and Turkey.

The team members began by mapping cross-border cooperation actors and by performing field research via cross-border questionnaires, expert interviews and media analyses.

Case studies were carried out in the border regions to examine local views on the role the EU plays in fostering regional development as well as reactions to EU and national policies.

Findings show that certain key social, cultural and economic players are mainly responsible for promoting transnational communication and exchange. Government officials and citizens are not encouraged by these efforts, nor are they convinced of the potential benefits of such partnerships.

These results were used as a basis for a policy seminar in 2013. Outcomes revealed that new policies and practices are needed to help connect stakeholders within the emerging concept of a cross-border neighbourhood. Social agents and actors must become active participants in the regional cooperation practice of developing a sustainable neighbourhood. Partnerships should involve these local agents and actors and not simply be based on EU foreign policy strategy and economic provisions.

Ongoing work in EUBORDERREGIONS will lead to greater insight into the ramifications of local and regional development for external border regions. The project should give impetus to improved relations between the EU and its outlying neighbours while driving European cohesion.