The paper addresses the major scientific approaches of European and Ukrainian researchers to the interpretation of the cross-border area concept. It defines the main features and attributes of cross-border areas by each of the approaches. The author classifies main approaches to the delineation of cross-border areas by their features and attributes, focusing on administrative, institutional, political, and functional components, the intensity of cooperation, the difference in the levels of socio-economic development of adjoining border areas, common geographical, historical, cultural, or economic features or opportunities, and the features of functioning of the territories’ socio-economic development elements (changes in the number of population of areas within the 30-minute drive to the border or existing or prospective impacts of urban center located at the border or divided by the border), simple belonging to adjoining administrative-territorial units, etc. The paper provides examples of the functioning of cross-border areas by the analyzed approaches to their definition and types determined based on the conducted classification. Special attention is paid to the functional approach to the delineation of cross-border areas as the most common in foreign practice. The approach stipulates the delineation of cross-border areas by the strength of various types of links between the cross-border cooperation participants regardless of the size of the area they are located at, the size of the administrative-territorial unit they are the part of, or the availability of institutional environment. The reasonability of the application of approaches used by European researchers to delineate cross-border areas in Ukrainian realities is verified. 

cross-border area, cross-border cooperation, European Union, functional approach, institutional approach 

The main tools for the formation and implementation of Innovation Policy and Cohesion Policy, which are used to achieve the priorities set in smart specialization strategies at the national and regional levels, are studied. The peculiarities of their use in the context of individual regions of the EU are analyzed, taking into account the trends and development needs of each individual region or country; depending on the selected areas of smart specialization; depending on the type of region according to the OECD classification by economic profile, etc. The most common tools for implementing smart specialization priorities are identified: supporting the functioning of clusters, improving business start-up procedures, public procurement, financial assistance, cooperation with other regions, creating various platforms to stimulate cooperation between enterprises, scientists and authorities, improving the training processes, etc. Two types of cluster policy are analyzed: funding support activities, such as cluster mapping and supporting cluster development, without identifying priority areas (such as the Czech Republic); support for certain areas of activity. Two types of public procurement are outlined: those that promote innovation, i.e. the purchase of direct results of innovation activities, and innovative, i.e. the purchase of an innovation process, the results of which are not yet presented on the market. Forms of providing financial assistance to economic entities in the development of innovations that use certain regions of the EU in their smart specialization strategies are given, including lending, subsidies, access to project funding programs, etc. The tools of regional innovative development in the context of traditional, new and experimental tools and their contribution to the generation, dissemination and use of knowledge are systematized. The active and passive tools for supporting the development of innovations in the field of small and medium business and the peculiarities of their use at the global, regional and micro levels are presented. 

smart specialization strategies, tools for implementing smart specialization strategies, European Union