The CRS of the HAS, in cooperation with the Institutes of Geography and Economics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, held a conference organised by the Hungarian Embassy in Moscow about perspectives of European regional cohesion policy and development directions of Russian regional policy on the 12th of May, 2011. The conference was opened by Ambassador István Íjgyártó and Academic Vladimir Kotljakov. Amongst others, the two scientific communities were represented by Sergej Artobolevskiy, Leonid Smirjagin, Olga Kuznetzova, Györgyi Barta, Gyula Horváth and Zoltán Hajdú who presented their views about certain scientific issues. Senior Advisor Wolfgang Streitenberger held a presentation about cohesion policy directions of the European Commission.
The spatial development strategy of the European Union will be revised under the Hungarian EU-presidency. The objective of the Hungarian EU-presidency is to strengthen the scope of Cohesion Policy, to broaden its instruments from the new expenditure period from 2014. During the current planning period, 36 % of the EU’s budget (347 billion euros for 7 years) is devoted to Structural Policy funds. Hungary is a beneficiary of Cohesion Policy, EU funds play an important role in current Hungarian economic and infrastructural developments.
Solid scientific bases are required to improve the competitiveness of European regions. The results of European regional science are largely incorporated in the structural measures of the EU and also in national spatial development policies.
Hungary can boast with advantageous positions in regional science. The internationally recognised results of the Centre for Regional Studies of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in the areas of regional economy, multi-level governance, the legal regulation of spatial development, cross-border territorial cooperation and new space-forming factors have contributed to strengthening the European competitiveness of Hungarian spatial policy. The book titled “Regional development and policy in Hungary and Central Eastern Europe” recently published in Moscow outlines the results of the programme. A study arousing great scientific interest titled “Regional development and policy in the transforming Russia” was published in Hungary in 2008.
The joint research topic titled “New driving forces of spatial development in Hungary and Russia” between 2011 and 2013 will contribute with its promising and useful results to the development of regional science in both countries and will serve the interests of spatial development policy as well. The conference dealing with several issues of cohesion and regional policies is not only a new sign of a fruitful professional cooperation, due to its topic it also provides an excellent opportunity for experts to discuss the possibilities and means of transmitting Hungary’s experiences with the EU as well to determine further directions of scientific research supporting development policy cooperation between the two countries. The strong practical linkages of innovative regional science constitute a forward-looking example in modern social organisation. The new social and economic paradigm relying on multifaceted partnerships is the key to sustainable development and a successful and strong Europe. The Hungarian-Russian regional scientific cooperation wishes to contribute to the realisation of this objective in the future.