Challenges of Consolidation and Institutionalisation of Cross-border Cooperation in the Hungarian–Romanian–Serbian border region

Abstract

This paper investigates the role of the Danube-Kris-Mureș-Tisa Euroregion and the Banat-Triplex Confinium European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation in the institutionalisation of the tri-border region of Hungary, Romania, and Serbia. From a rationalist perspective, the advantages of the EGTC mechanism primarily derive from its legal and institutional characteristics. There is an increasingly compelling argument for conceptualising the EGTC as a political instrument capable of structuring cross-border cooperation, particularly in peripheral external border regions. This paper examines practical solutions to overcome the legal and administrative obstacles preventing Serbian local and regional authorities from attaining full membership in an EGTC. This analysis is conducted through a multi-perspective analytical framework, incorporating thematic interviews and a systematic review of relevant legislation and regulations. The principal challenges identified as hindering the institutionalisation of the EGTC in the tri-border region include delayed legislative reforms, and a lack of political commitment.