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Using the experience and capabilities of the Alpine-Adriatic Working Community in the Greater Altai Region
G. Jumadilova, N. Fedotenkova
Euradian National University named after L.N. Gumilyov jumadilova82@mail. ru
The article deals with the practice of creating a Euro-region, including the implementation of the Alpine-Adriatic Working Community's experience in the Greater Altai region.
Key words: Integration, Alpine-Adriatic Working Community, Greater Altai, Implementation, Experience
The history of establishing a Euroregion in Western Europe began after the World War II. Its main purpose was to activate the socio-economic situation in European associations. Before speaking about Euro-region, it's better to comment on the Euroregion first. A Euroregion is a European model of international integration, i.e. the territorial structure of frontier territories of adjacent European states [1].
The creation of Euroregions allowed the member states to establish joint economic structures, border trade, as well as to implement various projects in tourism, ecology and culture. The obstacles to the labor movement in customs were eliminated within Euroregions. The concept of Euro-region was the result of the European Union policy. Among Western European countries, the cooperation in Euroregions has been viewed as a means of establishing new public and economic policies and developing the European integration at provincial and municipal levels. The founders of this process were Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, Dutch, German and French frontier zones. The strengthening of cross-border cooperation, good neighborly relations between the regions and the authorities, as well as the elimination of borders between the EU member states are considered as the main prerequisites for the development of Euroregions. The article considers the possibility of transboundary integration in Europe as an alternative tool in the Greater Altai region.
The first Euroregion was created in 1958 on the border between Germany and the Netherlands under the name of "EUREGIO". Later, other Euroregions were formed on the borders across Europe. Euroregions are often associated within a geographical environment, e.g., "the Bavarian Forest -Bohemian Forest / Shumava" is located in a single forest massif of Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic, or "Tatry", which is a transboundary region in the single mountain system of Poland and Slovakia. In other cases, the regions are historically united, for example, "the Silesian Euroregion", which was created on the territory of the Czech-Polish medieval independent state and the Austro-Hungarian "Western Pannonia" is worth mentioning too.
The Euroregions were registered in the Association of European Border Regions (AEBR), which was created in 1971. At present, the AEBR accounts for 115 active Euroregions and out of it, 90 members are registered. Since 1985, the Assembly of the European Regions (AER), which coordinates the Euroregions, has been functioning [2].
According to the estimations of P.O. Chernomaz, Euroregions were created on the key axes of transboundary cooperation: "the Northern Sea - Mediterranean Sea", the belt passes through Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Switzerland and Italy; "The Baltic - Adriatic" belt passes through the border of Western European countries (Germany, Austria and Italy) and the countries of Eastern Europe (Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Slovenia); "The Baltic -
Black Sea" belt passes through the territories of the Kaliningrad Region of the Russian Federation, Poland, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Moldova. In the 1990s, one more belt named "Barents - Black Sea" joined the other three belts. This belt covers cooperation between the Russian Federation and the European states such as Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Belarus and Ukraine.
According to the estimations of Professor N.A. Nikula, Euroregions can be created in the following cases:
Within the EU. This group includes Euroregions, created on the internal borders of the European Union Member States. These are the oldest and most experienced Euroregions such as "Euroregio", "Meuse - Rhine" and so on. In this category, territorial authorities and various public organizations can be members of Euroregions. Within the EU Member States, favorable conditions are created for such cooperation. For example, there is a unique legal base, the standard of living of the population is the same as well as the competence of the authorities is similar to each other. In this category, various projects of Euroregions are financed through the INTERREG program.
Cooperation between EU Member States and non-EU States. These are the Euroregion associations established outside the EU borders. For example, in the territories of Slovakia, Finland and Russia. The Euroregion of this category is characterized by inequality of powers of territorial authorities, diversity of living standards, diversity of economic development and absence of common legal base. Here, the financing is implemented through INTERREG / PHARE CBC and INTERREG / TACIS CBC programs.
All EU regions and former USSR states. The third group includes Euroregions, created on the borders of Eastern Europe countries such as Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia, Ukraine and Belorussia, Hungary and Ukraine. In these regions, the lives of the population are quite homogeneous, but the competence of the regional and local authorities is different, and often the authorities of the regions work with government intervention. The financial assistance is provided by HARE CBC / PHARE CBC and PHARE CBC / TACIS CBC programs.
Presently, the EU has 38 Member States and 75 Euroregions. For the European Union, Euroregions are of a particular interest. According to N.A Mikula, the following Euroregions are most successful:
1) Adriatic, founded in 2006. Includes the territories of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Italy, Montenegro and Slovenia.
2) Bavarian Forest - Bohemian Forest (Euroregio Bayerischer Wald - Bohmerwald / Sumava), founded in 1994. Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic.
3) Belasitsia (Belasica), created in 2003. Bulgaria, Greece, Macedonia.
4) Dobrava, created in 2001. Czech Republic and Poland, etc.
During the introduction of the concept of balancing the development level of European regions, the European Union showed its interest in implementing the transnational projects in national states. Apart from the EU's additional funding, these kind of projects and programs implemented new technologies, new standards of social policy and new initiatives in transboundary zones.
