Matteo Berzi - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Matteo Berzi

European Planning Studies, 2019

Today, cross-border cooperation promoted by Euroregions all over the European Union is a consolid... more Today, cross-border cooperation promoted by Euroregions all over the European Union is a consolidating reality. The article focuses on Euroregions as formal organizations in the field of cross-border cooperation. By using a data set of 61 Euroregions considered to be particularly active, the study investigates the characteristics of cross-border cooperation agreements. For each Euroregion, crosscountry comparisons take into account the following essential parameters: the number of actors involved in the agreement, their administrative and political nature, as well as the official goals pursued. From a descriptive perspective, the study aims to provide some useful classifications regarding the wide variety of cross-border experiences that have developed in Europe in recent decades. From the analytical perspective, the paper challenges enthusiastic claims that interpret Euroregions as effective political instruments for re-territorialization or new modes of cross-border multilevel governance.

L’obiettivo di questo articolo è di analizzare le reti transfrontaliere locali che si generano ne... more L’obiettivo di questo articolo è di analizzare le reti transfrontaliere locali che si generano nei processi di cooperazione transfrontaliera attraverso lo studio di due casi specifici localizzati nelle Alpi e nei Pirenei. Per interpretare i processi di cooperazione transfrontaliera alla scala locale adottiamo l’approccio territorialista.

[EN] The article analyzes the role of local cross-border cooperation in peripheral border areas. ... more [EN] The article analyzes the role of local cross-border cooperation in peripheral border areas. Specifically, we inquire as to whether the synergies between European Territorial Cooperation (ETC) policy on the one hand, and local cross-border initiatives on the other, represent a valid territorial strategy for endogenous development in these areas. Borderlands frequently coincide with geographically remote locations (i.e., mountain or rural or coastal areas) that are often far from major economic and urban centers of growth. In this regard, the Pyrenees constitute a privileged area of study. Since the end of the 1980s, many cross-border projects have been implemented in this transboundary space and different regional and local cooperation agencies have been set up. A case study of the Cerdanya provides empirical data to support our hypothesis that local cross-border cooperation is leading to the integration of peripheral borderlands. The study demonstrates how historical neighbourhood relationships, a strong local identity and sharing common needs are key factors in the development of successful, stable, multi-thematic and local cross-border cooperation in the long term. -------------------[FR] L’article vise à analyser le rôle de la coopération transfrontalière locale dans les domaines des frontières périphériques. Plus précisément, nous nous demandons si les synergies entre les politiques européennes de coopération territoriale européenne (CTE), d’une part, et les initiatives transfrontalières locales, d’autre part, représentent une stratégie territoriale valable de développement endogène de ces domaines. Les territoires frontaliers (les borderlands) coïncident très souvent avec des sites géographiquement distants (ex. les zones de montagne ou les zones rurales ou côtières), généralement éloignées des grands centres de croissance économique et urbaine. Les Pyrénées sont, dans ce sens, une zone d’étude privilégiée. Depuis la fin des années quatre-vingt dans cet espace de la frontière de nombreux projets transfrontaliers ont été générés et, en même temps, à partir de différents organismes de coopération régionale et locale. L’analyse de l’étude de cas de la Cerdagne fournit des données empiriques qui soutiennent notre hypothèse selon laquelle la coopération transfrontalière locale conduit à l’intégration des territoires frontaliers marginaux. L’étude montre comment les relations de voisinage historique, une forte identité locale et le partage des besoins communs, sont fondamentaux pour le développement d’un des facteurs de coopération transfrontalièreréussie, stable, multi-thématique et de longue durée.

