Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine the conditions of sustainable (long-term) partnerships for the development of cross-border co-operation with regard to how they are formed and how they function. The analysis concerns partnerships created as a part of the PHARE CBC Small Project Fund between 2000-2003. It focuses on the sustainability of these partnerships through the prism of their duration and the frequency of actions taken. The conceptual assumption was that cross-border cooperation can be seen as an institution and analysis used the concept of path dependency. Entering into relations of co-operation in a border region in Poland is a behavioural norm, but co-operation is not seen in the light of the benefits of entering into a relationship, that is, not in the light of the direct benefits of co-operation.