Bridging borders in practice lessons from the DKMT Euroregion and the BTC EGTC

Abstract

Cross-border cooperation has emerged as a key area of interest for both policymakers and scholars in the context of growing regional interdependence, European integration and shifting border dynamics in Europe. This research paper investigates the Hungarian and Serbian border area as a distinctive geopolitical interface where the European Union structures converge with non-EU territories, namely Serbia, thus offering a valuable space for analysing regional governance models, institutional cooperation, cross-border strategic planning and implementation. This research draws on secondary data analysis and expert interviews conducted in a semi-structured format to research the legal frameworks, institutional arrangements and policy mechanisms underpinning these platforms, while also identifying the processes of implementation and practical barriers, too. Subsequently, the research examines two major institutional platforms that operate along the Hungarian, Serbian and Romanian frontier. One is the Euroregion Danube-Kriş-Mureş-Tisa (Euroregion DKMT), while the other one is the Banat-Triplex Confinium European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (BTC EGTC). These platforms represent key efforts to formalise and operationalise cross-border cooperation in a historically fragmented region. While the DKMT provides a profound coordination framework across three territories, the BTC EGTC focuses on programme delivery at the municipal level within the EGTC format. However, some constraints limit their performance, like the lack of EGTC-enabling legislation in Serbia, Schengen-related border frictions and administrative fragmentation among the cooperating members.