[EN] Four European borders under scrutiny: A methodology for the analysis of cross-border coopera... more [EN] Four European borders under scrutiny: A methodology for the analysis of cross-border cooperation projects (INTERREG)--- The APTA research group has developed a methodology to investigate cross-border cooperation at different European borders. The methodology allows the characteristics of the projects to be determined in detail, revealing the complexity of the network of actors that are mobilized and the territorial patterns resulting from cross-border cooperation. The text explains how the methodology has been developed using a database of INTERREG projects and their qualitative, quantitative and cartographic exploitation, and how it has been applied to interpret four borders: Portugal-Spain, Germany-Poland, Austria-Italy and Spain-France. This last case is addressed in depth to show the potential of the proposed methodology.------[FR] Quatre frontières passées à la loupe. Une méthode pour analyser les projets de coopération transfrontalière (INTERREG)--- Le groupe de recherche APTA a développé une méthode d’analyse pour étudier la coopération transfrontalière entre les différentes frontières européennes. C’est une méthode qui permet de connaître de manière détaillée les caractéristiques des projets qui se mettent en place, qui révèle aussi la complexité du réseau d’acteurs mobilisés et qui montre enfin les modèles territoriaux définis par la coopération transfrontalière. Le texte présente la manière dont la méthodologie a été construite à partir d’une base de données pour interpréter quatre frontières : Portugal-Espagne, Allemagne-Pologne, Autriche-Italie, Espagne-France. Ce dernier cas d’étude est présenté de manière plus détaillée pour montrer les potentialités de la méthode proposée.

SPANISH VERSION ALSO AVAILABLE HERE [EN] This Catalogue presents the trajectory, the research top... more SPANISH VERSION ALSO AVAILABLE HERE [EN] This Catalogue presents the trajectory, the research topics and the main results achieved by the APTA Research Group (Department of Geography, University of Girona, Spain), within the field of Border Studies. [ESP] Este catálogo presenta la trayectoria, los temas de investigación y los principales resultados logrados por el Grupo de Investigación APTA (Departamento de Geografía, Universidad de Girona, España), dentro del campo de los estudios transfronterizos,

Coastal borderlands are subjected to particular socioeconomic, political and environmental dynami... more Coastal borderlands are subjected to particular socioeconomic, political and environmental dynamics in Europe and worldwide. The presence of the international boundary in these areas poses challenges in the process of Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM). The aim of this paper is to explore the existence, characteristics and the role that local cross-border cooperation plays in transboundary coastal zone management as well as the resulting potentialities of local endogenous development for improving the management and governance of the tourism sector, coastal development, fisheries and marine protected areas in the Albera Maritima (Northwestern Mediterranean). The applied methods included document review, statistical information and semi-structured interviews. The research shows that local agents are not capable of developing a stable cross-border network due to persisting lack of trust, weak joint strategic vision and high competitiveness in sectors like fishery and tourism. Based on particularly interesting initiatives occurred in Albera Maritima and other successful experiences in Mediterranean coastal borderlands, a proposal has been made to implement several measures, including a transboundary integrated coastal plan, the joint observatory of fishery resources and a scientific network platform. For the aforementioned issues, the study contributes to the ICZM literature by providing a new perspective on local transboundary cooperation.

