Cross-Border Cooperation (CBC) in a multi- level governance system in Southeastern Europe territories The case of Romania – Serbia border space and the associated challenges and obstacles for their integration

Abstract

Considering the actual panorama of a multi-level governance on EU, the macro-regional strategies fosters coordination across three dimensions: (i) sector policies (horizontally), (ii) different levels of governance from EU to regional or local (vertically), and (iii) across administrative boundaries (geographically).
The present research aims to analyze and assess the ability, challenges, and obstacles of Cross-Border Cooperation (CBC) strategies, projects and programs to improve integration and cohesion peripheral territories as is the case of the border region of Romania – Serbia, enabling to articulate border areas and create synergies among them. In this regard, it will be considered the latest findings on new insights towards spatial integration in border and transnational contexts. In fact, regional disparities and territorial cohesion can be understood in order to support policy-making actions, as well as to explore the potentials for achieving the EU 2020 strategy objectives, focusing the most relevant limitations and obstacles towards the territorial success of the Romanian–Serbian CBC strategy. Through the present research will be presented some hypothesis for a well- planned long-term sustainability for this territory.
Contextually, recent experiences show that macro-regional cooperation – specifying the EU strategy for Danube region/EUSDR – is complex and time- consuming, and it will likely succeed if a strong political commitment regarding the macro-regional level is carried out. Therefore, it should be considered that these successful examples are not possible to be implemented for all European territories, however, it is possible to retain powerful lessons to be learned regarding the coordination and management of policies in the EU’s system of multi-level governance that could have a wider application and scope.