Delimiting cross-border areas for policy implementation: a multi-factor proposal

ABSTRACT

This article debates the concept of border area and identifies a number of factors which should be considered when delimiting cross-border areas for policy implementation (CBAPI). These include historical, spatial, demographic, cultural, data, institutional, economic, infrastructural and environmental factors. The relevance of this debate for the border studies is twofold. Firstly, it covers a void in existing literatures, thus adding a valuable conceptual contribution to the delimitation of cross-border areas. Secondly, it provides a concrete theoretical platform for interested entities such as the European Commission to appropriately delimit CBAPI, for programmes like the INTERREG-A.

KEYWORDS:

• Cross-border area
• border area
• cross-border programmes
• INTERREG
• borderline
• borderland

Acknowledgements

The author is grateful for constructive comments and suggestions offered by the anonymous referees and the editor of this journal. Likewise, the author is grateful for the comments on an early version, from Prof. Thomas Lundén and Dr. Ricardo Ferreira from DG REGIO.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

ORCID

Eduardo Medeiros http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8877-5606

Notes

1 https://www.keep.eu/