The Role of Cross-Border Cooperation in Modernising Public Administration (Experience of the Trnava Region, Slovakia)

Abstract

The former post-socialist countries have become examples of the institutional transformation of public administration systems. An indispensable element of optimising public administration is intensification of cross-border cooperation and implementation of joint sustainable development programmes in the cross-border regions.It has been found that an efficient cross-border cooperation model in Slovakia was introduced after joining the European Union. The financial support within the Interreg EU programme, implemented during 2007–2013 (Interreg IV) and 2014–2010 (Interreg V), has played an essential role. It has been proved that the most effective model is the cross-border cooperation model in Trnava Region, territorially implemented with the neighbouring regions of Austria, Hungary and the Czech Republic. It has been determined that the main directions of cross-border cooperation in the Trnava self-governing region are realization of joint socio-economic programmes (strategies of economic growth and regional employment, cultural and educational projects, transport system, etc.) as well as cooperation between municipal administrations on the issues of administrative systems optimization. It has been proved that the vast share of European financial resources (for instance, the European Regional Development Fund), aimed at the development of regional cooperation, should, above all, bridge the administrative resource gap between urban and rural areas and ensure that local communities have free and equal access to administrative resources.The traditions of effective cross-border cooperation between the Trnava self-governing region and respective cross-border regions of the Czech Republic, Austria and Hungary have been prolonged in the format of the European Interreg V Consolidation Programme for the period of 2014-2010. Cross-border projects are usually implemented for a period of 1–2 years, being aimed at fortifying intercultural ties on the neighbour territories. In Trnava Region it is strategically important to intensify cross-border cooperation in order to increase inter-institutional cooperation at the level of municipal administrations as well as strengthen cross-border ties at the level of population.The correlation of strategic goals with the outcomes of cross-border cooperation with Euroregions, while retaining substantial financial support from the EU structures, is among the priority tasks.