Breaking down barriers: Euroregional cooporation of the Czech Republic

Abstract

Cooperation between people of different nations has existed throughout Europe for centuries on an informal basis as borders have shifted and power has found its way into different hands. During the European integration process of the 1950s, this cooperation was formalized with the creation of the Euroregions, or cross-border regions. These regions were formed to promote common interests and cooperation to counteract barriers and benefit the people residing in the area. The Czech Republic is currently a member of 13 different Euroregions either exclusively or with multiple neighboring countries: Poland (7), Austria (3), Germany (4), and Slovakia (2). Of these 13 regions, four - Silva Nortica (Czech-Austrian, 2002), Bílé-Biele Karpaty (Czech-Slovak, 2000), Silesia (Czech-Polish, 1998), and Egrensis (Czech-German, 1993) - have been chosen to further evaluate how the creation of Euroregions has facilitated regional development. This thesis aims to analyze the level of regional development in the programming periods before and after the accession of the Czech Republic to the European Union in these four Euroregions through the application of the theory of learning regions. Then, by applying the three criteria of theory of learning regions to the four chosen Euroregions, it will determine how the...