Competitiveness of the Hungarian Regions and Settlements in the European Economic Space

Abstract

Restructuring the regional structure of the European economy led to the revaluation of the regional policy in the last decades. Globalisation and the new factors of spatial formation have various impacts on regions and on the different elements of the seftlement system. The conditions of spatial structures in the implementation of cohesion policy combined with competitiveness are very heterogeneous. Comprehensive researches were completed surveying the competitiveness potentials of regions and cities in many member countries of the European Union – where regional policy is in stronger position. Regional development strategies based on the results of these researches.

The aim of the research is to develop a model for the examination of competitiveness potential of Hungarian regions and cities; to determine the regional differences of the competitiveness factors in Hungary; to give a comparative analysis on the favourable and disadvantageous situation of the Hungarian regions and seftlement system in comparison with Europe; to compare the Hungarian regional competitiveness factors with the factors of other associated members to develop the Hungarian competitive advantages; to make proposals in connection with the contents of programmes for strengthening competitiveness; to make proposals for the development of the EU structural policy and strengthening the cohesion of the single European economic space based on the Hungarian experiences.

The results of the research help Hungary's EU accession. They can be adapted during the negotiation process, to elaborate the national development programme of Hungary and to draft the regional development programmes and seftlement development strategies. They contribute to the active participation of Hungary in the formation of the structural policy of the European Union and to the preparation of the regional policy reforms. All of these strengthen the competitiveness of the country, the individual regions and innovative settlements and small regions in the first programming period after EU accession.