Nowadays, after various milestones of reformatory efforts, altogether five enlargements of the
Community and a more closely integrated Europe it has become increasingly clear that the
Community cannot simply have an exclusively economic dimension. “For a harmonious
overall development, a large number of other policy areas clearly have to be included.” (ARL
2003, 4)
Already with the Treaty of Rome in 1957 common policy was extended to all aspects of
economy and a new phase of the integration of Europe was ringed in. The signatories went
beyond economic policy and took decisive steps towards introducing the liberalisation of
movement of people, capital and services as well as a common agricultural, trade and
transport policy. For the first time policies were established on the European level that, in
addition to their economic effects, had impacts on the spatial development of the member
states. In regard to its fields of political activity the European Economic Community (EEC)
had thus gone beyond a purely sectorally and economically active “co-operation of interests”.
But the commonly organisation and steering of economic policies was only the first step. Due
to its success the Community was soon facing prime negotiations concerning the enlargement
of the EEC. As a consequence new member states such as the United Kingdom, Denmark and
Ireland (1973) as well as Greece (1981) and Spain and Portugal (1986) joined in the following
years the Community. These enlargements had significant impact on the political agenda of
the European Community.
While the founding states where rather homogenous and consisting of more or less similar
regional structures, with the enlargements regional disparities within the European
Community became more apparent. It could no longer be denied that market forces and
common economic policies on their own could not reduce such disparities. A regional policy
at European level invoking regulatory instruments to reduce development disparities became
more important. Increasing integration and the redistribution of political responsibilities from
the national to the European, i.e. supranational level resulted in growing influence of policies
on economic and thus spatial development of member states.
The Single European Act, ratified in 1986, gave a new dimension to political integration and
served as the starting point for tangible integrative steps and institutional reforms. Its main
objectives were the reform of the Community treaties and to push the European integration
through the creation of a European Single Market. In its political turn structural policy was
incorporated into the European Treaties and EEC’s general powers, especially regarding