Following the series of policy briefs elaborated by the B-Shapes project to support evidence-based policymaking and inclusive considerations for policymakers and those interested in the role of borders within the wider context of EU Cohesion policy and practice, we now present PB #7_Eastern Borderlands in Transformative Times – Policy Explorations by Joanna Kurowska-Pysz (KREATUS, WSB University), Sara Svensson (Halmstad University), Caitriona Mullan (Association of European Border Regions), and Piotr Kurowski (KREATUS). It presents the outcome of a policy seminar held in order to test and validate the relevance of policy scenarios outside the case study areas included in the B-Shapes region, especially with relation to the volatile geopolitical situation in the European Union’s eastern Border. The policy seminar focused on a policy scenario developed by the B-Shapes partner KREATUS and was held at the Lithuanian-Polish border on April 25, 2025. The venue was Lazdijai, a town located in the so-called Suwałki Gap.
Borders Shaping Perceptions of European Societies (B-SHAPES) is a Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Action project that analyses how borders remain a key factor in our understanding of societies. Eight European universities, one research institute, a national museum, a foundation, a political association, a consultancy, and an art collective have come together for three years[1]. The special border region focus promises new insights into how borders shape perceptions of societies, and how the story of borders can be narrated differently than from a purely national perspective.
B-SHAPES continuously summarises and disseminates key findings from the research in a way which can support an evidence-informed approach to policy debates. This Policy Brief (#7) summarises policy-relevant observations and suggestions coming out from a dialogue with policymakers at the Lithuanian-Polish border, held on 25 April 2025 in Lazdijai (Lithuania), a town located in the so-called Suwałki Gap. Nine representatives of Lithuanian and Polish entities cooperating under the European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation “Polish-Lithuanian Cross-Border Functional Area” participated, including those from local governments, cultural centres, and NGOs. The seminar was conducted in the national languages and translated simultaneously. The Policy Brief presents the outcome of the policy seminar to test and validate the relevance of policy scenarios outside the case study areas included in the B-Shapes region, especially in relation to the volatile geopolitical situation in the European Union’s eastern border.
The discussion revealed that, to sustain cross-border cultural cooperation with reduced Interreg funds, actors must rely on strong institutional and personal relationships. Currently, this cooperation is neglected in national and local policies and suffers from poor coordination. It makes practical, long-term cross-border cooperation very challenging. Staff involved in cross-border cultural projects should acquire new skills to secure funding from sources beyond the Interreg programme, thereby preventing the erosion of valuable cross-border cultural partnerships when funds are limited. This is vital because culture builds a shared community identity, not just for tourism. The current short-term approach to cross-border project exploitation is an unsustainable framework for long-term cooperation, often leading to its termination when funding is discontinued.
To overcome these challenges, key policy recommendations revolve around the importance of fostering institutional and personal relationships and reducing dependence on the Interreg funding scheme; we also recommend the need for a focus on funding body criteria that prioritise sustainable collaborations and social cohesion activities, and revised cultural development policies that, at different levels, integrate the goals of cross-border cooperation.
Read the entire B-Shapes Policy Brief #7 here
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[1] The Centre of Border Region Studies at the University of Southern Denmark (SDU) coordinates B-SHAPES. Other partners in the consortium are: Brunel University London, Halmstad University, University of Oulu, University of Wroclaw, University of Strasbourg, ELTE University in Budapest, Technical University of Liberec in the Czech Republic, EURAC Research, the Bulgarian Museum of National History, the Lungomare artists’ collective in South Tyrol (Italy), the Association of European Border Regions (AEBR/AGEG/ARFE), KREATUS Consultancy, and the European Network Remembrance and Solidary Foundation.
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