Evaluation of cross-border cooperation in Czechia since 1993: Euroregions on the way to authentic cross-border regions?

Abstract

Evaluation of cross - border cooperation in Czechia since 1993: Euroregions on the way to authentic cross - border regions? Thirty years of existence of independent Czechia are connected with growing cross - border cooperation (CBC) with neighboring states and decreasing importance of national borders. The accession to the EU meant a giant leap towards de - bordering, which was recently disrupted by a few crises. CBC, represented primarily by Euro-regions, has its specifics in each analyzed border region. In the text, based on long - term research of CBC in the Czech borderlands, literature review, statistical data ana - lysis, and own qualitative research, we look at the institutional dimension of cross - border integration and propose measuring the performance of Euroregions while focusing on their (INTERREG - funded) projects and the existence of functional working groups assisting in eliminating border barriers. The developed matrix singles out three groups of the Euroregions in the Czech borderlands with different levels of institutional activity.