Abstrakt
Central Europe is currently in a unique geopolitical situation. In 2007 the territory became part of the Schengen area without any border control, creating good conditions for deeper integration of a region which just slightly over 20 years ago was still strongly polarised by the Iron Curtain.
The process of horizontal expansion of the European union resulted in a change of their position in the hierarchically organised European space: many border regions transformed from peripheral areas of the EU into central 'seams' between Member States. Through the process of horizontal expansion, these changes started affecting increasingly larger and highly typologically divergent areas.
The analysis of results of field investigations in model Euroregions on both sides of the Czech borders shows little to no change in the standard of living in border regions in the context of the qualitatively new situation after accession to the Schengen area. The accession to Schengen has more of a psychological effect in terms of free movement across the national border rather than an economic benefit mainly associated with the standard of living.
The results of the field research present also a remarkable difference in the perception of potential negative phenomena associated with the term 'Schengen' (crime, increased migration, including illegal) between border regions and at the national level in Czechia where they have a much higher representation.