Within the framework of the Interreg Deutschland–Nederland programme, a start-up grant has been awarded to the research project CrossGov EU. The project aims to strengthen the way in which European and cross-border issues are embedded in the local governance structures of municipalities in the German–Dutch border region. CrossGov EU is a joint initiative of the Centre of European Studies at the Thorbecke Academy (NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences), based in Leeuwarden (NL) and ACEEU (Accreditation Council for Entrepreneurial and Engaged Universities), based in Münster (DE).
Previous research in the Netherlands shows that European affairs and cross-border cooperation are not yet a natural and integral part of policy-making and organisational structures in many municipalities. Responsibilities and activities are often fragmented and handled on an ad hoc basis, making it difficult for municipalities to anticipate and effectively respond to European opportunities and cross-border challenges. This not only affects the quality of local policymaking, but also hampers economic growth, social cohesion and sustainable development in border regions. Against this backdrop, CrossGov EU further examines to what extent similar challenges actually exist in German-Netherlands cross-border cooperation. By systematically mapping the current situation in these regions, the project seeks to develop a current and representative understanding of how European and cross-border tasks are organised at the local level.
The project goes beyond identifying challenges alone. CrossGov EU also explores the preconditions for creating a so-called “design space”: a collaborative setting in which researchers and municipal professionals jointly develop, test and evaluate potential solutions. This approach lays the groundwork for a larger follow-up research project, in which concrete models for professionalisation and cross-border cooperation can be further developed and implemented.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Das Projekt „CrossGov EU“ wird durch das Interreg-Programm Deutschland-Nederland sowie seinen Programmpartnern ermöglicht und von der Europäischen Union (EU) kofinanziert.
No website found.
