| Description |
In the years following the end of World War II, the leaders of Western Europe sought some sort of organization among the states who had all suffered tremendous death and destruction as a result of two major wars. The goal of this organization, whatever form it might take, was the prevention of any further destructive warfare among the people of Europe. What emerged was an economic agreement which came to be known as the European Community and which sought to bind these states together in economic interdependency. While originally an essentially economic endeavor, the Community; was created with more political goals in mind. As it has developed and evolved from a; simple common customs agreement to the European Union of the 1990's, its policies and actions have gradually taken on a more political character. This is especially apparent in the creation of the Euro, a common Community currency, and in the development of a strong policy to alleviate regional economic disparities. After introducing the development of the Community and its major policies and; institutions, this paper explains the regional policy of the Community. First I must discuss regional disparity theory in general, including the causes of such disparities, the reasons why one would hope to combat disparities, and what ideas have emerged in this relatively new theory to combat such problems. I will then review the history of regional policy in the European Community to see what political and economic factors have been involved in its development, whether it has followed the suggestions of theory, and whether it has been successful in either economic or political terms. My conclusion upon this review is that, given the political circumstances and the need to develop policy upon which member states of the Community can reach a consensus agreement, current regional policy is an effective combination of theory, practical experience and political reality that contributes much to the success of the Community and its further existence. Last, I will discuss the future of the Community in light of proposed expansion to states in Central and Eastern Europe and how such expansion will be best addressed by a Community regional policy which continues the recent approach along with as much of an increase in funding as member states will allow. |
