Regional development in the context of the European Union integration

The integration of the Central and East European countries into the European Union creates a radically and qualitatively new geopolitical situation on the European continent that, in its turn, requires some thorough going and structural changes from the EU part as to development of international relations in their new form in the countries of the European Union and non-member states. In order to apply the regional development strategy, eight development regions were set up, spreading throughout the whole territory of Romania. With the process of EU integration at hand, cross-border cooperation has become a top priority in East-Central Europe.