56082 - Macro-Regional Cooperation in Central Europe and the Danube-Balkan Basin

Learning outcomes

Students are expected to acquire a sound knowledge of history of policies of regional development in Central and Eastern Europe, with a specific focus on the Visegrad Group, CEI and Black Sea Cooperation Initiative as well as on Euroregions and cross-border cooperation in the framework of the EU integration processes. Moreover, students will learn about the most recent EU policies that have launched the Baltic Sea Region and the Danube initiative.

Course contents

Course title:

Module: Macro-Regional Cooperation in Central Europe and the Danube-Balkan Basin

The objective of the module is to offer complex, descriptive and analytical knowledge about the historical conditions under which the new democracies of East-Central Europe (ECE) have been adjusting to the global world order in the first almost three decades after the change of regimes, while developing their new foreign policies. Due attention will be devoted to the inter-relation between historical heritage, geo-political and socio-economic endowments of ECE region on the one hand and the new options of foreign policies, on the other. The new attitudes and roles of ECE countries in international institutions as e.g. UN, OECD, WTO, IMF/IBRD, EU, OSCE and NATO will also be highlighted. In the lectures and seminars of the Course, macro-regional cooperation in Central and South Eastern Europe will be broadly covered with particular attention to the role and activities of regional and sub-regional networks e.g. Central European Initiative, Regional Cooperation Council, Baltic See Economic Cooperation as well as various forms of cross-border cooperation (CBC) initiatives.

Within the Course, special attention will be devoted to Visegrad Cooperation (Visegrad Group, Visegrad Four, V4). Historical circumstances, socio-economic and cultural factors of regional cohesion between the founding countries will be highlighted along with changes of external environment effecting the origins and development of the cooperation. The lectures will offer a detailed description and analysis of the first 25 year history of the Group covering the achievements and challenges alike with special regard to the role of „Višegrad diplomacy” in the process of the member countries’ Euro-Atlantic integration, their adjustement and collective representation of interest within EU structures and also the development of „Višegrad +” formats. Due attention will be paid to the evaluation of security, energy and other areas of sectoral cooperation as well as the first decade of International Višegrad Fund, and its contribution to the member states’ cultural development.

Readings/Bibliography

Module: Macro-Regional Cooperation in Central Europe and the Danube-Balkan Basin

• Albrycht, Izabela (ed.), The Eastern Partnership in the context of the European Neighborhood Policy and the V4 Agenda, Kosciuszko Institut, Krakow, 2011.
• Baun, Michael – Marek, Dan (eds), The New Member States and the European Union: Foreign Policy and Europeanization, Routledge, 2013 , Chapters 1,2,3,4,14.
• Dančák, Břetislav et al. (eds.), Two Decades of Visegrad Cooperation – Selected V4 Bibliography.International Visegrad Fund, Bratislava, 2011

• Donskis, Leonidas (ed.), Yet Another Europe after 1984. Rethinking Milan Kundera and the Idea iof Central Europe, Rodopi, Amsterdam, 2012.

• Ganzle, S. ‘’EU Governance, ‘Experimental Union’, and Baltic Sea Cooperation: the Case of the European Union’s Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region.’’ Schuman Papers 2017. http://www.schuman-seura.fi/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Schuman_Paper_2-2017_WEB.pdf
• Köles, Sándor (ed.), Sharing the Experience of Visegrad Cooperation in the Western Balkans and the European Neighbourhood Countries: Project Final Study. Budapest, International Centre for Democratic Transition, 2011. 302.p
• Regional Cooperation Council. (2018, April 23). Annual Report of the Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council 2017-2018. Retrieved from: https://www.rcc.int/pubs/60/annual-report-of-the-secretary-general-of-the-regional-cooperation-council-2017-2018
• Rekawek, Kacper, Non-military aspects of security in V4 countries: prospects for cooperation.Polish Institute of International Affairs, Warsaw, V4 Papers No.3., 2011, pp.35-43. (with studies by Marton, Samson and others)

• Sabic, Zlatko -Drulák, Petr (eds) Regional and International Relations of Central Europe, Palgrave Macmillan,2012
• Sielker, F., Vonhoff, K., (2013. Part 1: Academic and Political Reflection of the Danube Region Strategy ‘Macro-regional cooperation’ as a New Form of European Governance: The European Union’s Strategies for the Baltic Sea and the Danube Region*, Proceedings Conference on the EU Strategy for the Danube Region: Challenges and Chances 2014 – 2020 04. - 06. November 2013. Retrieved fromhttps://www.danube-region.eu/attachments/article/616542/DSRN_Conference_Proceedings_2015.pdf
• Soth, Ján, Visegrad as a challenge: successes and failures. In: Majer, Marian et al. (eds.): Panorama of global security environment, Centre for European and North Atlantic Affairs (CENAA), Bratislava, 2010
• Törő, Csaba (ed.) Visegrad cooperation within NATO and CSDP. Warsaw: Polish Institute of International Affairs, 2011. 108.p. (with studies of Hamberger, Horváth, Samson, Tarašovic and others)
• Vugrinović, Andrea, e Andrea Dominko. Crossing the borders. Studies on cross-border cooperation within the Danube Region: Case Study of the Euroregion Danube-Drava-Sava. Cent Central European Service for Cross-Border Initiatives, 2016.
• Wiatr, Jerzy J., Central Europe and the New World Order, Central European Political Science Review, September 2000, pp. 5-13

• Zucconi, Mario (ed), Post-Communist Transition in Europe and its Broader International Implications, Europe Balkans International Network,University of Bologna, Longo Editore Ravenna, 2004
• 20 Years ofVisegrad Four cooperation: implications for EU enlargement. Meeting Report No.1., Istambul (online) March 28, 2011

Teaching methods

Lectures (12 hours) and seminars (8 hours)

Assessment methods

Assessment is based upon one Assignment paper + seminar activity

Teaching tools

PP presentations and printed teaching materials

Office hours

See the website of Laszlo Nyusztay