With discussions of a full internal market within the EC finally reaching fruition, and regular intergovernmental talks advancing the ideas of economic, monetary and perhaps eventually political union, economic and social cohesion has become a major objective of Community policy.

Regional disparities remain a hard fact of Community life. Although there has been money available since 1975 to promote regional development and training in the poorer parts of Europe, it is likely that without serious reform of the Structural Funds these disparities could accelerate. There has been increasing anxiety from these countries about their ability to survive in the single market - anxiety that may jeopardise their participation in the Community effort.

The EC has therefore committed itself to new initiatives in science and technology, the environment, social policy and economic and social cohesion. This book studies how the new policy can best be designed, exploring ways in which Structural Funds can be implemented to provide new opportunities for the poorer member states.