Bálint L.

TÓTH

Crossborder cooperation in development policies

 It was first recognized as such in the European Neighborhood and Partnership
Instrument (ENPI) regulation for the period 2007-2013. This was confirmed for the
period 2014-2020 in the European Neighborhood Instrument (ENI) regulation for
available translations of the preceding link adopted in March 2014.1
 The efficiency of a regional development cooperation principally depends on
o the complexity of socio-economic processes and
o the harmony of development factors.
 It is crucial to integrate national and subnational levels
 The efficient application of integrated regional development leans on
o the coordination of “connecting areas”,
o the synthesis of sectorial and regional policies.
 Each regional development cooperation has different factors
o Geographical,
o Economic-Financial,
o Technical-Scientific,
o “Moral–Historical”,
o Social,
o Natural,
o Infrastructural,
o Legal and institutional, political, and strategic

1.1. Economic–financial aspects of crossborder cooperation

 The EU's Eastern borders encompass eight Member States and five neighbouring
countries, stretching some 5,000 km from the Barents Sea in the North to the Black
Sea in the South.
 This border covers regions with very different geographic, economic and social
characteristics and with a very significant income differential. But at the same time,
the border regions in the partner countries in most cases have incomes higher than the
national average of their countries.2

1Source: ec.europa.eu/neighbourhood-enlargement/neighbourhood/cross-border-cooperation_en
2Source: eeas.europa.eu/archives/docs/enp/pdf/financing-the-enp/cbc_2014-
2020_programming_document_en.pdf

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 Latvia, Lithuania and Poland share a border with Belarus, where the lack of
democratic reform and a highly centralized economic system have had a deep impact
on the border regions. Belarus also has an important role as a transport gateway for the
EU with Russia.
 The Ukrainian regions bordering the EU are of strategic importance as gateways for
 transport and energy. Western Ukraine remains largely agricultural, compared to the
central and eastern regions of the country. Moldova, the poorest country in Europe,
has strong cultural links with Romania, but the ongoing problems with the breakaway
Transnistrian region continue to hamper development.
 The Baltic Sea basin has a long tradition of cooperation, with active regional
cooperation bodies (notably the Council of Baltic Sea States, CBSS and the Northern
Dimension), and a substantial experience of sea-basin / cross-border cooperation at the
level of regional and local authorities. Economic and social issues, environmental
challenges, and maritime safety inter alia have traditionally been important here.
 The Black Sea basin faces considerable economic, social and environmental
challenges. Frozen conflicts in the Southern Caucasus and wider regional security
concerns continue to impede the social and economic development of these transition
economies. Moreover, the Black Sea region, and its links with the Caspian, plays a
key role in the energy sector.
 The Mediterranean sea-basin is characterized inter alia by striking economic and
social contrasts between its Southern and Northern shores, as per capita income levels
in the South are still well below those in EU Member States. Sea borders offer
particular opportunities, while issues such as migration (both legal and illegal),
organized crime, security issues, environmental challenges or economic growth and
job creation are important challenges across the whole sea-basin. The challenges have
been increased by the political turbulence following the "Arab Spring".
 An integrated regional development across the EU border is particularly important in a
situation characterized by different rates of economic development, high income
disparities and different demographic dynamics. Joint development strategies may
help in addressing disparities and assist in dealing with their most visible effects, such
as the increase in legal and illegal, temporary and permanent migration flows, as well
as with organized crime.

1.2. Technical–scientific, industrial aspects of crossborder cooperation

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 The development of transport infrastructure is one of the most significant conditions

of sustainable development of all European regions.
 Mainly due to the expansion of bilateral trade between Germany and the V4 countries
since 1990 and the underlying logistical preconditions, supply chains were formed on
the East–West axis in this region.
 There have been initiatives to create supply chains along the North-South axis.3
 There is no North-South traffic corridor in the Eastern part of the EU.

