The Danube Space Study (July 2000)

Regional and Territorial Aspects of Development in the Danube Countries with respect to Impacts on the European Union.

The economic and political integration of the Danube Space into the European Union started
with the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989, followed by the accession of Austria in 1995 and
continued with the decision to negotiate the accession of most of the states belonging to the
Danube Space. In the course of increasing integration it became necessary to obtain more
detailed information on the territory concerned and on the spatial impact of integration. A
vision of future spatial developments in the countries of the Danube Space is a precondition for
encouraging co-operation between countries and regions and hence, for the optimal allocation
of financial resources and political efforts aimed at assisting the regions to cope with the
challenges of enlargement.

The Danube Space Study sets out to reveal the regional structures and the spatially
differentiated patterns of development in the Danube Space with the main objective of
providing guidance for co-operation at the regional, cross-border and transnational level.

Executive Summary

PART I: INTRODUCTION

• 1. THE DANUBE SPACE (42 KB)
  
  
  • 1.1 Space without Qualities?
    
  • 1.2 The Notion of the Danube Space
    
  • 1.3 Defining the Study Area
    
  • 1.4 Relations to Other Macro-Regions
    
  
  
• 2. THE DANUBE SPACE STUDY (62 KB)
  
  
  • 2.1 The Objectives of the Study
    
  • 2.2 The Study's Approach
    
  • 2.3 Methods Applied and Procedures
    
  • 2.4 Information Base and Data Issues
    
  
  
• 3. INTRODUCING THE CORE COUNTRIES (44 KB)
  
  
  • 3.1 Austria
    
  • 3.2 Bulgaria
    
  • 3.3 Czech Republic
    
  • 3.4 Hungary
    
  • 3.5 Romania
    
  • 3.6 Slovak Republic
    
  • 3.7 Slovenia

  
  

PART II: SPATIAL CONDITIONS IN THE DANUBE SPACE

• 4. DEMOGRAPHIC STRUCTURES AND DYNAMICS WITHIN THE DANUBE SPACE (87 KB)
  
  
  • 4.1 Demographic Structure
    
  • 4.2 Demographic Dynamics
    
  
  
• 5. SETTLEMENT STRUCTURES (82 KB)
  
  
  • 5.1 Population Density
    
  • 5.2 Settlement Structure
• 6. THE REGIONAL DYNAMICS OF TRANSITION (179 KB)
  
  
  • 6.1 The Driving Forces of Regional Development
    
  • 6.2 Structural Change in the Transition Process
    
  
  
• 7. REGIONAL DISPARITIES AND THEIR EVOLUTION (148 KB)
  
  
  • 7.1 The Level of Economic Activity
    
  • 7.2 Regional Development Patterns
    
  • 7.3 Regional Disparities in the Core Countries
    
  
  
• 8. LABOUR MARKETS AND UNEMPLOYMENT (107 KB)
  
  
  • 8.1 Employment
    
  • 8.2 Unemployment
    
  
  
• 9. THE ACCESSIBILITY OF THE REGIONS (84 KB)
  
  
  • 9.1 Accessibility on the European Scale
    
  • 9.2 Road Networks
    
  • 9.3 Railway Networks
    
  
  
• 10. ENVIRONMENTAL ENDOWMENTS OF THE REGIONS (115 KB)
  
  
  • 10.1 Diversity of Environments
    
  • 10.2 Natural Heritage Highlights - Biodiversity and Habitats
    
  • 10.3 Water Resources
    
  • 10.4 Legacies of the Socialist Era and the Risks During the Period of Economic
    Transition
    
  • 10.5 Risks during Economic Transition
    
  
  
• 11. ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE NETWORKS (108 KB)
  
  
  • 11.1 Towards Sustainability
    
  • 11.2 Main Characteristics of the Grids
    
  • 11.3 Improving a Location's Economic Advantage
    
  • 11.4 Regional Impacts of Short and Mid-term Investments
    

PART III: ISSUES OF REGIONAL/SPATIAL
DEVELOPMENT

• 12. THE URBAN SYSTEM (113 KB)
  
  
  • 12.1 Historical Roots of the Urban System in the Danube Space
    
  • 12.2 Typology of Urban Settlements
    
  • 12.3 Urban Changes during the Transition Period
    
  • 12.4 Urban Environmental Issues
    
  • 12.5 Issues Related to Urban Governance
    
  • 12.6 Cross-Border Issues Related to Urban Systems
    
    
• 13. RURAL REGIONS (86 KB)
  
  
  • 13.1 Rural Areas in the Danube Space
    
  • 13.2 Demographic and Socio-Economic Characteristics
    
  • 13.3 Infrastructure and Equipment of Rural Settlements
    
  • 13.4 Main Challenges Related to the Evolution of Rural Areas
    
  
  
• 14. BORDERS AND BORDER REGIONS (109 KB)
  
  
  • 14.1 The Permeability of Borders
    
  • 14.2 Border Crossings
    
  • 14.3 Main Border Crossing Activities
    
  • 14.4 The Spatial Impact of Cross-Border Co-operation
    
  
  
• 15. THE TRANSPORT NETWORKS (89 KB)
  
  
  • 15.1 The Pan-European Transport Corridors in the Danube Space
    
  • 15.2 Inland Waterways
    
  • 15.3 Maritime Shipping Activities in the Danube Space
    
  • 15.4 Air Transportation in the Danube Space
    
  
  
• 16. THE INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORKS OF REGIONAL
  POLICY AND SPATIAL PLANNING (106 KB)
  
  
  • 16.1 Introduction
    
  • 16.2 The Former Period
    
  • 16.3 Features of Transition
    
  • 16.4 The Main Settings of Regional Policy
    
  • 16.5 Perspectives
    
  
  

• 17. ACCESSION AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT (141 KB)
  
  
  • 17.1 Impacts of Accession
    
  • 17.2 Regional Economic Impacts
    
  • 17.3 Impacts on Agriculture
    
  • 17.4 Impacts on Manufacturing
    
  • 17.5 Impacts on Labour Markets
    
  • 17.6 Spatial Impacts
    
  • 17.7 Pre-Accession Aid
• 18. IMPACTS ON REGIONS IN MEMBER STATES (141 KB)
  
  
  • 18.1 Spatial Patterns of Challenges and Opportunities
    
  • 18.2 Regional Impacts of Enlargement in the Member States
    
  • 18.3 An Assessment of the Impacts on Member States' Regions within the Danube
    Space
    
  • 18.4 Regional Perspectives
    
  
  

• 19. THE SCENARIO "PRODANUBE 2010" (76 KB)
  
  
  • 19.1 Concept and Assumptions
    
  • 19.2 The Danubic Belt
    
  • 19.3 Regions Calling for Attention
    
  
  
• 20. ELEMENTS OF A TRANSNATIONAL STRATEGY OF
  SPATIAL DEVELOPMENT (62 KB)
  
  
  • 20.1 Assessment and Preconditions
    
  • 20.2 Towards a Spatial Development Strategy for the Danube Space
    
  • 20.3 Co-operation along and across the River
    
  • 20.4 Preventing Regions from Uncoupling
    
  • 20.5 Promoting Growth Beyond the Capitals
    
  • 20.6 Turning Barriers into Bridges
    
  
  
• 21. RECOMMENDATIONS (64 KB)
  
  
  • 21.1 Options and Opinions
    
  • 21.2 Spatial Policy Options
    
  • 21.3 Organising Transnational Co-operation in the Danube Space