The results of experts’ survey of local authorities’ representatives regarding the issues of social and economic development of border oblasts under the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement are outlined. The Agreement influence on the development of regions (cities) of border oblasts is evaluated. The spheres most influenced by the Agreement according to experts are examined. Respondents’ evaluation of the Agreement advantages is studied. The types of economic activities that are believed by experts to obtain the most advantages due to DCFTA introduction are defined. Structural changes in exports and imports of goods and services under the Agreement as well as exports geographic structure are evaluated according to experts’ opinions. The list of countries, cooperation with which is seen as most perspective for the development of respective regions (cities), is formed. Assessment of the instruments of social and economic development promotion is outlined. 

European integration processes, border oblasts, social and economic development, EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, experts’ assessment, Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area 

The features of a modern development of cross-border cooperation (CBC) are investigated in this paper. Besides, the indicators of asymmetry in the adjacent border regions of Ukraine and neighbouring countries with are presented. The results of the expert survey on competent persons of the CBC (local government representatives from 16 border regions of Ukraine) are shown; the trends and directions of development of cross-border regions with the participation of Ukraine are outlined. In particular, the assessment of the development level of CBC by economic activities is given; the efficacy of CBC forms are defined for their impact on the development of the region; the activity level of individual subjects and participants of CBC is defined; the main obstacles to its development are highlighted; the economic activities to be developed primarily in the context of cross-border regions are outlined; the sources of information support of regional authorities within the CBC are researched; the distribution channels of information on development opportunities of CBC by regional authorities among its members and actors are presented.
It is investigated that today according to only about half of the respondents cross-border cooperation is actively developing. The most effective forms of cross-border cooperation in their impact on regional development here is the cross-border projects and an agreements on cross-border cooperation. Cross-border innovation structures, cross-border clusters and Euroregions don’t play a weighty role in the development of border regions. However, the formation and establishment of operation of new forms of cross-border cooperation will boost investment inflows into the economy of the border area and effective use of their potential.
The trends of preserving the strengthening role of individual participants of CBC (NGOs) are found in order to strengthen cross-border interactions and overcome the institutional gaps in the formation of new forms of networked interactions in cross-border area. The European experience of using the possibilities of Euro-regional cooperation will expand the circle of participants in cooperation of adjacent areas and diversify the mechanisms and instruments of such cooperation. In summary, in the Ukraine the information exchange system between Ukrainian and foreign partners is poorly established, which hinders their effective interaction. The low level of information support for CBC on the part of central government, insufficiently informed general public, etc., all together causes low activity of CBC’ subjects.
The problems of discrepancies in the legislation and frequent changes in the leadership of local authorities in cross-border areas involving border areas of EU Member States are substantial obstacles to cross-border cooperation. Setting up an efficient information system for all subjects and the participants of cross-border cooperation will contribute to levelling the existing barriers and will open new possibilities for enhancing cooperation in the cross-border regions (in particular by monitoring the situation on cross-border markets, preventing threats to the economic security of the border region, etc.).
The paper suggests the immediate steps to enhance the CBC involving all border regions of Ukraine. 

cross-border cooperation, cross-border regions, border regions, CBC forms 

An important component of European rural development policy is to expand the capacity of local communities to solve the current needs of the territory, which increases the efficiency of the management of their development. Accordingly, the European practice of local government suggests that the local community can deal with all the available land on its territory.

It is stated in the article that status of rural areas has not yet been determined and not legally secured in Ukraine. Besides, the area of jurisdiction of each rural communities has not been outlined; their economic base has not been formed as institutional framework of rural development.

The aim of the paper is to identify rural areas within the existing administrative-territorial system.

The author believes that the successful conduct of the administrative-territorial reform will be provided by the reform of institutions of state power, the reform of local self-government (maximum decentralization) and territorial reform, which would be a precondition for sustainable development of rural areas. As part of this reform is necessity to define the territory of jurisdiction of each rural communities. Implementing the European practice of local government, local community should have at its disposal all the available land on its territory. In this case, the community should give a maximum capacity of powers and functions, enabling it to solve the problem for most areas.

Current legislation states that all categories of land (excluding land defense, which are allowed in public ownership) can be in state, municipal and private property. That is, a priori, local community is entitled to have all types of land, and this right is not restricted by the space outside the settlement.

According to the administrative-territorial approach the components of rural area are: its local community, rural settlement (village or settlement) with all the equipped it residential, social, industrial purposes and the proper infrastructure and land and buildings outside the settlement, which under the law belong to residents or territorial communities throughout the area.

Vagueness of the concept of rural areas in national legislation, incomplete process of separation of state and municipal property, heterogeneity in the development of rural areas, can not ensure the use of all available resources in its territory in order to ensure sustainable development. Existing opportunities of rural areas are limited. The weakness of the economic and financial base of villages and towns makes the activities of local government ineffective. The provision of basic standard of living and a certain set of mandatory services to the rural population needs proper financial support, which therefore requires fundamental and qualitative changes in the existing administrative-territorial system. 

rural area, administrative-territorial system, local community, rural village, communal lands 

The features of modern agribusiness in Ukraine are revealed. The existing potential of the country in agricultural production is analyzed and the level of its implementation is assessed taking into account the available resource potential of rural areas. Based on consideration of the potential risks of rural development the measures to promote the development of agribusiness on a competitive basis are proposed. 

agribusiness, competitive environment, rural areas 

Legal documents and modern scientific research are analyzed with the purpose of specification of the concept of rural territories and determination of their elements and functions. European experience of management of rural territories’ development is outlined. The basic problems of development of rural territories are exposed and ways of their solution are offered. The necessity to emphasize rural territories as an important object of modern economic policy is stressed. 

rural territories, agriculture, sustainable development