This contribution applies the Territorialist Approach (TA) in order to analyse cross-border coope... more This contribution applies the Territorialist Approach (TA) in order to analyse cross-border cooperation in two areas located along the Eastern French-Spanish border. TA is an innovative, multidisciplinary and culturally oriented approach for territorial studies, which is rooted in the Italian school of geography. According to this approach, " territory " is perceived as the result of a longstanding cyclical process of interaction between human settlements and the environment, whereby each civilization 'stores' a set of tangible (artefacts) as well as intangible (meanings, values and symbols) assets that drive local relations and shape the local identity (the milieu). Therefore, we regard cross-border territories as complex territorial units, wherein geographical, socioeconomic and cultural patterns have been affected by the evolution of border functions and by the changes in national, international and sub-national policies. In this sense, local cross-border networks, both formal and informal, contribute in keeping a shared local milieu. At the same time, in Europe, local Cross-Border Cooperation (CBC) is boosted by European integration processes by means of political, financial and legal support. It represents an opportunity for local agents to develop joint actions for the endogenous enhancement of the borderland. In this sense, the local milieu represents a very important factor for generating local development. The two case studies were conducted in Cerdanya and the Coast of Albera Marítima (CAM). Our analysis on Cerdanya demonstrates how community-led initiatives, which are based on local needs and the shared territorial capital, represent a feasible alternative for local development. The case of the Albera is geographically even more peripheral, wherein the absence of stable cross-border local networks, on the one hand, and of feasible CBC projects, on the other, exacerbates its geographic remoteness and the anthropic pressures on the fragile coastal environment. Zusammenfassung Örtliche grenzüberschreitende Zusammenarbeit als Ter-ritorialstrategie für Grenzregionen? Untersuchung von zwei Fallstudien entlang der östlichen Grenze zwischen Frankreich und Spanien unter Verwendung des territori-alen Ansatzes Der Beitrag befasst sich mit dem Territorialansatz in der Rau-mentwicklung zur Untersuchung der grenzübergreifenden Zusammenarbeit in zwei Gebieten an der östlichen franzö-sisch-spanischen Grenze. Es ist ein neuer, fachübergreifender und kulturorientierter Ansatz für Studien zur Raumentwick-lung, der seine Wurzeln in der italienischen Geographieschule hat. Danach ist " Territorium " das Ergebnis eines lange wäh-renden zyklischen Prozesses des Zusammenspiels zwischen menschlichen Siedlungen und der Umgebung, wobei jede Zivi-lisation eine Reihe von materiellen (Artefakte) und immateri-ellen (Bedeutungen, Werte und Symbole) Werten bewahrt, die die lokalen Beziehungen fördert und die lokale Identität (das Milieu) formt. Deshalb sehen wir Grenzregionen als komplizier-te räumliche Einheiten, in denen geographische, sozio-ökono-mische und kulturelle Verhaltensmuster durch die Entwicklung von Grenzfunktionen und Veränderungen der nationalen, in-ternationalen und regionalen Politik beeinflusst worden sind. Sowohl formelle als auch informelle grenzüberschreitende Netzwerke tragen zur Erhaltung eines gemeinsamen lokalen Milieus bei. In Europa wird die grenzüberschreitende Zusam-menarbeit durch politische, finanzielle und rechtliche Förder-maßnahmen gestärkt. Sie bietet für lokale Vermittler eine Mög-lichkeit zum Ausbau gemeinsamer Maßnahmen zur endogenen Stärkung des Grenzgebiets. Die Untersuchung zu Cerdanya zeigt, wie von der Gemeinde geleitete Initiativen, die auf loka-len Bedürfnissen und dem gemeinsamen räumlichen Kapital beruhen, eine machbare Alternative zur lokalen Entwicklung darstellen. Die Küste von Albera Marítima (CAM) dagegen liegt geographisch eher abseits, wobei das Fehlen grenzübergrei-fender lokaler Netzwerke einerseits und machbarer Projekte der grenzübergreifenden Zusammenarbeit andererseits seine geographische Abseitslage und den anthropischen Druck auf die sensible Küstenregion verschärfen.

The aim of this paper is to bring new elements into the theoretical discussion so as to better un... more The aim of this paper is to bring new elements into the theoretical discussion so as to better understand the realities of borderlands. Our goal involves projecting a new conceptualization of the cross-border territory and cross-border reterritorialization by refining the analytical framework envisioned by the current literature on border studies. More specifically, we apply the so-called ‘territorialist approach’, an innovative and culturally oriented approach for territorial studies that is rooted in the Italian geographical school. Cross-border territories are conceived as complex territorial units, whereby geographical, socioeconomic and cultural patterns are affected and thus altered by the fixation of international boundaries and territorialization. Nevertheless, the persistence of local cross-border networks, both formal and informal, contributes to the maintenance of a shared local milieu. The European integration processes, especially in view of the European Territorial Cooperation programmes, represent an important framework for supporting local cross-border cooperation and boosting new territorial strategies for borderlands. From this perspective, we hypothesize that new cycles of local cross-border reterritorialization can be observed along the EU borderlands by creating new forms of cross-border territorial capital. The case study of Cerdanya (French-Spanish border) illustrates the application of the theoretical framework by analysing the enduring experiences of cross-border cooperation.

