Perception of the Borderlands in Serbia

Abstract

Present paper aims at enhancing understanding of perceptions of borders in cross-border regions of Serbia and to evaluate influences of these perceptions on cross-border policies and cross-border cooperation (hereafter CBC). The study relevance is rooted in fact that only a small number of CBC projects and initiatives exist in Serbia2. Problems of utilizing funds available for CBC in the regions of Republic of Serbia which are eligible for CBC under the IPA Programme are well known and already analyzed in literature (CESS-Vojvodina, 2010). Still, this instrument of European territorial cooperation that also serve as developing instrument of local self-governments is not used to its maximum. Study of citizen’s perceptions on borders and CBC programs will try to provide deeper insights in this area of analysis and will strive to find out how people in whole territory of Serbia and especially in border areas look at regions from other side of border and if these regions or states are close or distant in their perceptions. Furthermore, this study will examine how close they feel with the neighbors in terms of mental distance and culture and if there is a chance for number of CBC projects to be increased if population from both side is closed in they own territory and tradition, weighted by recent isolation and wars.