Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-09-27-Speech-2-147"
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"en.20050927.18.2-147"2
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"Mr President, one of the European Community’s strategic aims often referred to by advocates of integration is to reduce the disparities in the level of development of the regions of Europe. Citizens of the new Member States placed great importance on this and still do. Along with economic and social cohesion, territorial cohesion has an important part to play in achieving that aim.
In view of the differences in development across the 25 Member States that will soon become 27, actions concerning transport, tourism, environmental protection, research and innovation are particularly important. Territorial balance can be ensured by strengthening the ranks of small and medium-sized urban centres. In these areas, urban planning should provide for the development of housing stock, transport networks and the regeneration of land previously put to industrial use. This approach will allow the periphery and surrounding rural areas to benefit from the economic growth of the centres too.
At present, dynamic economic and urban growth is only taking place within the largest urban centres, namely the metropolitan areas. Unfortunately, the developmental needs of smaller urban units are being disregarded, so the growth is accentuating inequalities instead of reducing them. Satisfactory territorial development in all Member States of the Union can only be achieved through the implementation of a decentralised model of spatial development. One key feature of such a model is that it is based on a network of towns with different economic, social and cultural potential. Another important feature is the establishment of permanent links with rural areas.
The Lubelski region I come from is one of the largest in Poland. It accounts for 8% of the territory of my country and 5% of its population. There are 40 mainly small and medium-sized towns in this region, the largest being Lublin, the regional capital. The latter has a population of approximately 400 000 inhabitants, and the population of the other town varies between 20 000 and 70 000 inhabitants. Over half the population of the region lives in rural areas. If the unsatisfactory level of infrastructure is taken into account also, the Lubelski region could serve as an example of the practical implementation of territorial cohesion in a decentralised manner.
One can but hope that the activities of the Union’s decision-makers will result in more than mere fine words and intentions, as was the case in the past. Specific measures are needed, and provision should be made in the Union’s budget for the next few years, and also in the long-term Financial Perspective."@en1
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