https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2283-0174
![Sample our Politics & International Relations journals, sign in here to start your FREE access for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5947/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Politics-International-Relations.jpg"})
ABSTRACT
This article discusses the significance of cross-border partnerships, which are understood to be the social networks from which communities emerge based on the ties which satisfy the needs of their participants and those of the cross-border area’s inhabitants. The problems of the Euroregion, when seen from this perspective, are focused on the actions undertaken collectively which are part of realizing delineated interests and accepted values. The basic questions formulated by the current paper refer to three areas of the analysed network: (1) network construction, (2) network relations, and (3) network management. The main research area is the analysis of the relation between the participants of the Spree–Neisse–Bober Euroregion (SNBE), and the role which the SNBE plays in creating social connections. Based on the research, we have come to the conclusion that the SNBE replaces local institutions in creating cross-border cooperation. The analysis is the result of a research project conducted in 2013 which included content analysis, a survey (800 respondents), semi-structured interviews (70 experts from Poland and Germany), as well as content analysis covering the documents of the project and the web pages of the official SNBE website (Polish and German) for the years 2014–2016.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
ORCID
Joanna Frątczak-Müller http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2283-0174
Anna Mielczarek-Żejmo http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9426-942X
Notes
1 The analysis presented here is the result of the research project ‘Trust beyond Borders. Spree–Neisse–Bober Euroregion in Perspective of Integrating Processes in Polish-German Borderland’ implemented in 2013 by researchers from the Institute of Sociology at the University of Zielona Góra and the Brandenburg University of Technology. This work was supported by the European Regional Development Fund as part of the Cross-border Cooperation Operational Programme – Poland (Lubuskie) – Brandenburg 2007–2013, under Grant 516/FMP/12.
2 The Euroregions in Poland were initiated from the bottom up by the political actors, or top down by the national authorities (Sobczyński, Citation2005).
3 Retrieved from: http://euroregion-snb.pl/o_nas/wladze
4 Retrieved from: http://euroregion-snb.pl/o_nas/wladze
5 The treaty between the Federal Republic of Germany and the Republic of Poland on the confirmation of the frontier between them, 14 November 1990. Retrieved from: isap.sejm.gov.pl/Download?id=WDU19920140054&type=2
6 The Polish-German Treaty of Good Neighbourship and Friendly Cooperation was signed between the Federal Republic of Germany and the Republic of Poland on 17 June 1991. It supplemented the German-Polish Border Treaty signed in 1990. In the treaty, both countries agreed to respect the rights of national minorities living on either side of the border, and to promote cultural contact. Retrieved from: http://www.traktaty.msz.gov.pl/fd.aspx?f=P0000006258.pdf
7 The programme of Cross-border Cooperation introduced by the European Parliament in 1994 in order to support cooperation between eastern and central European countries and their EU neighbours (Dołzbłasz & Raczyk, Citation2010).
8 The source: Spree–Neisse–Bober Euroregion; the detailed analysis is available at: http://www.wnps.uz.zgora.pl/pliki/pdf/Raport%20-%20Zaufanie%20ponad%20granicami
9 The source: Spree–Neisse–Bober Euroregion. The authors’ study.
10 The result described above regarding the inhabitants of the Polish part of SNBE differs significantly from the results of surveys carried out on a representative sample of adult Poles by CBOS in 2014. Although the level of positive feelings towards Germans remained relatively similar (39%), the more significant differences were revealed in the responses which declared indifference or dislike. The respondents to the national studies declared indifference to Germans significantly less frequently (27%) than borderland respondents, while the percentage of respondents with a negative attitude was significantly higher (30%). Stosunek Polaków do innych narodów [Polish Attitude to other Nationalities], a report by Centrum Badań Opinii Społecznej [CBOS], Retrieved from: http://www.cbos.pl/SPISKOM.POL/2014/K_020_14.PDF
11 The programme for Cross-border Cooperation introduced by the European Parliament in 1994 in order to support cooperation between eastern and central European countries and their EU neighbours (Dołzbłasz & Raczyk, Citation2010).
12 The initiative created in 1989 and financed by the European Regional Development Fund in order to enliven cooperation among the regions in the European Union.
13 European Territorial Cooperation (ETC), formerly the INTERREG III Community Initiative 2004–2006. Its aims were to support cross-border, transnational and interregional co-operation (Radek, Citation2011).
14 The source: Spree–Neisse–Bober Euroregion and authors’ study; detailed analysis available at: http://www.wnps.uz.zgora.pl/pliki/pdf/Raport%20-%20Zaufanie%20ponad%20granicami
17 Retrieved from: http://www.partner-Neisse-snb.eu/files/lista_partnerstw_PL-SN.pdf
18 The new fourth stage of the SNBE’s operation was the result of a cooperation programme with INTERREG V A Brandenburg-Poland 2014–2020, within the objective of the European territorial cooperation of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), due to which the implementation of small projects is continuing.
19 Retrieved from: http://euroregion-snb.pl/program/interreg/inicjowanie
20 Retrieved from: http://interregva-bb-pl.eu/pl/instytucja-zarzadzajaca/
21 Retrieved from: http://euroregion-snb.pl/program/plbb; accessed 3 August 2018.
22 Retrieved from: http://euroregionsnb.pl/media/dokumenty/interreg_va/Program_Brandenburgia_Polska_2014_2020_PL.pdf
23 This example was set up by Czesław Fiedorowicz, the Chairman of the Convention of the Polish part of the Euroregion, who initiated the partnerships in 1997. The organizational and personal contacts of the chairman enabled the German flood aid for Polish borderland local authorities. The partnerships set up at that time are characterized by significant stability and activity (35Pl).
24 The SNBE’s leaders represent the interests of the beneficiaries before higher-level bodies (33Pl). This took place, for instance, in 2013. In the following financial period, the scope of the Saxony part of the programme was limited to the province of Lower Silesia. Primarily this meant a lack of access for the Żary county to the resources needed to cooperate with partners in Saxony. The authorities of the Euroregion and Lubuskie then intervened with the Ministry of Regional Development. Finally, part of the Lower Silesian-Saxony programme was addressed so that cross-border cooperation with Żary county local authorities could be supported.
26 Retrieved from: http://euroregion-snb.pl/o_nas/wladze
27 In 2017, the association included 10 local government entities, 6 non-governmental organizations, 7 companies and 3 individuals.