Cross-Border Cooperation as Conflict Transformation: Promises and Limitations in EU Peacebuilding

The book explores the successes and challenges of EU cross-border cooperation as a tool for conflict transformation through theoretically and empirically informed case studies. It examines the changing understandings of borders and bordering, and the intersection of governance, devolution, international intervention, and grass roots or civil society efforts.

Format: Hardback
Length: 168 pages
Publication date: 28 February 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

The book delves into the profound question of whether European integration has played a significant role in fostering peace in Europe and its neighboring regions. To address this critical inquiry, the book employs a comprehensive approach, drawing upon theoretical insights and empirical evidence to explore the successes and challenges of EU cross-border cooperation as a tool for conflict transformation.

Conceptually, the contributors to this book connect the question of transforming conflict to evolving perceptions of borders and bordering. Empirically, the contributions present case studies that examine practices and discourses of EU-sponsored cross-border cooperation, as well as the obstacles and limitations it faces. These case studies encompass a wide range of geographical perspectives, including the internal boundaries of the EU, its (sometimes contested) external borders, and borders involving third countries.

From a thematic standpoint, the collection focuses on the intersection of two critical levels at which bordering processes unfold and are enacted: the level of governance, devolution, and international intervention, as well as the grassroots or civil society efforts, including cultural cooperation and artistic production. By examining these two levels, the book offers a multifaceted and kaleidoscopic view of border politics and conflict, zooming in and out of the EU frontiers and their geopolitics of peacebuilding, security, and cooperation.

The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of the journal "Geopolitics," showcasing the cutting-edge research and insights of esteemed scholars in the field. This book serves as a valuable resource for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners interested in understanding the complex dynamics of border politics and conflict resolution in the European context.

Dimension: 254 x 178 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367752170