Cross-border cooperation in the shadow of crisis – the Turów Coalmine case

Abstract

Background: The study concerns the inter-governmental dispute between the Polish and the Czech governments on the planned Turów coalmine expansion and its impact on the cross-border cooperation between the Polish and the Czech entities, particularly in the sphere of cross-border partnerships conducting microprojects financially supported by the INTERREG Program. The conflict went before the European Court of Justice in 2021 and was the cause of hostility between the two nations. the conflict was concluded in February 2022, with the signing of the agreement on the future of the Turów coalmine and compensation for the Czechs. Although the dispute has ended formally, but some problems in relations between the Polish and the Czech partners on the borderland still exist. Research problem and questions: The research problem concerns recognizing how inter-governmental disputes at a national level can impact on cross-border cooperation at a local level, and in particular the Polish-Czech partnerships conducting cross-border microprojects. It comprises of research questions concerning the impact of this inter-governmental dispute on the ongoing and future Polish-Czech institutional partnerships in cross-border projects and the factors necessary to improve the resilience of cross-border cooperation at a local level to political factors and actors. Methods: The authors used both qualitative research methods (in-depth interviews, media analysis, desk research) and quantitative research methods (survey CATI, CAWI surveys). Conclusions: The study shows slight changes in the intensity, efficiency and approach to the cross-border cooperation; it reveals the future activities essential to improving the Polish-Czech relations in the Nysa Euroregion. It points out the important factors necessary to improve the resilience of cross-border cooperation to political factors.

The Turów coal mine international dispute as a determinant of the cross-border integration of inhabitants of the Polish-Czech border

“…Unfortunately, there is no centralised data available for cross-border commuting and other aspects of CBI. To compensate for this gap, we present the cultural-historical and transport findings, along with previous research results from Kurowska-Pysz et al (2022) and Siatkowski et al (2022), conducted within our project team (refer to the Acknowledgment section) as additional resources. Our research involved 15 anonymised, in-depth, semi-structured interviews with representatives from Czech offices, institutions, organisations, and local businesses, as well as 15 interviews with their Polish counterparts and beneficiaries engaged in CBC projects in the ERN.…”

“…CBC project beneficiaries, unlike representatives, pointed out the slight deterioration of Czech-Polish relations during the crisis and no major problems within their practical CBC. These diverse findings (Kurowska-Pysz et al, 2022;Siatkowski et al, 2022), obtained through different research methods, paint a multifaceted picture of the Turów crisis's influence on CBI.…”

Managing Cross-Border Projects Towards More Resilient Cooperation in Borderlands. The Post-Pandemic Perspective

“…The concept of 'slow burn' (Pendall et al, 2010) is closely intertwined with these stressors. Regional challenges that develop over an extended period without effective mitigation strategies become a burden for the region (Martinho, 2021) -a situation exemplified recently by the Polish-Czech-(German) Turów case (Kurowska-Pysz et al, 2022).…”

Cross-Border Dimension of (Un)sustainable Tourism in Border Regions

“…This phenomenon can be observed in the restructuring of cross-border relations, the establishment of new regulations or policies governing border areas, and the reinforcement of border controls or restrictions (Jańczak, 2019). Re-bordering can impact crossborder cooperation initiatives by influencing the dynamics of collaboration, altering the perception of borders as barriers or facilitators, and shaping the development of shared resources and infrastructure along borders (Kurowska-Pysz et al, 2022). The concept of rebordering highlights the fluid and evolving nature of borders and the significance of understanding how these changes affect cross-border interactions, cooperation, and regional development.…”