Perspectiva territorial de la Unión europea: el largo camino hacia la cohesión territorial

Abstract

The variety of European regions demands to assume a territorial perspective that should not be simply considered as an obstacle in the way of cohesion, but as a value added which strengthens the economic development and enriches the Community coexistence. From the very beginning the EU tries to overcome these disparities. In this work the process of incorporation of territorial discourse within the UE is analyzed. This discourse is subsequently expressed throughout the European Territorial Strategy during the decade of 90s and after that, already in 21st century, the Territorial Agenda is developed and the Green Paper on Territorial Cohesion is published as the most outstanding landmarks of this process. The evolution of the very concept of territorial cohesion, as well as of the Community actions in this field, have been gradually incorporated into strategy of development of the EU, which is expressed throughout current «Europe 2020», and finally demonstrates the necessity to implement the territorial dimension into the set of EU policies, although with different level of involvement.