1.3. Moral–Historical aspects of crossborder cooperation

 37.5% of the EU population lives in border areas, along some 38 internal borders
made up of geographic, linguistic barriers often bearing the scars of European wars.
 First developed as a Community initiative in 1990,
 Interreg was reorganized as a formal "objective" of European Cohesion Policy in
2000.4

1.5. Natural aspects of crossborder cooperation

 Environmental and climate change issues are important in the context of shared sea
basins.
 Water pollution, whether from industrial or urban discharges, is a critical problem,
exacerbated by risks of marine pollution in regional seas and, in the Mediterranean, by
a growing water shortage.
 Dealing with the rising temperature or acidification and their impacts on the
Mediterranean ecosystems, as well as facing sea level rise due to the changing climate
are additional considerable challenges.
 Increasing hydrocarbon exploration, exploitation and transport activities are an
emerging environmental issue in all neighborhood sea basins.
 Environmental issues are equally important on land-borders, particularly in relation to
trans-boundary waters (river basins, including groundwater, and lakes), transboundary
air pollution and waste management, or shared protected areas, though here they are in
some cases of a more localized character5

1.7. Political–strategic aspects of crossborder cooperation

3 Aleya Begum LØNSETTEIG: Poland and Ukraine to build Via Carpatia. In: Global Trade Review. 2017. Source:
gtreview.com/news/europe/poland-and-ukraine-to-build-via-carpatia/ (Downloaded: April 23, 2018)
4 Source: ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/hu/policy/cooperation/european-territorial/cross-border/#1
5
Source: eeas.europa.eu/archives/docs/enp/pdf/financing-the-enp/cbc_2014-
2020_programming_document_en.pdf

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 The Europeanization of EU and non-EU member states is a key function of the

regional cooperation involving social learning processes.
 Europeanization strengthens the cohesion of the EU member and candidate states.
 Moreover, it can support the creation of a regional identity.
o EU promotes the macro-regional strategy for the Danube region.
o A number of other regional cooperation organizations exist in CEE.
 The participating states or regions perceive regional cooperation as
o an opportunity to overcome transnational challenges,
o to revitalize the economy in marginalized boarder areas,
o to construct an efficient infrastructure across national borders and to bring
people with different nationalities together
 In order to strengthen their macroeconomic competitiveness, Visegrád countries aim at
implementing harmonized modernization policies with the best possible utilization of
EU cohesion funds.
 This is a field where their individual interests coincide, so they can achieve absolute
gains together.6
 Other fields of intergovernmental cooperation within the V4 region are:
o Food safety and quality issues, migration crises and the related EU policies
(although their respective positions related to these issues do not necessarily
coincide), Schengen policies, EU–Caucasus bilateral relations, cultural and
educational, as well as R&D projects (Visegrád Fund).7
 A harmonized cooperation along shared interests can be used in a “smart” way to
compensate for smallness and lack of hard means of pursuing international policies,
and thus allow small states to punch above their weight.
 The interest endorsement system of international organizations – such as the EU –
forces small states with relatively modest political weight to form alliances with other
small countries that are also in weak positions in comparison to the larger powers that
can exert higher influence on global or continental policy-making.

6TÓTH, q.w. p. 6
7Bálint L. TÓTH: V4: költség–haszon elvű törékeny egység az Orbán-kormány kezében. In: Átlátszó (Political Capital),
Budapest, 2017. atlatszo.hu/2017/03/24/v4-koltseg-haszon-elvu-torekeny-egyseg-az-orban-kormany-kezeben/
(Downloaded: April 23, 2018)

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 The ability of small states to shape the political agenda at supranational levels may
thus be strengthened and these governments may gain comparative advantage by
harmonizing their actions.8
 European Neighborhood Policy And Enlargement Negotiations
o Financial support (some €430m in 2007-10) is provided through the multi-
beneficiary program of the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA).
o Regional Cooperation Council (RCC)
 A regionally owned and led framework for cooperation in South East
Europe, with a Secretariat based in Sarajevo and a Liaison Office in
Brussels.
 The EU is a member of the RCC, and is represented in its meetings by
a representative of the European Commission and a representative of
the European External Action Service.
 The EU has been providing financial support to the RCC secretariat
since it was set up.9

2.1. EU strategy for the Danube region (EUSDR), 2010

 The Danube region is the world’s most international river basin

o Germany (Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria), Austria, the Slovak Republic, the
Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia, Romania, Bulgaria, and Croatia
o Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, the Republic of Moldova and
Ukraine’s regions along the Danube
o International organizations in the region: Danube Commission and the
International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River
 The Danube River itself is a major TEN-T Corridor. However, it is used way below its
full capacity. Freight transported here is only 10%–20% of that on the Rhine
 Comparative advantages of the region
o Outstanding natural beauty
o rich history, heritage and culture
o immense development potential
o quality labor force

