Research questions and methodology

Three questions lead this research:

Empirically, what are the relations and interdependencies between situated bilateral cross-border cooperation and legal-geopolitical practice in fostering security cooperation?

Conceptually, what role do law enforcement mobilities and border-regions play in the creation of a European space, and how to conceptualise cross-border police cooperation within the creation of a European politico-spatial entity?

Applied, how can qualitative police- and security-research’s understanding of complex social, legal and political dynamics increase its impact and what role can digital-visual communication of science play therein?

methodology

To answer these questions, this study is carried out through a multi-sited ‘study-through’ and mixed-methods research design. It combines document analysis and qualitative fieldwork in three interrelated steps:

Document-database and analysis of EU policy, legislation and other sources of relevance on EU and national level.
Mapping of selected bilateral agreements for police cooperation.
In-depth case studies: two intra-European cross-border case-studies and one in the EU neighbourhood.

Semi-structured interviews and focus-groups are carried out with law enforcement personnel, policy officers and other professionals of relevance at local/regional, national and EU level.