Cross-border cooperation: Right or privilege?

Abstract

The phenomenon of cross-border cooperation is today a regularly described and studied topic within the broad field of humanities. Within the legal sciences, this form of cooperation also receives due attention. The study of this topic is far from over. Cooperation across national borders, both in theory and in practice, does not appear to be a simple exercise. One of the reasons for this is that today there is still a lot of uncertainty about the possibilities that cross-border cooperation creates. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, it became clear that there was a lot of ambiguity about cross-border cooperation, leaving its potential largely underused. (GONTARIUK, KRAFFT, REHBOCK, TOWNED, VAN DER AUWERMEULEN, & PILOT). For now, cross-border cooperation is a legal jungle and an administrative quagmire, as a practitioner aptly expressed his experience of cross-border cooperation exercises. This contribution briefly discusses the right of local actors to enter into such cross-border partnerships.