ABSTRACT
The Benelux countries form an excellent laboratory for studying regional problems and schemes for regional development. Admittedly the two principal states display important similarities but the contrasts between them are equally striking. Regional development and planning have a long history in the Netherlands but the inadequacies oí laissez-faire policies have only recently been recognized in Belgium. Right from the beginning linguistic and political issues have distorted schemes for regional development in that country. One must be careful to avoid falling into the trap of deterministic explanations for differences in emphasis on regional planning in the two main Benelux countries. It would be wrong to use high population density (338/km2) to explain Dutch concern with regional development, since the Belgian average (322/km2) is almost as high; and, with the exception of the Ardennes, empty space is just as scarce in Belgium as in the Netherlands. Competition for land is equally strong and environmental problems are equally grave to either side of the frontier. Admittedly the Netherlands took the lead in defending its territory against flooding by sea water and by major rivers (and this may be seen as a starting point for regional management) but Belgium has had to tackle similar problems in maritime Flanders and to the south of the Scheldt estuary.
