ABSTRACT
Since the 1950s, European states have engaged in regional policies aimed at correcting territorial imbalances in economic development. The intervention of the state in the geographic distribution of people or activities is motivated by arguments of equity and efficiency: the distribution resulting from the sole market forces is not socially optimal because it entails disparities between the regions in terms of welfare, economic activity, and income. It is necessary to reduce these inequalities in order to enable sustainable development on the whole territory.
