Regional policy
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7 June 2011PresseuropEl Periódico de Catalunya
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Autonomy
Regions making themselves heard
26 July 20102Adevărul Bucharest -
Regional Development
Rich Europe, poor Europe
7 July 20101Polska The Times Warsaw -
26 November 2009PresseuropLa Vanguardia
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Macroregions
Europe flows west to east
23 October 2009La Vanguardia Barcelona -
Cooperation
Balkans to Europe
26 June 2009PresseuropDe Volkskrant
The International Court of Justice’s decision to uphold Kosovo’s declaration of independence will rekindle debate on the future of European regions with strong identities. On 24 July, the Romanian Vice-President of the European Parliament Laszlo Tökes called for autonomous status for Transylvania. And in Brussels, more than 300 regional delegations are lobbying to protect the interests of sub-national entities across the continent. 
Numerous national and European programmes have yet to succeed in eradicating major disparities between the rich and poor regions of the continent — a situation that may lead to funding cuts in the context of the current economic crisis. 
20 years after the Iron Curtain came down, Europe still has its sights set more on the East than on the South. The EU regards the Baltic, the Danube and even the Black Sea as priority macroregions, sidelining the Mediterranean, which is sundered by huge social and economic imbalances between its two shores.