CROSS-BORDER COOPERATION IN RURAL TERRITORIES IN CONTEXT OF THE EU FUNDS: CASE OF LATVIA-ESTONIA-RUSSIA BORDER AREA

Cross-border cooperation (CBC) has become an object for academic debates during the last decades, mostly because of open border policy in the European Union (the EU) and because of spatial and social changes it has created. To analyse role of the EU funded activities on promoting CBC in Latvia-Estonia-Russia border area, two case studies were selected - Aluksne Region in Latvia as a main case and Voru County in Estonia as a satellite case. Main findings reveal that the EU open borders and cohesion policy have an important role in promoting formation of CBC. The main influence of the EU is related to financial support of CBC projects, which is also considered to be the main precondition for creating CBC in the Latvia-Estonia-Russia border area. It coincides with other research works done in different regions across Europe.