4th-year student, sp. “Foreign Trade”, d/d, Scientific Advisor – N. M. Grygoriv, Chernivtsi Trade and Economics Institute of KNTEU, Chernivtsi
CARPATHIAN EUROREGION: PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS
National borders often present obstacles to the development of neighbouring countries and can be a great barrier. That is why the first experiments in cross-border regional cooperation took place in Europe and proved to be an important tool for the integration process in Europe. Following the experience of European countries and positive results achieved through cross-border cooperation, Ukraine can recognize the importance of supporting such form of transnational cooperation structure as Euroregions [1]. The Carpathian Euroregion (CE) is an international association formed on February 14, 1993 by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Poland, Ukraine and Hungary in Debrecen. The Carpathian Euroregion comprises 19 administrative units of five countries from Central and East Europe, including Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Ukraine and Romania. Its total area is about 160 000 km2 or over 60 thousands square miles. It is inhabited by over 15 million people. Such big towns are included into the Carpathian Euroregion as Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Chernivtsi, Uzhhorod. The Carpathian Euroregion is designed to bring together people who inhabit the region of the Carpathian Mountains and to facilitate their cooperation in the fields of science, culture, education, trade, tourism and economy [3]. The largest Ukrainian areas in the CE in terms of population and territory are economically the least-developed areas of all border regions. This indicates that the CE is a cross-border cooperation among the economically least-developed border areas with a great development gap between themselves. In addition to this low GDP, the regional economies in the border areas have been further burdened by their periphery, the restructuring of the main economic sectors and the underdevelopment of village communities; these burdens exceed the general social-economic costs of transformation [2]. This institutional framework can be improved by introducing effective cooperation mechanisms. The Carpathian Euroregion Association is a transitional legal instrument which allows partners to link their activities. This association could be supported and strengthened. At the same time new and complementary activities can be developed. All economic units, regardless of the size and type of economic activity, may set up a type of Carpathian Euroregion Economic Interest Group (CEEIG). This institution will be most beneficial to small and medium-sized enterprises, whose cooperation with partner firms of other Carpathian Euroregion member states is actively supported. The CEEIG has the advantage of providing a legal framework that is fixed from the outset and a flexible means of operation, which respects the balance between the member states. With the help of CEEIG, firms could join forces to carry out economic activities. For example, firms might undertake joint work in the field of research and development, buying, production, marketing, electronic data processing, forming multidisciplinary consortiums of tendering for public and private contacts. Other important instruments in promoting cross-border cooperation could include a Carpathian Euroregion Information Centre (CEIC) to provide tailor-made assistance to small and medium-sized enterprises. Thanks to the connections with currently existing Euro-Info Centre, the CEIC could be linked to a central “task force” with access to European Union data banks. CEIC could supply information about legislation, taxes, loans and research programs. Furthermore, it could function as an advice and early-warning centre for the Carpathian Euroregion market handling complaints about trade barriers, competition problems, unemployment etc. The CEIC could be a data network for cooperation between firms. In general, there has been no lack of ideas or initiatives – only the lack of political will to transfer ideas and initiatives into concrete action. A more serious problem lies in the hypoplastic identity of the CE and continued lack of consensus with regard to the strategic future image of the CE on the regional/local level, the nation-state level, and within the EU as a whole [2]. The Carpathians are currently undergoing unprecedented change due to economic transition and European integration. The situation varies considerably from country to country and from region to region, characterized by dynamic economic development in some parts and ongoing isolation in others. This increases the possibilities and challenges for sustainable development based on the rich natural, environmental. Selected Bibliography: 1. Bentsak O. Cross-border cooperation and its place in the process of economic integration . – [Електронний ресурс]. – Режим доступу : http://www.nbuv.gov.ua/portal....ei.pdf. 2. Tanaka Hiroshi. Carpathian Euroregion and Cross-Border Governance. – [Електронний ресурс]. – Режим доступу : http://www.kier.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~ces/jces/02_jces_2006/05_Tanaka.pdf 3. The Carpathian Euroregion. – [Електронний ресурс]. – Режим доступу : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpathian_Euroregion
