Regional development is being shaped by an increasingly complex combination of economic, social, environmental and geopolitical pressures. Long-standing territorial disparities associated with globalisation, technological and demographic change and the green transition now intersect with growing concerns around economic security, strategic technologies, supply-chain resilience, energy security and defence. Housing availability and affordability have also become more prominent as factors affecting labour mobility, regional attractiveness and development potential. These pressures have uneven territorial implications, reflecting differences in regional economic structures, demographic trends, geographic position and institutional capacity.
This report provides a systematic review of changes to regional policy over the past 12-18 months. It first considers key factors influencing the current context for regional policy. The following three sections then review in detail regional policy changes across Europe in terms of strategic changes, governance structures and policy tools. The final section discusses how regional policy is responding to a more uncertain world.