Este capítulo intenta reflexionar sobre las potencialidades de la cooperación transfronteriza en... more Este capítulo intenta reflexionar sobre las potencialidades de la cooperación transfronteriza en la generación de desarrollo local endógeno en las áreas de montaña. A partir de una reinterpretación del concepto de territorio (y territorialización) de G. Dematteis y A. Turco y de desarrollo local endógeno de la Escuela de los Territorialistas, se propone un nuevo enfoque a los estudios territoriales de las regiones fronterizas, a través del estudio de caso de la Cerdaña (Pirineos orientales). La estructura del capítulo será la siguiente: en la primera parte se presenta el marco teórico y el enfoque propuesto para abordar los estudios de frontera. En segundo lugar se explica la metodología adoptada para el análisis del estudio de caso. Tras ello, se presenta, brevemente, una visión general de la cooperación transfronteriza en Europa y especialmente en los territorios de montaña, reconociendo la falta de una estrategia específica para dichas áreas. El cuarto apartado presenta el caso concreto de la Comarca Transfronteriza de la Cerdaña, analizando por un lado las convergencias y divergencias territoriales entra la Haute Cerdagne (parte francesa) y la Baixa Cerdanya (parte española) y, por otro, la cooperación transfronteriza actual (temáticas, actores involucrados, retos comunes, etc.), bien desarrollada aunque no en todos los sectores. Finalmente, se exponen unas reflexiones de conclusión.

La Cooperación Transfronteriza en Europa, hoy parte del Objetivo de Cooperación Territorial Europ... more La Cooperación Transfronteriza en Europa, hoy parte del Objetivo de Cooperación Territorial Europea, ha tomado forma en buena parte a través de las Euroregiones, y se ha desarrollado desde los mismos inicios de lo que hoy es la UE. Actualmente asistimos a la multiplicación de las iniciativas de cooperación, bajo formas legales y apoyos institucionales y financieros diversos. Si bien es cierto que una parte de la Cooperación Transfronteriza se realiza por otros cauces distintos al de las estructuras euroregionales, estas entidades merecen especial atención por cuanto constituyen organismos de nuevo cuño, reflejo del avance de la integración europea, y que intentan superar las rígidas estructuras estatales para trabajar colaborativamente en territorios compartidos. En esta línea, la presente comunicación presenta la propuesta de investigación del proyecto COOP-RECOT-II sobre Cooperación Transfronteriza (CTF) realizada desde las Euroregiones. El proyecto plantea como objetivo catalogar una muestra de buenas prácticas de innovación y excelencia (tanto en la Gobernanza Multinivel como en los resultados de los proyectos) llevadas a cabo por dichas estructuras, con objeto de valorizar su trabajo y animar a un mayor desarrollo de las mismas. Para ello, se presentan los primeros pasos teóricos (definiciones conceptuales) y metodológicos (identificación de Euroregiones y recopilación de proyectos de CTF; y construcción de una base de datos sobre ambos). Estos materiales serán la base para una próxima selección que debe constituir el Catálogo final de buenas prácticas.

La investigación, como objetivo general, se enmarca en el estudio de las dinámicas de desarrollo ... more La investigación, como objetivo general, se enmarca en el estudio de las dinámicas de desarrollo económico y territorial de los espacios transfronterizos a lo largo de la frontera entre Francia y España. En concreto, se estudian las características de los proyectos de cooperación transfronteriza INTERREG IV-A en el período 2007-2013, como ejemplo y muestra de las dinámicas producidas entre los actores y los proyectos de desarrollo entre ambos lados de la frontera. Para tal efecto, se ha construido un sistema de bases de datos para volcar la variada información de los proyectos y se ha elaborado posteriormente para extraer información cuantitativa y cartográfica de síntesis, utilizando las capacidades de los sistemas de análisis geográfico.

