Territorial differences and some aspects of rural development in Hungary

Ferenczi, Tibor – Forgács, Csaba

Agriculture is certainly not the most decisive element of the expansion of EU towards eastern central Europe. However, it is one of the most complex issues, if not the very most one, on the way of integrating the new members. Nevertheless, the implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy in the field of rural development might help to ease the present rural disparities and unfavourable spatial trends in Hungary, as well as in the other candidate countries. Rural economy is a complex and dynamic system (Allanson, P. – Withby, M. 1996), and agriculture should be treated as a part of it (Nijkamp, P. 1996).

Rural development includes a great number of issues and various aspects. The authors focus, in a spatial aspect, on income distribution and employment issues, and presents some significant indicators of regions (corresponding to the NUTS-2 level) established by means of aggregation of traditional administrative units, e. g. counties (NUTS-3). The regional disparities observed in Hungary are discussed in a European context. Finally, some of the authors’ results deriving from an analysis of statistical sub-regions (NUTS-4) are summarised. Policy aspects, SAPARD, and related crucial documents, e. g. the National Develop­ment Programme and the National Rural Development Programme, are not discussed here.

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