The tools and limitations of integrated regional and rural development in Hungary

Abstract

The application of integrated development methods within the European Union’s development policy is not a completely new requirement, but both the legislation for the 2014–2020 programming period and the research work supporting the proposed regulation offer a much wider opportunity for using integrated development tools than ever before. This may be considered as only one stage of integral development, a process which – regarding differing national aspirations – is far from being complete.

In order to evaluate integrated development methods and their application by the member states it seems reasonable to analyse the concept and the conceptual elements that constitute the content of integration within regional and rural development. This process will determine the characteristics that distinguish integrated intervention from the – traditional – sectorial type of development. Another important task of regional sciences is to determine the territorial dimension of the integrated development approach as well as the scope and conditions of central and local involvement. The study aims to provide answers by providing and applying a special criteria system.

The study also more closely examines those integrated development tools (Integrated Territorial Investment – ITI, Community-Led Local Development – CLLD) which are provided by the legal framework of the EU.

A number of findings are detailed which also relate to the economic and social development of Hungary. The statement that Hungarian policy makers responsible for development during the 2014–2020 programming period, in no way or to a very small degree, are willing to apply those development tools that are eligible for supporting complex development proposals is worth highlighting. When applying almost exclusively centrally managed sectorial type traditional development tools it is very likely that complex development demands will be served by a completely dysfunctional set of development instruments, which although in terms of sectorial aspects may prove entirely satisfactory, will hardly or not at all facilitate the development of any given region or settlement. So this is the way how with substantial costs relatively weak results are achieved and how regional disparities are rather increased than mitigated.

If integrated planning is not sufficiently implemented in Hungary, our catching up with Europe’s more developed regions will have very little success, and the mitigation of the country’s internal regional disparities and the strengthening of confidence in the instruments of development policy will not be achieved either.