Сross-Border cooperation between Ukraine and Romania: Legitimate Opportunities for Internet Communication

Abstract

The article assesses the process of cross-border cooperation through the prism of its legitimacies, both institutional – as regional authorities and European groupings of territorial cooperation (EGAP) – and public confidence through the communicative capabilities of official websites. Cross-border cooperation contributes to the stabilization, strengthening of social and territorial development, European integration and amplifies the processes of structural reforms in Ukraine and Romania. With the implementation of decentralisation reform, these processes have intensified significantly in both countries, especially with the use of EGAP. At the Ukrainian-Romanian border, territorial communities are mainly acting as the initiators of the CBC, so they need to be open to cooperation with the state, with Ukrainian and international colleagues, business, the public and residents; the opportunity to learn project management skills to meet their own needs and the needs of the community, primarily through interregional agreements and cross-border projects, which should be significantly facilitated by various forms of CBC, especially EGAP. Traditionally, common citizens request their authorities for the necessary information. Unfortunately, the websites of regional bodies in Ukraine, in contrast to the Romanian ones, are not yet maximally adapted to interactive communication, they do not contain adequate information to support involving the population in CBC. General reports on CBC, implementation of international programs, projects, technical assistance, dispersion of internal control among profile committees, lack of institutional external control for a long time, do not allow proper public control over project implementation or funds usage, which creates distrust in CBC management and gradually delegitimizes them. In the future, we suggest providing effective means of control and responsibility of the parties for failure of programs and projects implementation and opportunities for public control; to strengthen information and communication support with the authorities and EGAP through electronic media and social networks in different languages.