ABSTRACT
The phrase Lithuania needs more efficient regional development policy has once again become a popular slogan, becoming louder and stronger before each election. It can be heard from the President, Members of Parliament, in the Government, from the scientists and policy analysts as well as members of the general public. At first glance it appears that everybody is referring to the same issue. With closer scrutiny however, it becomes apparent that the phrase means different things to different people and this situation is exacerbated by an inflation of terminology. The difference between terms such as regional development, spatial development, urban development and territorial cohesion is often subtle and difficult to define. This is also true in relation to concepts such as regional policy, structural policy and cohesion policy, which are often used interchangeably in the EU context. What is clear is that EU regional policy is facing a challenging future in the light of enlargement and there are questions as to whether current regional policy will lead to a convergence or divergence in regional disparities and what the policy impact of this will be at different spatial levels.
