Third party funded individual grant
Acronym: CoBo
Start date : 01.01.2021
End date : 31.12.2023
The role of border regions in the European integration process can be reflected from different perspectives. After all, these are the places where different cultures, languages, administrations and states meet directly. These are the places where tollbars have been dismantled, where cross-border soccer tournaments are organized and where, over time, more and more cross-border marriages have taken place. They are also the places where practical solutions have to be found for concrete challenges – e.g. in cross-border rescue services or in reconciling social systems for cross-border commuters. In this respect, the development and shaping of border areas is an important dimension of shaping cohesion. There is no doubt that a great deal has been achieved here in recent decades, throughout Europe and also in all the border regions that Germany has with its total of nine neighboring states.
However, despite all the enthusiasm about the progress made in the border regions, it should not be overlooked that a variety of barriers still exist within the border areas. This applies, among other things, to the transportation, social and political systems mentioned above. Thus, there are still many questions, problems as well as opportunities due to the close border, to which viable and meaningful answers can only be found together through cooperation across the border.
At the same time, it cannot be ignored that infrastructures in border areas are often overstrained in many respects. This applies to the digital infrastructure in peripheral rural areas, to roads and railways in commuting areas of the larger border cities, and also to educational infrastructures close to the border, from kindergartens to training programs for skilled workers.
Added to the long-standing challenges of cross-border coordination are the partial reintroduction of border controls in recent times, increasing Euroscepticism and signs of 'rebordering'. In the past decades, European funding has been of central importance, however, it is becoming apparent that in the coming years the budgetary framework of the European level will become smaller, which will also be reflected in the border areas. In addition, the border closures related to the Corona pandemic have severely affected many areas. It is therefore imperative to find innovative ways to further expand the level of cooperation under these more difficult conditions, or at least to maintain at the existing quality. This is what the present project contributes to.
The project CoBo (Cohesion in Border Regions) examines the organization of cohesion in border regions and explores existing potentials. Against this background, the question arises how the progress achieved in cross-border cohesion can be maintained and, if possible, continued.
To this end, the recent trends and future prospects of Germany's border regions are analysed and positioned from a comparative perspective, both, among themselves and in a Europe-wide perspective. At the same time, socio-economic developments as well as governance constellations are analysed. In addition, the project serves as a forward-looking examination of future developments in the border regions and their effects on territorial cohesion and the derivation of corresponding recommendations for the different policy levels. Stakeholders from the border regions will be involved in this process.
The project's practical partners, who are involved
throughout the entire duration of the project, play a central role (Association
of European Border Regions (AGEG) as well as the relevant departments in the
Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI) and the Federal Institute for Research
on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development (BBSR)).
The Research Center Regional Science at the IMP-HSG Institute for Systemic Management and Public Governance of the University of St. Gallen (HSG) will support the project with regard to steering approaches of cross-border spatial development especially in the field of institutional-political analyses.