National Borders Research Articles

Adapting the Place Standard Tool for Border Regions: The Euregional Approach

Abstract The Place Standard Tool (PST) is a well-established tool that helps policymakers and communities discuss which aspects of a place - like buildings and transportation or the the way people are involved in decision making concerning their surroundings - need attention in order to improve public health. Even though the PST is widely used in many countries, it primarily focuses on a national level, overlooking the fact that 35% of EU citizens live in border regions. Many people living in these areas cross national borders for work, school, or social activities, so their everyday lives span more than one country. Using this tool to develop policies may ignore the real needs of border residents or even exclude their views, which can have a significant impact on their lives. To address this, the euPrevent Active Citizenship Participation (ACP) project adjusted the tool for a cross-border setting in the Euregio Meuse-Rhine (EMR). In this project, the German version of the StadtRaumMonitor, which is based on the PST, was modified to include questions that reach beyond national borders. This adaptation encourages people to respond to questions not just from a national perspective, but also to reflect on their experiences in neighboring countries. It was further translated into the four languages: French, German, Dutch and English, and made available online across the entire border region, which is home to nearly 4 million people. Moreover, the Euregional PST was effectively tested with local and cross-border citizen panels, and it’s set to become a key element in creating a sustainable framework for citizen participation within the EMR. And although this Euregional PST was initially developed for the border regions of the EMR, the modifications are such that the tool can be applied in no matter which European border region. Thereby, the Euregional PST offers a way to create policies that truly reflect the diverse needs and realities of border citizens, all over Europe. Key messages • The Cross-border Place Standard Tool EMR is easy to apply for a broad spectrum of stakeholders in border regions and applicable to all border regions in Europe. • The tool helps preventing policy issues by considering the entire context of people living in border areas.

Developing an Evidence-Based Primary Cancer Prevention Repository: insights from the PIECES project

Abstract Introduction Up to 40% of cancer cases could be avoided through effective primary prevention. However, cancer prevention tends to be fragmented across Europe, leading to geographical health differences. The dissemination and scale-up of effective primary cancer prevention interventions may address this. Although effective cancer prevention programs exist, finding them and their materials (especially regarding implementation) can be challenging. Repositories of evidence-based interventions provide insight into “what is out there” and can support dissemination within and across national borders. The PIECES project aims to develop and disseminate a repository of evidence-based primary cancer prevention programs adaptable to European contexts, with information to aid adaptation and implementation across countries. Methods The development of the PIECES repository has been informed by established repositories such as NCI’s Evidence-Based Cancer Control Programs. The project team developed a scoring sheet with a selection of items that could be included in the repository. All participants rated each item on relevance and applicability and provided comments and suggestions. A final framework, including a set of minimal requirement items, was agreed upon during three online consensus building meetings. Results We created a repository of evidence-based primary cancer prevention interventions targeting modifiable risk factors suitable for implementation in European healthcare settings. This 22-item repository provides information about an intervention’s logic model, implementation practices, and appraisal of published evidence of effectiveness. Conclusions This repository is innovative as it includes practical information and tools to facilitate implementation. While initially built to serve the PIECES project, the repository is designed to be a valuable tool for European policymakers, researchers, and implementers. Lessons learned from this process will inform future developers. Key messages • A comprehensive cancer prevention intervention repository avoids “reinventing the wheel” and allows for more efficient use of existing interventions by building upon the best available evidence. • The ongoing efforts of the PIECES project represent a significant contribution to reduce cancer prevention disparities and to facilitate the adoption of evidence-based interventions in Europe.

