Diplomarbeit
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DIPLOMARBEIT Titel der Diplomarbeit Romania and Cross-border Regional Development at the External EU Borders including a case study from the Romanian-Serbian border Verfasserin Susanne Hanger angestrebter akademischer Grad Magistra der Naturwissenschaften (Mag.a rer. nat.) Wien, im März 2009 Studienkennzahl lt. Studienblatt: A 453 Studienrichtung lt. Studienblatt: Theoretische und Angewandte Geographie Betreuerin / Betreuer: Ao. Univ.-Prof. Mag. Dr. Martin Heintel Romania and Cross‐border Regional Development at the External EU Borders including a case study from the Romanian-Serbian border Acknowledgement The last few years taught me that I cannot achieve everything at once. Hence, this thesis had to come to an end, covering only fragments of what I wanted to say. However, a lesson I learned was that every once in a while it is necessary to finish what you are doing and start something new. I want to thank the people who supported me during all these years of learning: My parents, my brother and my closest friends; The people who built organisations with me, who believed in me and who showed me what great things can be achieved, if you are confident to do them; All the motivated students at the Department of Geography and Regional Research, who contribute to a great atmosphere of exchange, friendship and challenge and prove that Geography is really cool. Matthias Kopp who is responsible for the competent proof‐reading and moral support at all times, which I am truly thankful for. In terms of this thesis I also want to thank Martin Heintel, who inspired my interest in borders and regional policy and who was willing to supervise my thesis. I want to thank the team at BRCT Timişoara (especially Cristina Imbri and Carmen Homorogan), who accepted me as an intern and thus, allowed for on the spot observation and all the other open‐minded Romanians who supported my endeavour1. My deep gratitude goes to Daniela Craciun, who always supported me in overcoming organisational barriers in Romania. 1 The on location research in Romania was only possible because of a scholarship for Short Research Stays Abroad granted by the University of Vienna (Department of Research Services and International Relations). Abstract Cross‐border regional development is a means of the EU to achieve European cohesion and integration. Cross‐border cooperation (CBC) is the driving force for cross‐border regional development. So far at the internal EU borders successful CBC has been accomplished; however, the external borders in the East are only at the beginning. For a few years they have been faced with incomparably more difficult challenges than many border regions in Western Europe. The communist past and unstable political and economic years in the 1990s are the source of many of these challenges. This thesis tries to find a scientific analysis tool on the basis of governance concepts in order to scrutinise CBC. It explains the multi‐level context of CBC in Romania on the basis of which the status‐quo of CBC at the Romanian‐ Serbian border was elaborated. Finally the hypothesis will be tested, whether EU visions of CBC coincide with the regional and local realities in the border region. The thesis shall provide an incentive for further, more detailed and systematic research in the field of Cross‐ border Regional Development at the External EU Borders. Zusammenfassung Grenzüberschreitende Regionalentwicklung ist das Mittel der Europäischen Union um das Ziel europäischer Kohäsion und Integration zu erreichen. Grenzüberschreitende Zusammenarbeit ist der Motor grenzüberschreitender Regionalentwicklung. Während an den Binnengrenzen der EU bereits beträchtliche Erfolge erzielt wurden, stehen die Staaten an den östlichen Außengrenzen der Union noch ganz am Anfang. Überdies sind die Grenzregionen in diesen Gebieten mit unvergleichbar schwierigeren Ausgangssituationen konfrontiert (kommunistische Herrschaft und folgende politische und wirtschaftliche Unsicherheit). Die vorliegende Diplomarbeit beschäftigt sich zum einen mit der Frage der wissenschaftlichen Analyse von grenzüberschreitender Zusammenarbeit mittels Governance‐Konzepten. Andererseits sollen die Mehrebenen‐Aspekte dargestellt und anhand dieser in Kombination mit Feldforschungsmethoden der Status‐quo in der rumänisch‐serbischen Grenzregion erarbeitet werden. Überdies wird die Korrelation zwischen europäischen Vorstellungen grenzüberschreitender Zusammenarbeit und der regionalen und lokalen Realität überprüft. Die Arbeit soll ein Anstoß für weitere fundierte und systematisierte Forschungsarbeit zum Themengebiet Grenzüberschreitende Regionalentwicklung an den EU‐Außengrenzen geben. Contents Preface ................................................................................................................. 17 1 Introduction ...................................................................................................... 19 1.1 Romania on its Way to CBC .................................................................................... 19 1.2 Methodology ......................................................................................................... 22 1.3 Structure ............................................................................................................... 23 2 Theoretical Considerations ................................................................................ 25 2.1 State of the Art ...................................................................................................... 25 2.2 Conceptual Demarcation ....................................................................................... 28 2.2.1 Region .................................................................................................................................. 28 2.2.2 Border (border region vs. cross‐border region) ................................................................... 29 2.2.3 Regionalism and Regionalisation ......................................................................................... 32 2.2.4 Cross‐border Cooperation ................................................................................................... 33 2.3 Governance Concepts as an Analysis Tool for CBC .................................................. 35 2.3.1 Governance .......................................................................................................................... 35 2.3.2 Governance Mechanisms and Forms ................................................................................... 37 2.3.2.1 Negotiation ................................................................................................................... 37 2.3.2.2 Political Competition ..................................................................................................... 38 2.3.2.3 Networks ....................................................................................................................... 39 2.3.2.4 Path Dependence .......................................................................................................... 40 2.3.2.5 Policy Transfer............................................................................................................... 41 2.3.2.6 Hierarchy ....................................................................................................................... 42 2.3.3 Multi‐level Governance ....................................................................................................... 43 2.3.4 Regional Governance according to Dietrich FÜRST ............................................................... 45 2.3.5 Cross‐border Governance .................................................................................................... 49 CBC and Governance Concepts – Intermittent Résumé I ............................................................. 52 3 The EU‐Framework for Borders and Cross‐border Cooperation .......................... 53 3.1 EU Cohesion Policy – The Structural Funds ............................................................. 53 9 3.2 Instruments and Programmes for Cross‐border Cooperation ................................. 56 3.2.1 The Internal Borders – INTERREG and the Community Initiatives ....................................... 57 3.2.2 The External Borders ............................................................................................................ 58 3.2.2.1 The Old Instruments PHARE CBC, TACIS, MEDA, CARDS,.............................................. 58 3.2.2.2 Instrument for Pre‐accession Assistance (IPA) ............................................................. 60 3.2.2.3 European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI) .................................... 61 3.2.3 European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC) ........................................................ 63 3.3 Neighbourhood Policy vs. Security Policy at the External EU Borders (the other perspective) ................................................................................................................ 64 3.4 CBC Support beyond the European Union .............................................................. 65 Governance and the EU – Intermittent Résumé II ........................................................................ 66 4 Romania ........................................................................................................... 69 4.1 Romania and its Borders .......................................................................................