The development of cross-border areas in Europe is an important component of European as well as national policies of individual countries. A real challenge for these actions are the regions located on the EU external eastern border, especially along the Belarusian and Ukrainian borders. It results from the geopolitical conditions, asymmetry in economic systems as well as constitutional and political differences. Such circumstances substantially restrict the ability to use the endogenous development potential. One of the aims of the EU cohesion policy is the European territorial cooperation, which intends to limit these constraints and prevent the peripheralisation of the cross-border areas. The article aims to analyse and assess the adopted policy, the use of the Cross-border Cooperation Programme Poland–Belarus–Ukraine 2007–2013 and tries to evaluate preparations for a new edition of the programme for the years 2014–2020. It addresses the good and bad sides of functioning of the instrument as well as the validity of including such issues in the aims of cohesion policy, the purpose of co-financing from the EU funds, enhancing the position and weight of territorial cooperation among the regions within the EU and outside its borders. In conclusion and recommendations it is stated that achieved results of development, which stem from the intervention in the discussed cross border area, are minimal and inadequate for the needs of the region as far as their relevance is concerned. To achieve the so called economies of scale, there is a need for greater concentration and targeting of the intervention as well as a programme with visibly increased scope of financing by the European Commission.
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