Global health

Abstract Global health emphasizes the importance of addressing health challenges that transcend national borders and require strong international collaboration and governance. This concept is grounded in collaborative transnational actions aimed at promoting health for all, reducing disparities, and protecting against threats. Strengthening health systems, public health infrastructure, improving health service delivery, and ensuring equal access to healthcare for all are key focus areas in global health. This plenary will address several major health challenges and critical issues, such as the rising burden of non-communicable diseases, re-emerging pandemics, environmental threats, and the suboptimal responses of national healthcare systems to manage these challenges. The need to focus on vulnerable and marginalized populations, particularly those affected by migration and ethnicity, will be highlighted. The discussion will also showcase the importance of including ethnic minority and Indigenous people’s perspectives in health policy and decision-making processes, as well as addressing the social determinants of health that disproportionately affect these communities. Central to the discussion on global health is the role of global health policy and diplomacy, focusing on how countries can collaborate to address health threats and challenges, shaping international strategies and frameworks. Innovation, including reverse innovation and the development of evidence-informed policies and effective public health strategies that can be implemented globally and is relevant also in resource-constrained contexts, is another critical aspect in addressing the intersection of health and development. Finally, strong public health leadership is needed to shape practices and policies, as well as fostering the next generation of global health leaders. The multifaceted nature of global health calls for a comprehensive approach to health—one that integrates policy, leadership, and equity into the core of public health strategies. The integration of health into all policies at the global level is vital for creating supportive environments, policies, services, and communications that promote better health for all. Moderators Iveta Nagyova President EUPHA Henrique Barros President ASPHER Speakers/Panellists Emma Rawson Te Patu President World Federation of Public Health Associations Charles Agyemang Professor of Global Migration, Ethnicity & Health, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands Agnès Buzyn Former Minister of Health and Social Affairs, France Moredreck Chibi Public Health Innovation Lead, WHO Regional Office for Europe

The Role of Non-State Actors in the Linguistic Policy in the Republic of Moldova

This article examines the evolving role of non-state actors in the politics of language, using the postSoviet Republic of Moldova as a case study. Over the past half-century, the increasing influence of non-state actors in global political systems has led to shifts not only in international relations but also in domestic policy areas such as language policy. Traditionally the exclusive domain of the state, language policy has become an arena of interaction between the state and various non-state actors, including political parties and non-governmental organizations. This interaction, termed the «politics of language,» extends beyond national borders, particularly in cases where a country's population is linked to kin states. In Moldova, the political landscape is divided between pro-Russian Moldovanists, who advocate for a distinct Moldovan identity and the use of “Moldovan” as the state language, and pro-Romanian Romanianists, who promote Romanian identity and language. The research identifies the key actors in Moldova's language politics and reveals that, during the country's independence, the politics of language has shifted from a conflict between the state and intellectual elites to a more complex set of relations between multiple actors, with Romanianists gaining influence. The role of the state has been significantly weakened, as evidenced by the Constitutional Court's reduced capacity to maintain constitutional stability, becoming instead a tool for non-state actors.

Beyond National Sovereignty and Borders: Non-State Actors in International Relations

.

Mellowing down the rigour of the concept of ‘trans‐border reputation’ to accommodate bona fide domestic use: The Indian and Sri Lankan perspectives

AbstractIn this era of global trade and digital communication, where geographical borders between states have become virtually redundant, the ‘aura’ of well‐known trademarks easily transgresses national borders. As an upshot of this, the reputation and goodwill attached to well‐known trademarks have become less and less commensurate with the territorial boundaries of individual states. This raises the question of whether strict adherence to the bedrock principle of ‘territoriality’ is both apt and justifiable in the backdrop of modern commerce—not only from a trademark holder's perspective but also from a consumer‐centric viewpoint. Although the judicially crafted concept of ‘trans‐border reputation’ is often hailed as a promising solution to this problem; sometimes it postulates a too‐liberal approach to protecting the interests of the foreign trademark owners. Most significantly, the concern has been raised that the application of an unbridled doctrine of ‘trans‐border reputation’ may unduly thwart the interests of local entrepreneurs. Thus, the argument that the ‘priority of innocent use’ by a local trader should not be superseded by the trans‐border reputation of a foreign well‐known trademark cannot be easily ignored. This paper aims to critically evaluate the application of the trans‐border reputation concept within the Indian and Sri Lankan legal landscapes, discussing in detail the implications of the landmark cases determined by the Indian and Sri Lankan judiciaries. Most importantly, it seeks to introduce a mechanism for minimizing prejudice to the bona fide domestic users of marks, by employing ‘bad faith’ as a balancing tool.

