INTERREG III and Cross-Border Cooperation in the Island of Ireland

Abstract

Abstract This article analyses the interaction and intersection between an EU policy instrument ‐ INTERREG ‐ and bottom‐up mobilisation of cross‐border groups on the Irish border The analysis involves an exploration of the interaction between the planning and negotiation of the INTERREG III programme for the border area between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, the establishment of new political institutions arising from the Good Friday Agreement and the ‘bottom‐up’ mobilisation of new territorial actors on the border. Given that the Irish border is a contested one, it offers a useful lens to study the role of the EU in sustaining or mediating political conflict. The findings suggest that the EU, notably the Commission, plays an important role in altering the opportunity structure of domestic actors and in providing them with new policy models. However, the ability of sub‐state actors to take advantage of the new political space depends on developments in domestic politics.