This paper examines how cross-border regions can generate, under certain preconditions and with E... more This paper examines how cross-border regions can generate, under certain preconditions and with EU support, territorial cooperation based on local endogenous development, reducing the effect of mental and physical borders as a potential new centrality. The tools made available by the Communitarian legislature (as European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation or INTERREG programme) therefore should not be perceived as an aim but rather as a means to support this process.
The research is divided into three parts. The first reviews the evolution of cross-border cooperation in Europe. The second part analyzes the Pyrennees as a region involved in the last INTERREG IV-A (POCTEFA) programme, focusing on some elements supporting the practice. The last section analyzes the case of the Cerdanya valley, underscoring the homogeneity of the territory, the historical and current cooperation, the limits and some advice to improve it.

The overall aim of this research is to study the dynamics of economic and territorial development... more The overall aim of this research is to study the dynamics of economic and territorial development in the cross-border spaces along the border between France and Spain. In particular, it analyses the characteristics of INTERREG IV-A cross-border cooperation projects in the period 2007-2013. It explores these as an example of the dynamics produced between stakeholders and development projects on both sides of the border. To this effect, a database system was set up in order to transfer all the information on the projects and then to extract concise quantitative and cartographic information, using the possibilities offered by geographic analysis systems.

Conference Presentations by Matteo Berzi

Esta comunicación tiene como objetivo el análisis de la gobernanza de la cooperación transfronter... more Esta comunicación tiene como objetivo el análisis de la gobernanza de la cooperación transfronteriza en materia de salud en el marco de la Unión Europea. La salud es uno de los retos más emblemáticos y al mismo tiempo más complejo de la integración comunitaria y a lo largo de las fronteras de los países miembros se manifiestan los límites y los problemas cotidianos del derecho a la salud. A pesar de los esfuerzos realizados por el legislador comunitario para armonizar los diferentes sistemas nacionales (Directiva 2011/24/UE) hoy todavía hay profundas diferencias jurídicas, legales y de derecho laboral entre los 28 países miembros. Una solución estratégica consiste en la cooperación transfronteriza. Esta comunicación trata de poner de relieve la actual importancia de la Cooperación Sanitaria Transfronteriza en la Unión Europea, evaluando en primer lugar la complejidad de su contexto político-administrativo, legal y territorial, y mostrando la diversidad de iniciativas que se han desarrollado en este ámbito. En la segunda parte se profundiza en la cooperación sanitaria España-Francia entorno a la frontera pirenaica, y en particular se aporta como ejemplo la cooperación en la comarca de la Cerdanya, en los Pirineos Orientales, que ha desplegado un área funcional sanitaria entorno al Hospital transfronterizo, una iniciativa pionera en el marco comunitario.

Books by Matteo Berzi

This Catalogue of Good Practices is dedicated to Euroregions, European organisations which are pl... more This Catalogue of Good Practices is dedicated to Euroregions, European organisations which are playing an influential role right on the borders of European countries and at a time in which many doubts persist about the European integration process. In our view, Euroregions truly matter: they are a symbol of communal living across borders, which are notoriously places where diversity is mostly shaped inside our continent. This is precisely the reason why we should give all possible support to the development of these structures as an advanced manifestation of cross-border activities fortunately spreading across internal (and some external) EU frontiers. After being granted the opportunity of spending four years of research on the matter, the Catalogue of Good Practices produced by the COOP-RECOT II research team aims at delivering a strong output for a renewed debate on the full realization of Euroregions’ potential. In such a way, we seek to provide a new tool on the quest for optimal solutions that may inspire a higher level of cross-border cohesion and a favourable advancement in the European Integration process. The aims of the research will be fulfilled through introducing two separate sections inside the Catalogue. In the first one, we begin by introducing up-to-date theoretical contributions on CBC and Euroregions, alongside a perceptive explanation of our working methodology throughout the research. By showing the process that brought us to generate both a global list and a specific selection for this catalogue, we thereby proceed in elaborating a solid quantitative analysis of our sample. In the second part, we wish to present our research on the 80 CB euroregional structures selected in the shape of info sheets detailing important information extracted from our database. Technical data are also accompanied by a short text-description of the Euroregion and (where available) the corresponding CBC project’s features.

European Planning Studies, 2019