Territorial cohesion in the Carpathian basin: trends and tasks

Abstract

The political changes and economic reforms of the 1990s have produced ambiguous results in the development of natural regions, economic spaces and administrative units of the Carpathian Basin. The gradual and problematic transition to market economy has led to profound spatial differentiation in every country. The collapse of the former economic structure and the building of the new economy have affected the different areas in various ways, the territorial differences have started to grow, and benefits of the regime change do not show a spatially even distribution either. European integration relationships play an important role in the economic restructuring of countries recently joining the European Union. A long-term result of EU membership may be the reconstruction of former integration relations in the Carpathian Basin developed through centuries. The study provides arguments to support the creation of the Carpathian Basin trans-national macro-region, while giving an overview of the major phases of regional transformation and the experiences of initial programmes underlying the basis for long-term cohesion tasks. In order to improve the income position of the large Hungarian minority living outside the Hungarian borders, the successful implementation of an overall regional development strategy is necessary. A basic condition of successful development is the acquisition and utilisation of competences facilitating competitiveness in the framework of equal opportunity.