Centre for Cross Border Studies

The centre helps improve the social, economic and territorial cohesion of the Irish isle. The centre's work refers to:

• promotion and improvement of the quality of cross-border cooperation between the public bodies and between the public bodies, the companies and the civil society;
• improvement of the capacities for contributions to cross-border cooperation to the benefit of both parties involved in the social and economic development of the isle;
• Filling information gaps and overcoming further obstacles that make mobility and cross-border cooperation difficult, by research and provision of resources, instruments and further forms of practical support.

These activities of cooperation are implemented based on two basic imperatives of public policy:

• obligation towards cross-border cooperation that is an essential part of the convention of Belfast (Good Friday Agreement);
• The cohesion policy of the EU that focuses on social, economic and territorial cohesion, in particular supported by the programmes of the territorial cooperation in the EU (i.e. INTERREG and PEACE), and from 2014 onwards by the most important programmes of the structure funds.

The research reports of the centre, the magazine "Cross Border Studies in Ireland" and the newsletter "Border-Zine" are published on the centre's website. Summaries of the discussions of cross-border matters in parliament (Oireachtas) and the North-Irish assembly (Gov Watch) are periodically distributed. The information on the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland, as spread by the media, is also monitored (Media Watch).