Centrope as a laboratory of cross-border cooperation – lessons from 17 years of the Centrope region (2003-2019)

The idea of Centrope (Central European Region) was launched in September 2003 with the aim to profile the Central European Region as a framework for increasing wealth and sustainable development in area of living and working space for about 6 mln people. Cities, counties and other territorial subjects in Austria, Hungary, Czechia and Slovakia took part in this initiative. With its size, complexity of relations and thematic scope, Centrope became a laboratory of cross-border cooperation. Innovative solutions based on cross-border cooperation in all fields, including economy, politics, culture and education, were included in its vision and main objectives. The authors are looking into the development of this region over the past 17 years of its existence. Using semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders, the initial expectations, its strengths and weaknesses as well as what lessons can be learned from this initiative for other cross-border areas in Europe are evaluated. Special attention is paid to the role of the two largest cities of this region, Vienna and Bratislava, and their cooperation, as well as their role for the region as a whole. Regional cooperation within the Centrope, its marketing communication as well as overall current state of art of the region and its future perspectives, are other thematic highlights of the critical revision, presented in this paper.