Geopolitics of Cross-Border Cooperation at the EU's External Borders

The study of borders has confronted us with a variety of new challenges. The current global political environment is characterised by re-bordering dynamics that remind us of the modern form of state territorial sovereignty. The EU attempts to confront conflicts and political challenges in its neighbourhood by establishing a cross-border strategy based on integrated border management and cross-border cooperation activities at its external borders.

By re-visiting the role of territory in the EU’s cross-border cooperation network, Katharina examines how the cooperation actor’s perception of ‘stable’ borders securitises cross-border cooperation. The study concludes that sub-national actors have developed strategies to address and overcome the territorialities of EU funded Finnish-Russian cross-border cooperation by building trustful relations that are crucial in the current diplomatic climate between the EU and Russia.