ABSTRACT

Preparations for the EU’s post-2020 Multiannual Financial Framework have brought increased interest to the functional approach as a major paradigm of the EU policies towards cross-border areas. This approach aims to focus cross-border programmes on territories where there is a high degree of cross-border interaction. Cross-border functional areas (CBFAs) can be a potential instrument for this, fostering further reduction of cross-border barriers and enhancing flows of people, goods, materials and knowledge. However, certain aspects of this notion are rather vague. This includes both the way how to turn the rather discursive concept of the CBFA into more material-institutional practices, and how CBFAs can be identified in practice to successfully implement the EU’s cohesion policy. This paper debates the concept of the CBFA and proposes understanding CBFAs as spatially specific territorial complexes, located on two (or more) sides of a state border(s) that are not defined by administrative borders, but by cross-border functional linkages, a system of cooperative relationships and the existence of governance mechanisms. The paper proposes a novel approach for CBFA’s identification based on a four-level model, taking into account the selected criteria. The proposed framework enabled to identify CBFAs and potential CBFAs at the borders of Poland.

摘要

欧盟 2020 年后多年期金融框架的准备工作使人们越来越关注功能性方法，将其作为欧盟跨境政策的主要范例。这种方法旨在将跨境计划的重点放在跨境互动程度高的地区。跨境功能区 (CBFA) 可以成为这方面的潜在工具，促进进一步减少跨境壁垒，加强人员、货物、材料和知识的流动。然而，这个概念的某些方面相当模糊。这包括如何将 CBFA 的相当散漫的概念转化为更具体的制度实践，以及如何在实践中确定 CBFA 以成功实施欧盟的凝聚政策。本文讨论了 CBFA 的概念，并建议将 CBFA 理解为空间特定的领土复合体，位于国家边界的两侧（或更多侧），不是由行政边界定义的，而是通过跨境功能联系定义的，a合作关系体系和治理机制的存在。本文提出了一种基于四级模型的 CBFA 识别新方法，同时考虑了所选标准。拟议的框架能够识别波兰边境的 CBFA 和潜在的 CBFA。本文提出了一种基于四级模型的 CBFA 识别新方法，同时考虑了所选标准。拟议的框架能够识别波兰边境的 CBFA 和潜在的 CBFA。本文提出了一种基于四级模型的 CBFA 识别新方法，同时考虑了所选标准。拟议的框架能够识别波兰边境的 CBFA 和潜在的 CBFA。