Populism and the Erosion of Democratic Checks and Balances: A Systematic Literature Review across Regions

Populism has emerged as a significant challenge to democratic governance worldwide, as populist leaders seek to undermine checks and balances and consolidate power. This systematic literature review analyzes how populist movements weaken democratic institutions across different regions, focusing on the erosion of judicial independence, legislative oversight, media freedom, and human rights. This study examines case studies from Hungary, Turkey, Brazil, and the United States, revealing how populist leaders centralize authority, manipulate legal frameworks, and exploit societal grievances to sideline democratic norms. Populist rhetoric often frames democratic institutions as elitist and detached from the interests of the "true people," justifying actions that concentrate executive power and limit accountability. This impact extends beyond national borders and affects international law and global governance. In response, civil society, independent judiciaries, the media, academia, and international organizations play crucial roles in defending democratic values and building resilience against populist encroachment. Strategies such as enhancing legal protection, promoting civic education, strengthening oversight bodies, and reforming electoral systems are essential for countering populist threats. This study highlights the need for a multifaceted approach to address the root causes of populism's appeal and protect democratic institutions. Further research should explore how populists exploit digital media and the effectiveness of resistance strategies and conduct comparative analyses across regions to develop robust defenses against the erosion of democracy.

Sprachsensibler Fachunterricht an „Nationalitätenschulen“ in Regionen mit autochthonen deutschen Minderheiten – Modelle und Herausforderungen

Abstract This article deals with so-called “nationality schools”, educational institutions in which the primary language of instruction generally differs from the language of the majority society. Conceptually, this applies to minority schools in regions with autochthonous German minorities, which since the 1990s have tended to develop into schools of encounter, as the proportion of autochthonous native speakers has fallen to a maximum of 5 percent of the student body. This makes the educational institutions, which are often referred to as elite schools, all the more sought-after by the majority society. The social relevance of these schools is based on a pedagogical concept that transcends national borders in education and training and makes international perspectives a matter of course in early school years. It opens up transnational educational spaces in which linguistic diversity and multilingualism are part of everyday life. Subject lessons at these schools are usually taught in the pupils’ second or foreign language and require language-sensitive subject teaching, which requires the teaching and learning of the subject matter, the educational language of the subject and the foreign language German in equal measure (Content and Language Integrated Learning). Various models are presented for locating the language of education, which illustrate the particular importance of linking language and subject learning. Only mastery of the language of education enables difficult and cognitively demanding contexts to be penetrated linguistically and information to be processed. Educational language is therefore an indispensable prerequisite and at the same time a challenge for subject teaching a second or foreign language. The article shows examples of the educational language tools that need to be taught at different levels and provides a possible structuring aid for teachers and learners by discussing the “scaffolding” model.

The Geographical Conditioning of Regional Differentiation Characterising the COVID-19 Pandemic in European Countries.

The aim of this paper is to assess the influence of selected geographical factors on the diversity of the development of the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe's regions, and on its dynamics across the continent. The work took into account 250 of NUTS-2 regions. The datasets included the course of the COVID-19 pandemic (two dependent variables), intervening actions (four variables of the research background), and potential environmental and socio-economic conditioning (twelve independent variables). The dependent variables' set was composed of two indexes: morbidity and temporal inertia. The temporal scope of the research was 23 March 2020-15 May 2022, with weekly resolution. By means of multiple linear regression model, the influence of the administrative actions and of the selected natural and socio-economic factors was assessed. Finally, a synthetic Regional Epidemic Vulnerability Index (REVI) for each individual region was calculated. It allowed us to classify the regions into three categories: resistant, neutral, or sensitive. REVI's spatial distribution indicates that the zone of above-average vulnerability occurred in the western part of Europe and around the Alps. Therefore, focus ought to extend beyond regional statistics, towards spatial relationships, like contiguous or transit position. This research also validated the strong impact of national borders.

