Managing regional disparities

The EU integration of the CEE countries has taken place within a centre–periphery relationship, where the accession countries continue to face a discursive deficit. Despite its declared pursuit of convergence, EUropean regional policy increasingly serves the EU’s general political objectives, while support for the catching-up of less developed regions has taken a backseat. This chapter investigates the root causes, power dynamics and consequences of this shift, arguing that CEE countries hold a vested interest in continuing support for the principles of subsidiarity and solidarity, while the EU15 also stand to benefit indirectly from the higher growth potential of less developed regions.