Croatian Regional Development Problems in the Process of Integration in European Union

Provedeno istraživanje pokazuje da je disparitet u regionalnom razvoju jedna od najvećih strukturnih slabosti Republike Hrvatske uoči njena priključenja Europskoj uniji. Taj disparitet očituje se na dvije prostorno-razvojne razine: na razini NUTS II regija i na razini županija. Pregnantno ga odražavaju odstupanja u visini BDP p.c. od prosjeka Hrvatske (100,0) 2008. godine između Sjeverozapadne Hrvatske (124,3) i Panonske Hrvatske (72,8) s jedne, te Grada Zagreba (173,7) i Brodsko-posavske županije (57,9) s druge strane. Tako izrazite razlike rezultat su kumulativne uzročnosti, od naslijeđenih razlika u regionalnom razvoju, preko nepravilno oblikovanoga urbanog sustava i prostorno diferenciranih učinaka Domovinskog rata do pogoršanja gospodarske strukture od početka 1990-ih godina. S obzirom na neposrednu povezanost, interferenciju, regionalnog razvoja i demografskih procesa, to se izravno odražava u nepotpunom vrednovanju resursne osnove područja zahvaćenih demografskim izumiranjem i dovodi u pitanje prostorno-funkcionalnu integraciju države kao cjeline. Kako iskazani regionalni disparitet sve više postaje ograničavajući čimbenik ukupnog razvoja Hrvatske, to nalaže potrebu neodgodivog poduzimanja mjera i instrumenata regionalnog razvoja, odnosno teritorijalne kohezije, u skladu s politikom i instrumentarijem Europske unije.Conducted research showed that existing disparity in regional development is seen as one of the greatest structural weaknesses on the path of Croatian's accession to the European Union. Disparity is spread across two spatial levels: on NUTS II region level and on county level. Emphasis is given through BDP per capita level deviation compared with Croatian average (100,0) in 2008. between Northwest (124,3) and Panonian (72,8) NUTS 2 regions on one side, and City of Zagreb (173,7) and Brodsko-posavska county on the other. Shown disparities are given as a result of cumulative causality, from inherited differences in regional development, across irregularly shaped urban system and spatially differenced effects of Croatian War of Independence, to worsening of economic structure since the beginning of 1990. Close connection, interference, regional development and demographic processes are directly reflected in incomplete evaluation of resources on area caught by demographic ruin and brings in question functional integration of the state territory as a whole. As regional disparity more and more becomes limiting factor of Croatian development, undertaking of measures and instruments of regional development (territorial cohesion) in harmony with politics of European Union is necessary