UDC 339.9:332.135:[330.837+34](477)(438)
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Authors

Resume

Bilateral agreements, contracts and declarations of intent between the entities of administrative and territorial units from Ukrainian side and neighbouring country are the instruments of cross-border cooperation. Ukraine has the most developed network of interregional cooperation with Poland as far as almost all regions have concluded the agreements on interregional cooperation with Polish voivodships. And all 16 Polish voivodships, in their turn, have the partner in Ukraine at the level of oblasts. Cooperation between authorities in Ukrainian-Polish cross-border region takes part at all levels and concluding of bilateral agreements on partnership at the level of cities, regions and towns from Ukrainian side and cities, powiats and gminas from Poland tends to grow. For nowadays, number of agreements on interregional cooperation signed at regional and local levels between Ukraine and Poland amounts to almost 450. The Agreements pay attention to further international cooperation at regional level and development of cross-border partnership as well as cooperation in cultural and educational spheres, etc. The fact that the part of them represents only the declarative formality not strengthened by concrete mechanisms of their implementation, monitoring, results evaluation or financial maintenance is the only shortcoming of the Agreements. Another part of Agreements on cooperation is signed only for the concrete project or task financed by international or European funds. However, in this case the mechanism of implementation, monitoring, results evaluation or financial maintenance is stipulated. Some regional authorities’ offices do not have the original of the Agreement of cooperation because it was signed long ago or just because they lost it. Participation of the regions of two countries in implementation of cross-border projects of CBC Program «Poland-Belarus-Ukraine» (ENPI) for 2007-2013 is an important aspect of Ukrainian-Polish cross-border cooperation development as it turned out to be an efficient instrument for European Union funds exploitation by local authorities and self-governmental bodies as well as nongovernmental organizations of both countries. In 2015 after public hearings the CBC Program «Poland-Belarus-Ukraine» was prolonged for 2014-2020 within the European Neighborhood Instrument (ENI). Volynska oblast in terms of Euroregion Bug, along with Lublin voivodship and Brestska oblast developed and adopted in May, 2014 «The strategy of cross-border cooperation of Lublin voivodship, Volynska, Lvivska and Brestska oblasts for 2014-2020» that aimed to define the directions of Ukrainian-Polish cross-borer region development in economic and humanitarian spheres, environmental protection, transport and border infrastructure and joint projects preparation. Polish-Ukrainian strategy of cross-border cooperation for 2007-2015 written in the framework of „Interreg IIIA/ TACIS CBC” 2004-2006 operated until 2015. It aimed to define basic directions of cross-border region development, to consider the most significant advantages and chances as well as to minimize the detected week points and external threats. egion’s development strategies, Cross-border cooperation programs, Decrees, Decisions and Resolutions of local self-governmental bodies or regional executive authorities are an important institutional component for the territory. Annual international events, exhibitions and fairs are also significant instruments of cross-border cooperation development. Development of joint mechanisms and instruments of cooperation on the basis of the abovementioned legislative foundation can promote establishment of efficient cooperation of executive authorities and local self-governmental bodies of all levels of Ukraine’s bordering regions in terms of Ukrainian-Polish cross-border region.

Keywords:

Ukrainian-Polish cross-border region, institutional and legal basis of Ukrainian-Polish cross-border region, Agreement on Cooperation, CBC Program PL-BY-UA, Joint Cross-Border Strategy, Regional Cross-Border Cooperation Program