|
Abstract:
This paper seeks to synthesize different theoretical approaches in studying cross-border co-operation (CBC) while considering institutionalization and identity-building as the two major processes behind cross-border developments. Since there still exist some gaps in explaining the conditions necessary for successful development of CBC at the margins of the EU, this paper attempts to contribute with empirical data collected from the Estonian-Russian and Romanian-Moldovan borderlands. The argument here is that CBC is relatively successful where it has developed more towards multi-level governance or where it has achieved institutional identity and acquired ability to shape the practices. This paper also suggests that where historical-cultural identity exists, it may provide a better ground in the development of cross-border activities, yet, this fact alone does not substitute institutional cross-border identity, a precondition for mobilization.
|
