THE OLDEST AND YOUNGEST EUROREGION ON THE POLISH BORDER NYSA– ROZTOCZE: A COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE, SELECTED ISSUES. RESEARCH REPORT

Abstract

The article is a report of a research project on the topic: “Poland’s oldest and youngest Euroregion Nysa–Roztocze – exchange of experiences of territorial cooperation on the internal and external borders of the EU”. The main objective of the project was an in-depth theoretical and practical study of the topic of local self-government in Poland, in the perspective of European integration and territorial cooperation with local communities in the EU and third countries. The specific objective, meanwhile, was to exchange experience and improve the activities of Euroregions on the internal and external borders of the EU. Poland’s oldest Euroregion Nysa was established at the beginning of Poland’s European integration, and the youngest Euroregion Roztocze was set up during the period of the greatest crisis in the EU caused by the pandemic and the war in Ukraine. The comparative analysis covered several selected dimensions pursuing a general and specific objective. Firstly, the political dimension, assuming that Euroregions, by implementing EU regional policy, accelerate and strengthen cross-border cooperation at the local level. Secondly, the legal dimension – the change in the function of EU borders from external to internal – has greatly facilitated and de-formalised cooperation between local authorities of EU member states. Thirdly, the inter-regional/inter-governmental dimension, indicating that the above-mentioned problems have had a particular impact on the cross-border cooperation of local authorities, which have faced the challenges of maintaining cooperation under these particular conditions in the first place. Numerous recommendations have been identified from the studies carried out, including those of Polish-Czech-German cross-border cooperation, especially in the context of Ukraine’s road to the EU.