8 Hence it can be asserted that small states have to cooperate more actively than the larger powers within
international organizations where the outcomes are a product of the interaction between actor preferences and
institutional rules.
9 Source: ec.europa.eu/neighbourhood-enlargement/policy/regional-cooperation_en

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 EUSDR Follows the example of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region
 EUSDR aims:
o Overcome the economic crisis in a sustainable manner10
o Improve socio-economic development, competitiveness, environmental
management, informatics access and resource efficient growth
o Socio-economic fields:
 Overcome disparities
 Exploit the international dimension of marketing, innovation or
research
 Make highly educated people stay
 Overcome disparities in education and employment
o Modernize security and transport corridors and interconnections
 Overcome gaps and deficiencies in transport and energy infrastructures
 Solve the problems of insufficient capacity, quality or poor
maintenance
 Increase energy security by diversifying the supplies through
interconnections and genuine regional markets
o Reinforce the Europe 2020 strategy
 Nature conservation, spatial planning and water management
(environmental protection)
 Effective flood management
o Put an end to trafficking in human beings, smuggling of goods, and corruption
o Establish links with other EU policies
 Coordination:
o Policy-level coordination will be the responsibility of the Commission, assisted
by a High Level Group of all Member States. Non Member States should be
invited to the Group as appropriate
 Funding:
o The Strategy is implemented by mobilizing and aligning existing funding to its
objectives, where appropriate and in line with overall frameworks
o Structural Funds 2013-2020

10European Commission (2010): Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European
Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions - European Union Strategy for Danube Region, Brussels, Source:
eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52010DC0715&from=ga (Downloaded: April 23,
2018)

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o IPA and ENPI

o Western Balkan Investment Framework
 Problematic issues:
o The Strategy provides no new EU funds
o EUSDR requires no EU legislation  Institutional changes must be reached
through national or regional levels  slow, difficult, multilateral vs. bilateral?
o EUSDR creates no additional structures  The implementation of their
agreements must be done through existing EU bodies 11  The already
overwhelmed EU bodies will not enable smooth implementation procedures

2.2. Danube Transnational Programme (DTP) 2014-2020

 Financing instrument with specific scope and independent decision making body
 Supports the policy integration in the Danube area in selected fields linked to EUSDR
strategies
 The strategic vision is “policy integration” below the EU-level (not duplicating efforts in
policy integration at the EU-level e.g. TEN-T)12
 Transnational projects should influence national / regional / local policies (“policy driver”)
 Four thematic priority axes13
o Innovative and socially responsible Danube region
 Improve framework conditions for innovation
 Increase competences for business and social innovation
o Environment and culture responsible Danube region
 Strengthen transnational water management and flood risk prevention
 Foster sustainable use of natural and cultural heritage and resources
 Foster the restoration and management of ecological corridors
 Improve preparedness for environmental risk management
o Better connected and energy responsible Danube region
 Support environmentally-friendly and safe transport systems and balanced
accessibility of urban and rural areas
 Improve energy security and energy efficiency
o Well-governed Danube region

11 European Commission (2010), q.w.

12 Danube Transnational Cooperation Programme, 2015.
13 The South East Europe Programme: Danube Transnational Programme 2014-2020. Source: southeast-

europe.net/en/about_see/danubeprogramme/(Downloaded: November 29, 2017)

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 Improve institutional capacities to tackle major societal challenges

 Support to the governance and implementation of the EUSDR
 Eligible partners are 9 EU and 5 non-EU countries
o Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Germany (only Baden-Württemberg and
Bayern), Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia;
o Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, part of Ukraine
 The program will invest EUR 202,3 million from the ERDF and EUR 19,8 million from
IPA II for transnational projects in the Danube basin territory
 This Partner Search Platform aims at giving potential Danube Transnational Program call
applicants the opportunity to promote their project idea and seek partners14
o Potential partners can browse through published project ideas by thematic priority /
country
https://ec.europa.eu/neighbourhood-enlargement/neighbourhood/cross-border-cooperation_en

14Interreg DTP: Project Ideas /Partner-Search. Source: interreg-danube.eu/calls/project-ideas (Downloaded: November

29, 2017)

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