Changing Role of Borders in the Central Europe – Fuzzy Borders and Their Effect on Cooperation

Zmena úlohy hraníc v strednej Európe - fuzzy hranice a ich vplyv na spoluprácu

Milan Husár, Maroš Finka, Vladimír Ondrejička

In: Geografické informácie (Geographical Information), Ročník (Volume) 22, Číslo (Issue) 1, 2018, p. 131-149, ISSN 1337-9453

DOI: 10.17846/GI.2018.22.1.131-149

Abstract

The paper deals with the changing role of administrative, mainly national borders and how it is affecting the cross-border areas and communities inhabiting these areas. Borders are perceived differently across the world depending on the model of border interaction (Martinez, 1994). For a person inhabiting borderlands, border can be a limiting factor for living in his functional space. Recently in the EU, borders became less permanent, more permeable, many people do not perceive them anymore inside the EU, but the EU external border is still remaining hard. 30 years ago, the borders in the Central Europe were hard, permanent and truly limiting the freedom of mobility of people, goods and ideas. This new reality of the borders’ role must be understood and acknowledged by planners, geographers and decision makers.

Keywords: borders, cross-border areas, fuzzy borders, fuzzification, cross-border cooperation

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