ABSTRACT
The development of regional policy in new Member States, along with the opportunity to use European Union (EU) Cohesion policy funds, creates a unique opportunity to mobilize the development processes in poorly developed agrarian regions, removed from the European economic centres. Cohesion policy is the most important EU policy addressed at less-developed regions located in the new Member States. The main question is whether EU Cohesion policy could effectively support the generation of completely new resources for regional development and introduce innovative development in less-developed, peripheral regions in new member countries. In the case of the new Member States, the difficulties in realizing the subsidiarity principle towards the national economy policies are visible. The programme direction of Cohesion policy in the new Member States is particularly important. The relevance of EU assistance to the new Member States does not only depend on reforming European policies.
