Limits for successful cross-border governance of environmental (and spatial) development: the Lake Constance Region

Environmental problems do not stop at national borders. Hence environmental issues have always ranked among the most important driving forces for the inflationary rise of cross-border co-operations
during the last decades, not only but also in Europe. Such co-operative entities bridge territories. In this respect imperative environmental problems have often served as unifying element, bringing diverging forces to the background. But just as often environmental issues were neglected when the most important problems seemed to be solved or eased, as environmental issues are too likely to cause severe conflicts between the partners.

With this respect the paper intends to shed light on the significance of cross-border governance for environmental issues (also as integral part of cooperative spatial development). What are
the main challenges of cross-border governance processes for spatial development, what are their limits and shortcomings? And which role does the environment play in these approaches? Which kind of environmental issues are included, and how are topics dealt with, which are likely to cause unilateral losers? The answers to these questions will particularly be based on empirical data from the crossborder region of the lake Constance, showing a long tradition and a broad variety of cross-border governance in the field of environment.