Course Content

The course it structured in five units: The five units course consist of:

1. Chapter summaries and key readings prepared by international experts from the EU-related institutions, academia and civil society;
2. Video lectures and power point presentations prepared by the experts;
3. Quiz questions to help the course participants to reflect on the knowledge received through the lectures and provide assessment.

 What will I learn?

 Unit 1: Theoretical conceptualization of the EU actorness internationally and in the Eastern neighbourhood

Brief overview: The rising great power competition between the West and Russia, with the ongoing volatility in the EU’s neighbourhood (both in the post-Soviet space and in Middle East and North Africa region), are seriously testing the EU’s ability to stand up to the global and regional challenges. Particularly in the eastern neighbourhood the EU’s actorness and neighbourhood instruments appear to be under strain. The EU’s concerns with pressing internal issues, the precarious state of affairs the six Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries are currently facing in political, economic, social, security matters, coupled with Russia’s increasing assertiveness challenge the EU’s presence in the neighbourhood and the capacity to wield actorness. This course unit seeks to equip the students with the capacity to understand, associate and critically reflect upon the concepts which theoretically underpin the EU’s external capacity to influence the present international context (in other words, to exercise actorness) and to diffuse its unique normative frameworks as prerequisites for prosperity, peace and stability both regionally and worldwide.

Unit 2: The EU’s foreign policy instruments in the eastern neighbourhood: ENP & EaP

Brief overview: The European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) has been designed to increase the reach and clout of the European Union (EU) beyond its borders into the immediate vicinity and to formally establish political and economic cooperation with the neighbours. In Eastern Europe, this political initiative has been followed by the Eastern Partnership (EaP), a multilateral framework specifically dedicated to strengthening relations with the post-Soviet space. In line with the latest events in the region spearheaded by turmoil in Ukraine and the increasing geopolitical completion with Russia, the 2015 ENP Review and the subsequent 2016 Global Strategy for the EU’s Foreign and Security Policy (EUGS) emphasised the urgent need for a reconsideration of the EU’s actorness in the eastern neighbourgood towards a more pragmatic and resilient approach. This course unit addresses all students interested to enhance their knowledge in issues related to the ENP’s and the EaP’s contribution to the development of the ties between the EU and the eastern neighbourhood.

Unit 3: General introduction to borders and cross-border co-operations

Brief overview: The terminology related to borders, border regions and cross-border co-operations are explained in detail focusing on their interpretation and use in the European Union. This includes the discussion of the economic, social, cultural and political dimensions as well as the elements of peripherality and multiculturalism in border regions. In addition to the introduction to the various ways of typifying borders and border regions, special attention is paid to the border region typology used in the documents and policies of the European Union. The students will focus on the specific features of cross-border co-operation resulting from the European enlargements and integration processes. The diverse forms of cross-border co-operations (twinning, euroregions, working communities, European Grouping of Territorial Co-operations and project based cross-border co-operations) are introduced to find the best solutions along the borders of the Eastern Partnership countries. The most important objective of the Unit is to provide theoretical assistance for the promotion of cross-border co-operations along the external borders of the European Union.

 Unit 4: Transforming borders into opportunity for development

Brief overview: The unit aims to present possible direction of developing a border region, using the border as one of the sources of growth. The logic of the discussion starts with presenting the concept of borders in regional science, where this administrative issue is sometimes neglected. Therefore, territory as an analytical unit is described, which allows to observe economic and social factors and mechanisms in the whole functional area, despite administrational divisions. The idea of transforming borders into development opportunity is presented in economic terms, using economic costs and benefits, and analysing impact on local and regional economy. Cross-border cooperation, as one of the instruments of obtaining these benefits, is also researched from the point of view of economics, i.e. value added of CBC. Further analytical instruments are delivered by concepts created based on empirical observations, such as resourceful region, transfer of knowledge, and cooperative governance. Such examples of conceptualization give grounds to assess region’s approach to border in the opportunity/threat context. This theoretical argument gives ground for a more practical analysis of transforming borders into opportunities in area of region’s/city economy. Cross-border trade is presented in particular as an issue of great impact on border region’s development. Further, a case study of Lublin is described with examples of strategic areas of development towards transforming the city into a metropolis of transnational regional importance.

 Unit 5: ENPI – ENI – Joint Operational Programmes at the EU’s eastern border

Brief overview: In this unit detailed information regarding the management and implementation of the European Neighbourhood Policy Instrument (ENPI) and European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI) cross-border co-operation supporting programmes along the external borders of the European Union, with special emphasis on the original objectives, priorities and tasks, is presented.  The four co-operation criteria: joint development, joint implementation, joint staffing and joint financing that are the main pillars for designing and implementing an ENPI or ENI cross border cooperation project were highlighted in the text of the unit and in the presentation. During the presentation of the unit, practical information regarding the implementation of the Joint Operational Programme Black Sea Basin 2014-2020, funded from the European Neighbourhood Instrument - ENI is presented, that was emphasised by the interview with the representative of the managing authority. Moreover, best practices from the cross-border cooperation projects implemented in the framework of the Joint Operational Programme Romania-Ukraine-Republic of Moldova 2007-2013 are included in the short video prepared by the managing authority for promoting the results of the programme (the link with the long version of promotion movie is available in the section of the unit related to further readings). Furthermore, methods for successful implementation of the ENPI/ENI cross border cooperation projects, according to sound financial management principle, are available throughout the presentation, and other practical tools and advices, including tips for avoidance of errors, were highlighted in the interview with the senior auditor.

Course Goals

Upon completing the course students will:

1. Understand the complex political and economic background of Eastern Europe and the wider post-Soviet space
   
2. develop a broad knowledge of the EU’s actorness in Eastern Europe and the broader post-Soviet space;
   
3. be able to analyse the current conceptual debates over the Union’s role in the Eastern borderlands;
   
4. understand the complexities and dynamics of regional and cross-border relations within Europe and beyond;
   
5. enhance their critical assessment skills by examining various instruments through which CBC functions;
   
6. be able to understand the role of Cross-border cooperation as a key priority of the European Neighbourhood Instruments (ENI);
   
7. be able to identify the opportunities of being a border region, as well as to operate with key concepts of regional development, such as periphery, core-periphery model, sustainable development, etc.
   

Previous Knowledge

There are no pre-requisites for taking the course.

Course Procedure

Certificate

For actively participating in the course you will receive an automatic certificate which includes your username, the course name as well as the completed lessons. We want to point out that this certificate merely confirms that the user answered at least 75% of the self-assessment questions correctly.

Licence

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License