Transnationaal

Transnationaal describes phenomena, actors, and processes that operate across national borders and create ties that connect people, organizations, or states beyond a single nation. It is often used to emphasize cross-border networks and flows rather than interactions centered within a single state. Transnationaal is distinct from international, which usually refers to relations between states, and from supranationaal, where authority is delegated to a higher-level body by states.

In practice, transnationaal appears in several domains. In politics and governance, it refers to transnational advocacy networks, policy diffusion, and the way ideas and norms travel across borders. In the economy, it highlights transnationale ondernemingen (transnational corporations), global value chains, and cross-border financial and commodity flows. In migration and culture, transnationaal describes diaspora ties, cross-border social fields, and ongoing relationships between home and host countries. In law and security, it encompasses transnational law, cross-border crime, and international cooperative frameworks.

The transnational perspective seeks to understand how actors and institutions operate beyond the borders of the nation-state, emphasizing networks, flows, and shared practices. It has implications for research and policy, including the need for cross-border cooperation, harmonization of regulations, and coordinated enforcement. At the same time, it recognizes that borders and states still exert influence, and not all cross-border activities are fully transnational in nature.

In Dutch usage, transnationaal is a common term in academia and policy discussions, often used interchangeably with transnationaal or transnationaal georiënteerd to describe cross-border phenomena and collaborations.