Do EU cross-border cooperation programmes contribute to competitiveness and cohesion? The case of the Polish-Czech borderland

Abstract: The competitive potential of individual regions varies, but frontier regions in each member state are in a significantly worse situation because their development is uneven, which stems in part from their diverse abilities to adapt to the changes that take place in their surroundings. The development of these cross-border territories is supported under cohesion policy. The objective of the paper is to discuss how to boost the competitiveness of cross-border areas and to present the role of cross-border cooperation programmes in supporting competitiveness and cohesion in 2004-2020 based on the example of programmes implemented on the Polish-Czech border and co-financed from EU funds. The analysis of the implementation of European cross-border programmes pertaining to the Polish-Czech borderland has indicated that the measurable outcomes of the support that was provided manifested themselves in many areas, particularly in education, the environment, transportation, and culture. In the analysed programming periods, the directions for support granted under the cross-border programmes have been slightly modified. In the 2014-2020 programming period, a stronger emphasis is placed on support of employment growth through the use of the cultural and natural potential of these areas, risk-related issues, entrepreneurship, education, and the development of a cooperation network.

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