Regional and Cohesion Policy - Insights into the Role of the Partnership Principle in the New Policy Design

Regional development is the main challenge for the states from the area of Central and Eastern Europe after their accession to the European Union, and territorial cooperation is an efficient means for the harmonious and balanced integration of the EU’s territories, with a view to modernize the regions lacking economic and social development. With the major goal of promoting economic, social and territorial cohesion, the EU’s economic development policy supports the efforts by each Member State of mitigating the inter-regional disparities through transfers of financial resources to the backward regions.