Vienna-Bratislava, Austria/Slovak Republic 2003

Description

OECD's Territorial Review of the Vienna/Bratislava region. The Vienna-Bratislava region on the Austrian-Slovak border rapidly increased its competitiveness after 1989, following a 40 year separation by the Iron Curtain. As a result of the removal of many national and international barriers, trade flows and foreign direct investment have flourished, and regional growth, above national averages, has reduced internal disparities. However, new obstacles to further integration have emerged. Institutional reforms and stronger cross-border collaboration will enable the region to improve transport infrastructure, tackle restrictions on labour mobility, and better link the learning and productive systems on both sides of the border.  Read more... Foreword -- Acknowledgments -- Assessment and Recommendations -- Chapter 1. Trends and Challenges -- Vienna-Bratislava -- a wide scope for integration -- A hub in Central Europe -- Disparities and convergence -- Geographic and demographic context -- Demography -- Spatial development -- Administrative organisation -- Economic integration and cross-border convergence -- Indicators of convergence -- Industrial structure -- The region's position in the national context -- Flows of exchange -- Trade in goods and services -- Foreign direct investment (FDI) -- Migration and commuting -- Barriers -- A fragmented labour market -- Distributing innovation -- Transport: "Last Exit Simmering" -- Conclusion -- Chapter 2. Policy Analysis -- Introduction -- Integration definitions, objectives and actors -- The concept of cross-border integration -- Integration: a local, national and international issue -- Economic integration: market forces -- The theoretical basis for integration -- Progress and prospects for the region -- Current integration strategies and policies -- The need for a cross-border strategy -- The practical challenge of formulating a cross-border strategy -- Current initiatives, their strengths and limitations -- Chapter 3. The Challenbes of Labour Market Integration€ -- Cross-border labour movements -- Trends and prospects -- Main challenges for the labour markets -- Policy responses -- Legal regulation for worker mobility -- Labour market policiesCross-border co-operation -- Conclusions -- Chapter 4. Innovation, Knowledge Transfer and and Learning Region Policy -- Introduction -- Learning regions and cross-border integration -- The learning region concept -- Transforming a cross-border region into a learning region -- Institutional preconditions and governance requirements -- Cross-border regions and social capital -- Vienna-Bratislava: the learning region perspective and the challenges ahead -- Vienna: a fragmented technological and research platform -- Bratislava: a difficult transition towards an innovative market-based economy -- Cross-border integration potential -- Policy recommendations -- Mobilise a sustained effort -- Create joint regional data -- Focus on concrete projects -- Create simple governance structures -- Develop local private-public partnerships -- Obtain external funds -- Nurture a public debate -- Chapter 5. Cross Border Transport Policy -- Trends in national and regional transport -- National and regional policies -- Improving cross-border transport links -- Implementing regional sustainable transport policy -- Agenda for strategies -- Chapter 6. Territorial Governance and Cross-Border Institution Building -- -Institutional background -- Austrian federalism -- Slovak decentralisation -- Cross-border governance within Austria and the Slovak Republic -- Austria and governing a metropolitan area -- The Slovak Republic and the challenge of decentralisation -- Cross-border institution building in the Vienna-Bratislava region -- Governance without government -- Obstacles to regional institution building -- Elements of cross-border institution building -- Information dissemination -- Pragmatism and priority setting -- Metropolitan issues -- Fiscal implications of cross-border integration -- Democratic accountability and legitimacy -- Summary and outlook -- Annex: Comparison Regions -- Frankfurt/Slubice (German-Polish border) -- Euregio Meuse-Rhine (Belgian-Dutch-German border) -- San Diego-Tijuana (US-Mexican) border -- References.