Regional policy

Abstract

The regional policy of the European Community has some characteristics that merit detailed discussion. But first the question should be asked why a European regional policy is needed (section I). Next, to make it easier to understand a specific European regional policy, regional development and regional policy are discussed in general in section II. In the next section (III) the regional problems of the European Community will be analysed; a short description of regional policy as it had developed until recently follows in IV. In 1975 there were drastic changes, and thus a separate section (V) is devoted to the policy in force at this moment. One of the novelties in this policy is the Regional Fund, which is analysed in some detail in section VI. The descriptions given in sections I to VI (inclusive), will then be put in the light of analytical developments that could help improve the efficiency of regional policy in the European Community, in section VII. Finally, some of the problems that are likely to confront the European Community in the future, as well as methods to deal with them, will be touched upon in the concluding section, VIII.