Urban Patterns from Space: A Remote Sensing Based Comparison Between France and Germany

AbstractThis article presents two novel methods on how to derive and visualise settlement patterns from space: a non-parametric approach called multi-scale homogeneity and a parametric, unsupervised approach known as hierarchical multi-scale clustering that models the urban clusters with the help of Gaussian bell curves. The main advantage of remote sensing based acquisition and fully automated evaluation methods is their consistency over large coverages. The Global Urban Footprint-Density (GUF-DenS) indicating the degree of impervious surfaces worldwide serves as database. The geographical focus lies on the neighbouring central-European countries France and Germany. Assuming that the centralist and federal administrative systems resulting from the individual history show a certain impact on the urban patterns, both countries are first examined separately, then together as union. The numerical comparison proofs the expected differences: the settlement pattern of the capital Paris as the largest metropolitan region in France is dominating, whereas several economic clusters of more of less similar size like Rhine–Ruhr and Rhine–Main characterise the German urban landscape. The most interesting and unexpected findings are located along the border, where neighbouring urban ellipses overlay in the separate processing and form transnational clusters when processed as union. One can interpret that the national border does not play a role in the urban development (any longer). The temporal change of the settlement patterns as effect of the regional planning strategies or the opening of the inner-European border cannot be derived from the mono-temporal GUF-DenS and thus, will be subject to future studies.

Reconceptualizing Corruption as an International Crime: A Review of International Law

The discourse surrounding corruption as an international crime is increasingly urgent, as it transcends national borders and contributes to economic crises, conflicts, and various crimes that threaten global security. Scholars such as Christensen (2017), Peters (2018), Davis (2018), and Rothe (2010) have linked corruption to human rights violations, revealing that states often struggle to address it effectively. This research seeks to explore how corruption can be redefined as an international crime and what legal accountability mechanisms exist for perpetrators within international law, while also examining the opportunities for the international community to recognize corruption as an international crime. The findings suggest that corruption crimes impacting security, human rights, and environmental integrity, particularly in contexts where states are unable or unwilling to act, should be classified as international crimes, necessitating a global commitment to amend the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) accordingly. Furthermore, the potential for universal jurisdiction over corruption is explored, whether through amending the 1998 Rome Statute or establishing an ad hoc international tribunal, although significant obstacles remain due to states’ commitments to their sovereignty and criminal jurisdiction.

Transnational professionalism in child welfare in Germany

The field of child protection is closely interwoven with the national welfare state and its institutions. Nowadays, both the everyday lives of families and the professional work are shaped by transnational activities. This article presents the results of a study on child protection services in Germany working across national borders. Although regulated by international law, there are institutional and organisational gaps challenging professionals in this field. We can find processes of border setting and border crossing by professional social workers at the same time. Two ideal types of transnational situations are presented that reflect the variations of professional activities.

Editors’ Introduction: Connectivity and Diversity in Music Cognition

Scholarly interest in the context of music listening and its influence on music cognition and connection is flourishing after decades of a predominantly individualistic approach. This article introduces a special issue that explores research on the theme of connectivity and diversity in music cognition research arising from the ICMPC16-ESCOM11 conference. The conference itself, held online during the later stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, transcended national borders, bringing together researchers and practitioners from multiple continents in a digital context. In this introduction, we set the scene for this topic as it related to the conference. The included papers are the outcome of workshops held as part of the conference. The first paper in the special issue explores the use of embodied consciousness as part of pedagogical strategies to help music performers connect with embodied memories that can support their understanding of the work they are performing. The second paper considers uses of music in the early stages of motherhood, including a comparison between the active choice to regularly sing or listen to music and its perceived effects for the mother and her infant. The papers and associated commentaries offer a window into the rich research theme of connectivity and diversity that is likely to be influential over the years to come.

