APPLICATION OF GEOSPATIAL TECHNOLOGIES IN THE ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECTS OF IPA CROSS-BORDER CO-OPERATION HUNGARY-CROATIA 2007-2013

The main goal of cross-border cooperation is to jointly deal with common challenges, which will ultimately contribute to the overall development of the observed territory. Human and other resources can be developed by implementing projects in the cross-border area, networking among stakeholders, transfer of knowledge, education, skills development and exchange of best case practices among partners. However, there is a noticeable absence of willingness to define the results achieved in projects within cross-border programmes on all levels. It is necessary to determine the specific direct and indirect effects the invested funds were able to ultimately achieve in the long term, but also their spatial dispersion. It is necessary to move towards quantification and clear distinction that invested funds create in certain time frame, in this case 2007-2013, while taking into account the characteristics of each area and attitudes of stakeholders after the project's formal completion in 2013, i.e. to determine result sustainability. This paper presents research conducted from 1 April to 31 May 2018, with the organisations (lead beneficiaries and project partners) implementing projects within the IPA Cross-Border Cooperation Hungary-Republic of Croatia, Financial Perspective 2007-2013 (CBC HU-CRO 2007-2013). The geographic area of project implementation is along the southwestern and southern border of Hungary and the northern and northeastern border of the Republic of Croatia. The aim of this paper is to contribute to the discussion on GIS and its contribution to decision-making at NUTS III level in the CBC area and on the possibilities in resources management of an area in the period of project result sustainability. Also, the multiplication effect created in the seven years of the CBC HU-CRO 2007-2013 programme will be used as an example.