Regional Formation and Development Studies

This study aims at presenting complex information on the specifics of regional development and its management system, as well as the experience of forming and implementing the state regional policy in Ukraine. The information in the article is presented in the context of generally accepted notions and concepts of regional development and regional policy, along with the European experience and global trends, but first of all it is based on the realities of regions and rural areas in Ukraine and on its governance model. It has been determined that to establish an effective and competent public administration of rural development should be a priority, singled out as part of the state regional policy, socially orientated and coordinated with sectoral policies.

Regional policy is a very dynamic and broad concept. As we can see from Lithuanian regional policy, regions can be formed very flexibly, using different spatial areas (counties as well as municipalities). This is justified by the main purpose of regional policy – dealing with social and economic inequality. The aim of the Government is, therefore, to identify the remote territories and to divert certain assistance in time. The Government, however, uses short-handed instruments, namely economic indicators, for the revealing of problem areas in Lithuania. The article argues that this is not enough: peripherality and accessibility indicators could be calculated for Lithuanian regions. Calculations of data using the formulas presented quite clear picture and tendencies of territorial development. They proved the existence of poor development axes and good development nucleus. The trend towards institutional development of 6 potential regions in Lithuania could be envisaged.