1.
Introduction
“The spatial effects of Community policies do not automatically complement each other, in
line with a more balanced regional development. Nor do they automatically correspond to the
development concepts of regions and cities. Without a reciprocal fine-tuning process, they
can unintentionally aggravate disparities in regional development if they are exclusively
geared towards specific sectoral objectives.” (CEC 1999, paragraph 61)
Even within the European Spatial Development Perspective (ESDP) it was stated that a fine-
tuning process regarding the impacts of Community sectoral policies will be needed if an
unintentionally aggravation of regional disparities among EU member states’ regions should
be avoided. However, in terms of the co-ordination of European policies, the ESDP has had
up to now an only minor impact.
Repeated demands by both the European Parliament and the EU Member States
notwithstanding, responsibility for European spatial development policy remains unclear.
Spatial development on the European level is actually “treated” as a coincidental outcome of
EU sector policies. No unit exists in the European Commission with which to co-ordinate the
spatial effects of Community policies.
There is no doubt that the lack of co-ordination between Community policies causes complex
problems - in regard to the effective assignment of financial subsidies as well as the goals of
Community sector policies. The spatial effects of these policies do not automatically
complement each other, along the line of a more balanced regional, respectively spatial,
development among European Union Member States. In particular after the declaration of
territorial cohesion as one of the core Community objectives in the Treaty establishing a
Constitution for Europe, co-ordination of Community policies is necessary more than ever.
Initially, in the following chapters the paper will set out from various perspectives the
necessity for co-ordinating Community sectoral policies. Subsequently the effort will be
undertaken to draw different possibilities for the organisation of such an co-ordination while
taking into account the current legal general conditions.
2 The Necessity of Co-ordination of Community Policies with Spatial Relevance
"Bringing all public policies - in particular Community policies - with territorial impacts
closer to the objectives and policy options of the ESDP, would undoubtedly constitute an
effective means of strengthening in a sustainable way their reciprocal coherence and of