Different impacts of similar crises? The financial and COVID-19 crisis in border and non-border regions

ABSTRACT The last two decades have seen an increase in the number and intensity of shocks and crises. The financial crisis of 2008/2009 and the COVID-19 crisis of 2020/2021 have led to economic recessions. During the COVID-19 crisis, national borders and the impact of crises in border regions were often the subject of political debate and media coverage. Border-regional resilience has only been discussed in the academic discourse for the last few years. This article uses a diverse set of socio-economic indicators to examine the (border)–regional resilience of German regions in the wake of the financial crisis and the COVID-19 crisis. A distinction is made between border and non-border regions, urban and rural regions, and regions in the old and new German federal states. The results show, first, that the COVID-19 crisis had a stronger socio-economic impact than the financial crisis. Second, border regions tended to be more affected by the financial crisis than non-border regions. Surprisingly, this was not the case for the border-specific COVID-19 crisis. Moreover, the study shows that it is not so much the border location that determines regional resilience, but rather the socio-economic level, the degree of urbanization and the associated embeddedness in global networks.

The online exchange of conspiracy theories within an Irish extreme right wing Telegram group during the COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT While the extreme right wing (ERW) has not gained a foothold in local or national Irish politics, the country has witnessed a growth in online activism and harassment, and physical protest and violence. This paper explores a case study based on 4876 unique posts from one Irish-based Telegram group active during six months of the COVID-19 pandemic. The main findings are that: (a) this group was heavily influenced by foreign content and influencers, in particular, American ERW content and conspiracies associated with QAnon; (b) conspiracy theories were not adopted wholesale but adapted for an Irish audience; (c) Irish actors were not passive receivers of US content, and multi-directional exchanges of ideas were witnessed. While generalising beyond the case study analysed in this paper would require further data, this may suggest that Irish influencers are part of a transnational online ecosystem in which ideas and theories are shared and adapted to local contexts. These findings offer insights into the ERW in Ireland and, more generally, how the ERW communicates and spread conspiracy theories across national borders.

A Critical Examination of the Role of Stakeholders in the Regulation of Competition among Business Enterprises in Cameroon

Competition law is a tool first employed by countries more than a hundred years ago, to address issues relating to restrictions on competition conducted by private firms. Competition law is still predominantly an instrument to resolve national problems while the dominance of market based economies in the last fifty years, particularly following the collapse of the eastern bloc, in combination with improvements in transport, communications and technology have progressively dismantled national borders and internationalized trade. Against this backdrop, the objective of this paper is to examine the role of stakeholders in the regulation of competition among business enterprises in Cameroon. In carrying out this research, the doctrinal method was engaged, drawing from primary and secondary sources of data. It is therefore, recommended inter alia that, business enterprises should strictly observe and adhere to the mechanisms put in place in ensuring fair competition so as to guarantee a much better level of stability and sustainability in doing business in Cameroon.

Transnational Intersectionality at Sea: Gender, Appearance, Ethnicity, Age and Marine Knowledge Production

