Funktionale Governance in der Grenzregion

Beschreibung

The European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC) creates functional multi-level governance areas by connecting regions across borders. However, diverging legal and administrative systems in the Member States remain an obstacle. The future of European integration must therefore be conceived from the perspective of border regions.

The progress of European integration is perhaps nowhere more visible than in the EU's border regions. In places where thousands of people cross national frontiers every day, the European project becomes lived reality. Yet navigating between the differing legal systems of the Member States still hampers seamless cross-border cooperation.
With the regulation establishing the "European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation" (EGTC), a binding legal framework for cooperation between regions and municipalities of different Member States was created for the first time. But can the EGTC, in its theoretical conception and practical implementation, sustainably strengthen the cohesion of the Union? Drawing on an empirical analysis of all EGTCs active across Europe, Cathrin Cordes demonstrates that the grouping fosters European integration at least on a formal level: it connects decision-makers across administrative tiers and national borders, thereby creating a functional space for cooperation. However, due to limited civil society participation, the EGTC often lacks democratic legitimacy. In addition, it cannot overcome the barrier of divergent legal rules that meet at national borders. For the future development of European integration, it therefore seems essential to view the EU not only from the vantage point of national capitals, but also from its border regions - places where innovative forms of cooperation can be tested.

Autor*in

Cathrin Cordes
Born 1992; studied law at Humboldt University of Berlin and the University of Barcelona, Spain; First State Examination in Law in 2018; work experience at the Federal Ministry of Justice; legal clerkship at the Higher Regional Court of Berlin (Kammergericht); Second State Examination in Law in 2020; visiting scholar at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, USA; PhD in 2025; policy officer at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy.

Themen in »Funktionale Governance in der Grenzregion«

demokratische Legitimität europäische Integration Europäische Union Europäischer Verbund für territoriale Zusammenarbeit EVTZ Funktionale Governance Grenzregionen grenzüberschreitende Kooperation Kohäsionspolitik Kommunen Mehrebenensystem Regionen territoriale Zusammenarbeit Verwaltungskooperation

Stimmen zu »Funktionale Governance in der Grenzregion«

Details

Link teilen