Title: Fighting Spatial Disparities, Enhancing Territorial Competitiveness: European Union Regional Policy Paradoxes
Abstract: Competitiveness strategy agreed in Lisbon in 200 0 was seen as a radical change in economic and social policy of European Union. However, this strategy, meant to be a response to globalization, mass unemployment, and deindustriali zation, has disappointing results. This failure may be partly explained by structural funds dispers ion between traditional objective of territoria l solidarity, Lisbon imperative of competitivenes s and after 2001, sustainable development. Since special Lisbon European Council of 23 an d 24 March 2000, European Union (EU) has chosen to put competitiveness at top o f its agenda. The aim of this new strategic goal ha s been to turn Union into the most competitive a nd dynamic knowledge-based economy in world, capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion. However, concept of competitiveness as applied to territories, such as national member states or whole EU, was born in United States in early 1980's. It is fundamentally an elitist and liberal concept whereas EU regional policy has purs ued, since first treaties, a 'social model' bui lt on spatial cohesion, solidarity, and social welfare . How has EU's territorial conception attempted to manage these contradictory economic and socio-spatial goals? In this short think piece, we examine competitiveness objectives and measures adopted by Lisbon strategy since its inception and consider extent to which these are compatible w ith pursuit of spatial equity, long associated with European social model.
Publication Year: 2011
Publication Date: 2011-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['doaj']
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Cited By Count: 1
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