As another example of Euroregion integration, it is worth mentioning the Alpine-Adriatic working community. In 1972, a new impetus for cooperation was the creation of the "Alpine Community Working Community" (WC Alp). The members were the areas of Italian Lombardy and Trentino, Austrian provinces of Salzburg, Tyrol, Vorarlberg, Swiss Canton of Grisonz and West German Bayern. In 1974, Austrian province of Styria became a member of the "Working Community of the East Alpine States". Later, the other regions demonstrated their interests in joining (Friuli-Venice-Giulia, Carinthia, Slovenia and Croatia, followed by Venice, Salzburg, Bavaria and Upper Austria). On November 20, 1978, after the conference in Venice, the official name of the working
group was handed over and formulated. Political changes that occurred in the East and South-Eastern Europe in the late 1980s have influenced the community. In 1991, members of the Community adopted a unique resolution. According to the resolution, Member States called on all states to recognize Slovenia and Croatia as independent and self-governing states. The destruction of the "Iron Curtain" has eliminated barriers to trans-border cooperation. The idea of using the community as a placard in the EU's eastward expansion has come to the fore. Hungary and Slovenia became members of the EU in 2004, and Croatia's efforts in joining since 2005 led to the country's full membership in the EU in 2013.
Figure 10. Division of Euroregions according to P.O. Chemomaz
Figure 11. The Alpine-Adriatic Working Community [3]
Figure 12. Greater Altai Cross-border Association [4]
Table 10. Characteristics of the Alpine-Adriatic Working Community and the Greater Altai association. Note: Designed by author
The Alpine-Adriatic Working Community Greater Altai
Member States Austria, Croatia, Italy, Hungary and Slovenia Kazakhstan, China, Russia and Mongolia
Border zones • Upper Austria, Styria, Burgenland, Carinthia (Austria) • Lombardy, Venice, Friuli-Venice-Julia, Italy • Baranja, Vash, Hall, Somod (Hungary) • Slovenia • Croatia • East Kazakhstan Oblast (Kazakhstan) • Altai Region,mAltai Republic (Russia) • Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (China) • Hovid, Bayan-Olgei (Mongolia)
Date of establishment November 20, 1978 2003
Total area 190 423 km2 2 330 788 km2
Population 26 million aprx 26 mln aprx
Working languages German, Italian, Croatian, Slovenian and Hungarian Russian, Kazakh, Chinese and Mongolian languages
Head of the Association Peter Kaiser Boris Larin
For a comparative analysis of the Alpine-Adriatic community and transboundary areas of the Greater Altai, we, first of all, try to find out why the Alpine-Adriatic community was selected.
- Firstly, the development all of Euroregions is at a much higher level than in the Altai region, thus, the processes of Altai integration are at a low level.
- Secondly, the Alpine-Adriatic working community was selected because of its geographical characteristics of the belt, i.e. both regions are located in mountainous areas. Therefore, both regions are relatively comparable. The descriptions of the two zones are given in Table 9. Above all, let's talk about the Member States. The members of the Alpine-Adriatic Community are Austria, Croatia, Italy, Hungary and Slovenia, while the Greater Altai includes Kazakhstan, China, Russia and Mongolia. Considering the frontier areas, the Alpine-Adriatic work community is one of the largest in its region. There are eleven frontier areas and two states (Upper Austria, Styria, Burgenland, Carinthia, Croatia, Lombardy, Venice, Friuli-Venice-Giulia, Baranja, Vár, Somod and Slovenia). If you look at border areas in Greater Altai, the number of these regions is twice as small, i.e. six regions (EKO, Altai
Republic, Altai Region, XUAR, Hovid region and Bayan-Olgey region). Secondly, if you look at the history of the creation, the Alpine-Adriatic Community has been functioning since November 20, 1978. And the integration processes in Altai began 25 years later, in 2003. Over this time, the Alpine-Adriatic Community has developed institutional and working mechanisms.
- Thirdly, the size of the territory of Greater Altai is large. The total area is 2,330,788 km2, and the area of the Alpine-Adriatic working community is 91% less - 190,000 km2.
- Fourth, if we compare the population, the indicators are identical, and the population in both regions is about 26 million. If we look at the history of the creation, the original initiatives are identical.
In the Alpine-Adriatic working community, primarily united Italian Friuli-Venice-Giulia region, the Austrian Carinthia and the Slovenian lands of the Yugoslav Republic. The first steps began with cultural relations and cultural holidays, and then the sporting spheres were added. Subsequently, economic, environmental and political relationships began to grow stronger. In 1965, working groups on culture, science, transportation, tourism, water use and landscape were established at the regional level. In 1967, the cultural exchange program between Friuli-Venice-Giulia, Carinthia and Slovenia was adopted and the "IntArt" joint exhibition - the most important and fruitful in the field of culture -took place. At the end of the 1960s, the cooperation of the three regions formed its modern name -"Alpine-Adriatic".
The Altai Region is now at the forefront of relations that once took place in the Alpine-Adriatic working community. The International Coordination Council "Altai is our common home" has been created and sports events "Greater Altai" have been held since 2013. As for scientific cooperation, the Council of Rectors of the Universities of six regions of the Altai Region, established in 2010, is functioning. Prior to the meeting, the Council proposed setting up a unique educational space in the Greater Altai region, building sustainable socio-economic and environmental strategies in the region, and providing university student with mobility programs. Moreover, one of the main goals is the regional economic modernization program. Currently, the Council consists of 21 universities.
The Greater Altai Cooperation has a huge potential to use the experience of the Alpine-Adriatic working community as an example. Firstly, the formation of the supranational body. It allows to distribute work order and competence among districts in the region. Secondly, it is necessary to allocate financial commitment of regions. It could provide the fields of ecology, transportation, and others with financial support.
References
1. Scientific sheets History Series. Political science. Economy. Informatics. 2013 No 15 (158). Release 27UDK 327.7(4: 477) Euroregion as form of development cross-border sotrudnichestva:istoriya and features
2.http: //www. aebr. eu/en/events/events .php? cat_id=2
3. http://www.alps-adriatic-alliance.org/
4.http://www.altaiinter.info/search/Influence of the Russian-Chinese cooperation in the conditions of a world economic crisis; The Assumption of interstate development of the new continental bridge in the east Central Asian area
