European perspective

For 30 years, the opening of internal borders in the European Union has generated many cross-border exchanges in borderlands. European cross-border regions created within this context are thus framed and characterized by the simultaneous dynamics of bordering and cross-border integration. This paper examines these two processes, and the analysis is based on the representations of stakeholders from the Eurometropolis of Lille–Kortrijk–Tournai.

It highlights two key findings. First, participants’ representations shed light on the dynamics of bordering, which can be both combinative and seemingly contradictory. The study primarily presents the scope of “a-bordering,” referring to the current state of the border. Second, participants’ representations reveal ambivalent and simultaneous images of “cross-border integration with the border” and “cross-border integration without the border.” These representations pose challenges for the implementation of cross-border programmes and policies.