<p>Knowledge production is inherently social, as humans interpret their environment. Scientific knowledge production differs from non-scientific ones in their systematic data collection for validation, yet both involve a social element shaping our understanding of the world. The article investigates social contestation processes as part of knowledge producing processes on a German research vessel and in German and Brazilian marine science institutes with a particular focus on the social identity markers of gender, ethnicity, and age and how they affect team-based sense-making processes. Methodologically, our research draws on participant observation of following marine scientists and associated non-scientists in their daily working routines, as well as semi-structured interviews on a research vessel in 2021 and in marine science institutes from 2022 to 2024. Conceptually, the research follows approaches of the Sociology of Knowledge (Keller et al., 2018) and intersectional approaches (Grabe & Else-Quest, 2012; Patil, 2013) that integrate transnational experiences across national borders and other (physical) boundaries. Based on the empirical research, we assess transnational intersectional sense-making practices at sea. Our findings show that 1) (sexual) harassment in marine knowledge production processes occurs independent of localities, 2) intersectional discrimination at sea leads either to emancipation processes or to withdrawal, 3) tensions especially arise between scientists and non-scientists, which broadens the gap between these social groups and knowledge systems. We conclude by providing recommendations for increased intersectional and female workforce at sea and in marine sciences, so that the doing of research and work at sea can be more inclusive, equal, and safe.</p>

POSSIBILITIES OF CREATING CROSS-BORDER TOURIST DESTINATIONS IN EAST-CENTRAL EUROPE

Tourism development is one of today's popular tools for mitigating regional inequalities, thus many regions see tourism as an opportunity to break out. This is no different in the case of border regions, where development in this direction is also supported by cross-border, EU-financed or (co-)financed programs. The aim of the paper is to investigate whether there is a real possibility of connecting the areas along the national borders for tourism purposes and creating sustainable tourism in these regions. The study examines the possibility of creating cross-border tourist destinations in three pre-selected areas in the Hungarian-Croatian, Hungarian-Slovenian and North-Western Hungarian-Slovakian border regions during the last two, already closed programming periods. Results of the research show, that cooperation between border countries for real tourism purposes is still possible today, and it only really aimed at creating uniform reception areas that ignore borders in a few cases. After the implementation of the programs, cross-border destinations as sellable tourist products were not created. The study shows that, in the case of two regions, the potential is given and the initiatives aimed at creating cross-border destinations are promising.

DIGITAL MENTAL HEALTH: THE FUTURE IS NOW

Over a decade ago, we foresaw the imminent arrival of the digital health era. Yet, it wasn't until the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic that this future truly took shape. The pandemic became a catalyst, seamlessly integrating a spectrum of digital tools into clinical practice, fundamentally transforming the way mental health services were delivered. The inclusion of digital health technologies in our arsenal is not merely an addition; it's a revolutionary shift. These tools are pivotal in enhancing care accessibility and significantly augment our capabilities in diagnosis, treatment, and healthcare delivery, transcending national borders. Telemedicine and clinical systems enabled by the Internet are widely accessible and are beginning to affect the dynamics between doctors and patients, with this trend expected to continue in the future. Telemedicine consultations have become so ubiquitous that they are now routinely conducted via broadband Internet systems hosted in the cloud. This has enabled professionals from various fields within mental health (MH), including psychiatrists, psychologists, marriage and family therapists, and career counselors, to offer e-therapy services.

Clandestine guiding to the Franco-Spanish border during the Holocaust: the work, accomplices and solidarity-focused resistance

ABSTRACT Guides who led Jews clandestinely across national borders played an important role in their rescue during the Holocaust. Yet we know little about their work, from their perspective. This is the subject explored in this article, which focuses on five guides, also known as passeurs, who helped Jews and non-Jews escape from France to Spain across the Pyrenees between 1940 and 1943. They were antifascist activists, farmers and a Christian brother. The sources analysed include oral history interviews, diaries, memoirs, accounts and letters by and about the guides; the letters and accounts of Jewish refugees; official correspondence and reports by French government officials near the border; and records of the Brothers of the Christian Schools. Passeurs’ work consisted of both guiding and preparatory work, which was extensive. The guides had one or more accomplices, their circle of helpers constituting a resistance cell. Resistance like the passeurs’, in which individuals engage so as to help others, may be called ‘solidarity-focused resistance.’ It is also a form of transnational resistance, a concept that should be broadened to include assisting the persecuted in their efforts to cross international borders.