Projects / Programmes
Development opportunities of Slovenian border areas after the entrance of the Republic of Slovenia into the Schengen space
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 6.12.02 |
Humanities |
Geography |
Social geography |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| S230 |
Social sciences |
Social geography |
European integration processes, Slovenian border areas, planning the Schengen space
Researchers (8)
Organisations (4)
Abstract
The project wishes to contribute to the development of an integral and lasting concept of the
arrangement and planning of the Slovenian border areas in conditions of crossborder integrations and stemming from social and spatial processes that are to be initiated by Slovenia’s entry into the
Schengen territory. The project wishes to study and offer actual expert and developmental solutions in view of the three main complex issue frameworks:
- development opportunities of Slovenian border areas after Slovenia’s entry into the Schengen
territory;
- solving of the problems of the peripheral character in an economic-spatial sense and of
marginality in a socio-cultural sense;
- synergic and optimal use of means allocated for the development of border areas by the
Republic of Slovenia, the neighbouring countries and various European institutions for the
development of border areas.
Namely, the new Europe will be in the first place tested in its very numerous border and ethnically
mixed areas. This of course offers new opportunities to Slovene border areas, as well as new challenges, mainly in the reorganisation of traditional forms of activities and their adaptation to the new functions.
The experience gained by Slovenian and other cognate border areas in Europe shows that the actual
intensity of crossborder relations depends not only on general international conditions but largely on the following two local factors:
- on the functional organisation of the border area itself and its adaptation to the needs of border
population to satisfy the basic functions in the spheres of supply, labour, education, habitation in a community, and spending of spare time, and
- on the degree of social and cultural integration of the border population.
By considering the indicated specificity and the stimulative local socio-cultural and economic-spatial potentials, the Slovenian border and »contact« areas could thus develop – particularly after Slovenia's entry into the Schengen territory and with the aid of the Republic of Slovenia, its neighbouring countries and various European programs – an exceptionally interesting »laboratory« for the introduction of new models in the strengthening of various institutional and everyday forms of crossborder integration on the EU's southeastern »margin«. This fact, however, could also by an exceptional developmental advantage for Slovenia in the European context, particularly in the light of its future presidency in the EU. The concept, which would be developed through the implementation of this target research program, could thus also be a »model« of the European development program in the actual implementation of the »united in heterogeneousness« strategy.
Significance for science
The project has contributed in particular:
1. to the understanding of the interlacement and interaction of broader geopolitical circumstances, inter-state and interethnic relations, as well as local development factors, which influence the position and the development potential of Slovene border areas;
2. to the formation of a model of regional development which takes into account the effects of social modernisation with respect to the peripherality and marginality of Slovene border areas;
3. to a better definition of the position and role of Slovene local communities, including Slovene minorities in the neighbouring countries, in view of interethnic and international relations, as well as their typing with respect to their development potential;
4. to the understanding of the processes of social and spatial integration and to the development of the necessary instruments and development policies for preventing socioeconomic marginalisation;
5. to the understanding of cross-border integration processes, with special consideration of the role of central factors and local communities in the formation and consolidation of institutional and functional cross-border regions;
6. to the identification of the elements and factors hindering or favouring the eradication of the peripherality (in the economic-spatial sense) and marginality (in the socio-cultural sense) of Slovene border areas.
Significance for the country
Based on the above-mentioned primary goals, the study has focussed in depth on the processes and problems concerning the development potential of Slovene border areas, a seemingly simple and “marginal” issue, which in truth covers a rather complex problem of development, transformation and management of the areas of cultural contact and of the social integration processes, which commonly represent the most exposed environment within the development of national policies in the spheres of international location and political activity of Slovenia, on the one hand, and of the integration practices constituting the foundations for the process of European integration, on the other.
The above-mentioned goals and purposes of our study will, most of all, contribute to the following expected results:
- to increased development potential of Slovene border areas after the Republic of Slovenia has joined the Schengen Area;
- to the development of a concept and the implementation of active and internationally supported development policies of the Republic of Slovenia for border areas;
- to solving the problems of Slovene “contact” - that is - border areas, from the point of view of peripherality in economic-spatial sense and marginality in the socio-cultural sense.
Most important scientific results
Annual report
2008,
final report,
complete report on dLib.si
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Annual report
2008,
final report,
complete report on dLib.si
