1. Changing interests and identities in European border regions: EU policies, ethnic minorities and socio-political transformation in member states and accession countries EUROREG

2. studies the links between European economic integration and ethnic minority mobilisation. It explores the effects of European integration on territorially concentrated ethnic minorities and their politics on their relations with national majorities and the state.

3. We have selected nine cases of minority inhabited regions Five cases of regions receiving structural funds and INTERREG funds granted for CBC initiatives: the Greek region of Thrace, Northern Ireland in the UK, the Spanish Euskadi, the Austrian region of Carinthia and the French Basque Country Four cases of candidate states from Central Eastern and South Eastern Europe: the Hungarian minority in southern Slovakia, the Hungarian minority in the region of Transylvania, in Romania, the Turkish minority in southeast Bulgaria, the Italian minority in the Slovenian region of Istria

4. The project will examine how EU regional economic policies in EU member states and human rights and minority protection policies in CESE accession states affect patterns of political participation and economic activity of ethnic minorities, their relations with national majorities, political parties and state administration.

5. We shall identify best practices enhancing the efficiency of regional development funding through co-operation between majority and minority groups develop policy suggestions for cultural measures and minority protection policies that could accompany regional development funding and facilitate minority-majority co- operation.

6. Our methodologies include quantitative surveys, qualitative interviews, ethnographic fieldwork, analysis of official documents and statistics literature reviews in both English and national languages

7. Our expected results: A better understanding of regional minority-majority politics, identity (trans)formation the effect of EU and CoE policies on these The project will promote best practices of regional cooperation It will inform future regional development policies in an enlarged European Union