ABSTRACT
These aims have to be implemented in a situ ation where the EU faces a complex eco nomic situ ation with decreasing eco nomic divergence between member states and increasing disparities within many coun tries,4 and now also a signi fic ant decrease of eco nomic growth with funda mental risks for eco nomic wealth and pro gress, in par ticu lar in some of the new Eastern Euro pean member states and the South Euro pean members of the Euro-group In this per spect ive, the Lisbon targets5 – also in the revised Renewed Lisbon Strategy – are not neces sar ily always in harmony with a pol icy aiming at reduction of a coun try’s regional disparity. Much eco nomic catch-up, in par ticu lar in new member states, has taken place in metropolitan areas, with increasing in ternal disparities as a con sequence. In the past 5-10 years, sim ilar tendencies have been seen in Western Europe. Among the con sequences is an increasing polarization of eco nomic ac tiv ities followed by new patterns of commuting,
leading to a pro cess of regional enlargement.6 These changes became evid ent during the decade from 1995 to 2004. A first impression of the Euro pean regional map is displayed in Figures 5.1 and 5.2, but the trend has con tinued in most parts of Europe (Euro pean Union, 2010). Economic growth was high in the new member coun tries, but GDP per capita is still signi fic antly higher in the 15 old member states. Furthermore, many of the new members have been hit very ser iously by the inter na tional fin an cial crisis.
