INTERNATIONAL CO‐OPERATION OF POLISH MUNICIPALITIES: DIRECTIONS and EFFECTS

ABSTRACT The paper describes and discusses the outcomes of the cross‐border and international co‐operation (CIC) of Polish local governments in the years 1990–2004 (before Polish accession to the European Union), indicated by local government officers in a questionnaire survey, and finally it gives some general conclusions as to future CIC support policy. In 2004, nearly half of all existing 2,500 Polish municipalities participated in CIC. They achieved most frequently non‐material local effects of co‐operation in euroregions and in town‐twinning (citizen and professional exchange, etc.). The economic effects such as investments, equipment purchases, innovative management, etc. were achieved to a lower degree, but they were important in improving local public services in dozens of urban municipalities. In general, CIC enhanced mainly European integration in creating links between communities and helping to overcome negative national prejudices, but to a lesser degree integration interpreted as levelling economic differences.