The European Territorial Cohesion – with Special Focus on Serbia

Zsuzsanna Fejes

Abstract

The European Territorial Cooperation forms fulfil an increasingly significant role along the internal and external border of the European Union, and during the process of sub-national integration these models gain more and more importance concerning the development policy, the cohesion policy and the neighbourhood policy of the European Union. In this study I analyse the position and opportunities of Serbia on how to join the European cohesion process. The development and strengthening of the competencies of the local and regional authorities, especially in external relations, started only recently with the process of European integration and the evolution of the regions. For the sake of the proper contents and the effectiveness of national and crossborder cooperation schemes, the cooperation between institutions and local municipalities need to be strengthened both at local, regional, Euro-regional and international levels, also including the extension of the partner contacts ranging from settlements up to regions. I focus on the European Danube Region Strategy from the aspect of Serbia’s contribution. In terms of institutional development the creation of a Danube macro-region calls for partnership and high level of cooperation on behalf of participants and stakeholders that stems from the acceptance and practical adaptation of the principles of multi-level governance and good local governance.

References

1. Ágh, Attila (ed.), 2005. Institutional Design and Regional Capacity-Building in the Post-Accession Period, Budapest: Hungarian Centre for Democracy Studies
2. Fejes, Zsuzsanna, 2010. Legal and administrative opportunities of co-operations along the borders – with special regard to the Hungarian border regions, Ph.D. University of Szeged
3. European University Institute Florence, 2008. Study on the Division of Powers between the European Union, the Member States, and Regional and Local Authorities, Brussels: The Committee of the Regions, Available at: http://www.cor.europa.eu/pages/DocumentTemplate.aspx?view=detail&id=39fcd467-6076-413f-ae6b-004ac9520dce (Accessed: 15/09/2010)
4. Keating, Michael, 1998. The New Regionalism in Western Europe, Cheltenham: Edward Elgar
5. Soós, Edit and Fejes, Zsuzsanna, 2008. Hungarian Experiences of Cross-Border Cooperation, Fundamentum, 12 (5), p.123-157
6. Tóth, Judit and Fejes, Zsuzsanna, 2009. Report on multilevel governance and competences of local and regional authorities in the area of freedom, security and justice to the Committee of the Region, Brussels: Committee of the Regions

Documents

1. Association of European Border Regions (AEBR), 2004. European Charter for Border and Cross-border Regions, New version, Gronau, 7 October 2004
2. Council of Europe CETS No. 106 of 21/05/1980 on European Outline Convention on Trans-frontier Cooperation between Territorial Communities or Authorities, Madrid
3. Council of Europe CETS No. 122 of 15/10/1985 on European Charter of Local Self-Government, Strasbourg
4. Council of Europe CETS No. 159 of 9/11/1995 on Additional Protocol to the European Outline Convention on Trans-frontier Co-operation between Territorial Communities or Authorities, Strasbourg
5. Council of Europe CETS No. 169 of 5/5/1998 on Protocol No. 2 to the European Outline Convention on Trans-frontier Co-operation between Territorial Communities or Authorities concerning inter-territorial co-operation, Strasbourg
6. Council of Europe CETS No. 206 of 16/11/2009 on Protocol No. 3 to the European Outline Convention on Transfrontier Co-operation between Territorial Communities or Authorities concerning Euroregional Co-operation Groupings (ECGs), Utrecht
7. Commission Regulation (EC) No 718/2007 of 12 June 2007 implementing Council Regulation (EC) No 1085/2006 establishing an instrument for pre-accession assistance (IPA)
8. Council Regulation (EC) No 1083/2006 of 11 July 2006 laying down general provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund and the Cohesion Fund and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999
9. Council Regulation (EC) No 1085/2006 of 17 July 2006 establishing an Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA)
10. European Commission Communication COM (2010) 715 final of 8/12/2010 on the European Union Strategy for Danube Region. Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, Brussels
11. European Commission White Paper COM (2001) 428 final of 12/10/2001 on European governance – A white paper.
12. European Commission, 2004. A new partnership for cohesion. Convergence – competitiveness – cooperation. Third report on economic and social cohesion, Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities
13. European Commission, 2011. European Commissioner Hahn announces priority area coordinators for EU Strategy for Danube Region. IP/11/124. Brussels, Available: http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/11/124&format=HTML&aged=1&language=EN&guiLanguage=en (Accessed: 05/05/2011)
14. Regulation (EC) No 1082/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 July 2006 on a European grouping of territorial cooperation (EGTC)
15. The Committee of the Regions Opinion CdR 86/2011 of 31/03-01/04/2011 on the Danube Region Strategy
16. The Committee of the Regions Own-initiative Opinion CdR 89/2009 of 17-18/06/2009 on the Committee of the Regions’ White Paper on Multilevel Governance