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Cross-border
economic
development
13
Practical guide : building partnerships
Transcending
competition
between
cross-border
territories
Building a strategic partnership for a common
vision of development of a cross-border territory
may be challenging in an inherently competitive
field such as the economy. Not only economic
players, but also territories themselves are in
competition (e.g. tax differentials).
Before working to structure governance in this
area, the competitive relationships that may
exist between public authorities and semi-public
agencies must be transcended. It is necessary
to break the reflex of championing solely one’s
territory (establishment of new companies
and localisation of jobs, a purely national view
of economic sectors in the territory), because
cooperation is often a “win-win” situation.
Public‑sector players must build a common
philosophy of cooperation with regard to
government policies that support economic
development.