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 

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. 

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 

Regional executive authorities and local self-governmental authorities of all levels have to contain the signs of systemic work and cooperation as well as controllability and sustainability in order to practically solve economic and social community problems of represented territories and implement efficient local development policy of these regions within the limits of cross-border space. By improving the mechanisms of cooperation between economic entities of management sphere in cross-border space the regions thus maintain the development of their bordering territories. Cooperation of management structures leads to the promotion of territories’ development in the limits of cross-border space as well as to increase of their institutional competitive ability and investment attractiveness, strengthening of territorial communities’ economic potential and maintenance of population employment, etc. The issue of economic entities cooperation in cross-border space is outlined in the research of the Sector of Cross-Border Cooperation Problems scientists of the PI «Institute of Regional Research named after M.I. Dolishniy of the NAS of Ukraine», in particular by N. Mikula, Ye. Matveyev, І. Tymechko, О. Demedyuk, Yu. Tsybulska, О. Tsisinska, etc. The article aims to determine the essence and to classify the mechanisms of cooperation between economic entities of management sphere in cross-border space. The article defines the notion of management mechanism of cooperation in cross-border space implying the procedure or algorithm of actions taken gradually between the management subjects of neighbouring countries’ bordering territories through the instruments of cross-border cooperation in order to create cross-border product in different activity spheres. Moreover, the essence of cross-border project is outlined and it is classified by the types. The interchange and/or interabsorbtion of product, mechanism and instrument of cooperation of management structures in cross-border space are demonstrated. Classification of the mechanisms of cooperation between economic entities of management sphere in cross-border space is provided. The components of management mechanism of cooperation in cross-border space at regional level are detached. The mechanisms of cross-border product creation are represented through the components of management mechanism of cooperation in cross-border space. The structure of management authorities of Cross-border Cooperation Program PL-BY-UA 2007-2013 and the procedure of application submission and signing the contracts are shown. The mechanism of international technical assistance projects co-financing by the regional budget on the example of Lviv region is explained. Thus, development of joint mechanisms of cooperation between economic entities of management sphere on the basis of represented classification can allow establishing of efficient cooperation between executive authorities and local self-governmental authorities of all levels in bordering regions of Ukraine in terms of cross-border cooperation. This in its turn implies high cooperation level between them and similar structures of neighbouring countries’ bordering territories. In case of these mechanisms improvement such collaboration in terms of cross-border cooperation can also be established with nongovernmental companies, entrepreneurial structures and other organizations and establishments of native and adjacent bordering regions. 

management mechanism of cooperation in cross-border space, cross-border product, cross-border space 

Boundary regions of neighboring countries combine their efforts towards the development of common or coordination of existing mechanisms of competitiveness ensuring in the struggle for human resources for investment and business in cross-border space. However, such existing problems of cross-border actors’ interactions as differences in legislation, inappropriate infrastructure and lack of close cooperation between cross-border actors, leads to the low level of cross-border cooperation, which in turn leads to the outflow of labor for permanent residence in other countries, location of business and investments in other countries or “central” regions of the state – all this deepens the gap in the socio-economic development of the border regions. Theoretical, methodological and methodical approaches to the research and development of mechanisms of competitiveness ensuring in the cross-border space remain under-developed, that confirm the relevance and necessity of the researches in this area.

The purpose of this article is to outline the theoretical foundations of the development of mechanisms to ensure competitiveness in the cross-border space.

The theoretical basis for the development of the mechanisms for the cross-border space competitiveness ensuring is outlined in the article. Particularly, the approaches to the essence of cross-border space and competitiveness in the cross-border space are generalized. Special attention is focused on the need to development of new and convergence of the existing mechanisms to ensure the competitiveness in the cross-border space and the role of government in these processes. The competitiveness of cross-border area will be ensured through borrowing or the extension of existing mechanisms competitiveness from/to neighboring areas and/or the formation of joint mechanisms in cross-border region for the appearance of the competitive advantage. Thus, the approach to competitiveness ensuring in the cross-border space through the convergence of legal, organizational and economic mechanisms of competitiveness ensuring from each side of the border is proposed in the article.

The decrease of the differentiation in the level of economic development and harmonization of legislation will facilitate the growth of cross-border mobility of the inhabitants of the cross-border region, the emergence of joint ventures and business infrastructure elements, as well as this will enhance cross-border cooperation. Particularly important in these processes is the role of authorities of all levels. Effective cooperation of regional authorities and local self-governing authorities from different sides of the border would create conditions for raising funds from international funds and donor organizations for their further investment in the development of the cross-border region, for the continuous learning process of whole actors of cross-border cooperation and other institutions involved in the development of the region, for the formation of organizational and information infrastructure for interaction of authorities, regional or local development agencies from cross-border region through the creation of a single institutional mechanism, as well as will facilitate the development of informational materials and presentations about the cross-border region and various international events to improve its international image and intensify cross-border cooperation to promote fundraising from international private investors and organizations, etc. 

cross-border space, competitiveness, mechanism, mechanisms of competitiveness ensuring 

The peculiarities of cross-border partnerships, the role and importance in the development of border regions. Focuses attention on the opportunities and obstacles that may arise in its creation. Describe the organizational structure, management of cross-border partnerships and its life cycle. 

partnership, cross-border partnerships, cross-border labor markets