The diploma thesis examines the Europeanization of regional policy of France in 2007-2013. Europeanization is analysed in the case of the Lisbon strategy approved in 2000 and then revised in 2005. Its goals divided into three thematic pillars affected the priorities of the regional policy of the European Union (EU). The thesis analyses whether the Lisbon goals influenced also the regional policy of France. Criteria of the misfit theory elaborated by Tanja A. Börzel are used to evaluate the impact of Europeanization on the French regional policy goals. First, the misfit between French and European regional policy goals in 2000-2006 is measured, then the scope of change between the two periods of the French regional policy is determined. Comparing French goals in 2000-2006 and 2007-2013, the misfit turns out to be intermediate meaning that the Lisbon goals were not a new element for the French regions. Furthermore the analysis shows that although the goals of the French regional policy were Europeanized, the scope of change was low. According to the theory, the fact could be explained as a lack of facilitating domestic actors in the French politic system. Regarding the three pillars of the Lisbon strategy, the biggest change was caused by the first one focused on renewables and energy efficiency. The...

In this paper, regional allocation of capital expenditure in environmental sphere from the European cohesion policy is analysed. The analysis was performed for the projects financed during 2004-2006 programming period. Based on the comparison of estimated and actual intensities of support (proportion of the total allocation of 22 billion CZK), it was found that the relatively highest intensities of support were allocated to the regions with the medium-quality environment (Liberec region, Central Bohemia, Central and South Moravia), while the relatively lowest intensities of support were allocated to the regions with the lowest- or low-quality environment (Moravian-Silesian region, Ústí nad Labem region, Karlovy Vary region). The analogous conclusions resulted from an analysis of the relative positions of selected types of regions in the overall allocation of capital expenditure, because the metropolitan regions, national parks and protected landscape areas obtained relatively higher intensities of support and, vice versa, the structurally and environmentally affected regions obtained lower intensities of support. The findings of our research allow to conclude that the regional distribution of capital expenditure from public sources was in a contradiction with the strategic objectives of both the...

This thesis has examined and compared physical accessibility to primary care facilities, or health centers, in two rural regions, one located in Sweden, and one located in Norway. The study areas are Västerbotten county in Sweden, and Nordland county in Norway. The analysis has been conducted via a service area analysis in ArcGIS, where the relative distance in terms of travel time to the health center determines accessibility. Good accessibility is defined as less than an hour of total travel time, including the return journey. Overall, accessibility is good in both study areas with around 95% of the population having good accessibility, while a vast majority of people live within five minutes one way to the nearest health center. However, there is a difference between the two study areas, where the Västerbotten population generally has better accessibility than their Norwegian counterpart. These differences are despite the fact that Nordland has almost double the amount of health centers that Västerbotten has. Overall, these differences appear to primarily be due to differences in population pattern, which in turn can be seen as a part of the difference in regional policy between the two countries, although it is hard to pinpoint the full effect that regional policy has on primary care accessibility.

Streekontwikkelingsbeleid en differensiële verstedeliking is twee fundamentele temas binne die ruimtelike beplanningsveld. Streekontwikkelingsbeleid is veral sedert die Tweede Wêreldoorlog in Europa geïmplementeer, waar regerings besef het dat die vryemarksisteem nie noodwendig optimale ekonomiese groei op streekvlak verseker nie. Doelwitte Die primêre doelwit van hierdie studie is die integrering van effektiewe en volhoubare streekontwikkelingsbeleid met die konsep van differensiële verstedeliking, ten einde 'n effektiewe stedelike bestuursmeganisme daar te stel. Sekondêre doelwitte sluit in: * om die beginsels en doelwitte van streekontwikkelingsbeleid en streekontwikkelingsinstrumente te bepaal; * die analisering van Suid-Afrikaanse streekontwikkelingsbeleid in terme · van bogenoemde klassifikasie; * ondersoek na die teoretiese en praktiese toepassings van die differensiële verstedelikingsmodel; * om die geldigheid van die differensiële verstedelikingsmodel te bepaal in die Gauteng Funksionele Metropolitaanse Streek; en * om relevante streekontwikkelingsbeleid te integreer met sosio-ekonomiese tendense in 'n stedelike sisteem, met spesifieke verwysing na die Gauteng Funksionele Metropolitaanse Streek. Metodiek Die rasionaal vir die formulering van streekontwikkelingsbeleid word in Hoofstuk Twee beskryf. Regerings en ander streekowerhede formuleer streekontwikkelingsbeleid ten einde spesifieke doelstellings te behaal. Hierdie doelstellings verander met tyd en is gewoonlik streekspesifiek. Die relevante owerheid of instansie neem 'n besluit in terme van bogenoemde fundamentele benaderingswyses, waarna 'n keuse ten opsigte van spesifieke beleidsopsies en -instrumente geneem word. Hoofstuk Drie beskryf laasgenoemde beleidsinstrumente asook meer gedetailleerde beleidselemente soos wat dit op projekvlak geïmplementeer word. In Hoofstuk Vier word die geskiedkundige implementering van streekontwikkelingsbeleid in Suid-Afrika en spesifiek vir die Gauteng- en omliggende streek, ondersoek. Die Gauteng Funksionele Metropolitaanse Streek het reeds 'n gevorderde vlak van stedelike ontwikkeling binne die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks bereik en was histories instrumenteel in die implementering van streekontwikkelingsbeleid. 'n Sentrale tema in hierdie studie, is die beginsel dat stedelike komplekse 'verouder' met tyd. Soos wat hierdie stedelike komplekse ontwikkel, kan verskillende migrasie- en ekonomiese produksiepatrone onderskei word in dieselfde areas, maar die patrone is georiënteer in verskillende rigtings en gebaseer op verskillende motiverings. Hierdie tendense word deur die differensiële verstedelikingsmodel in Hoofstuk Vyf aangespreek. Na die afskaffing van diskriminerende wetgewing, is die verwagting dat die bevolkingsgetalle van groter stedelike komplekse vir 'n aansienlike tydperk steeds sal toeneem. In Hoofstuk Ses word hierdie migrasieprosesse, asook veranderende produksiepatrone in die studiegebied ontleed, gebaseer op die resultate van die mees onlangse sosio-ekonomiese opnames. Bevindings Uit die studie blyk dit duidelik dat streekontwikkelingsbeleid steeds geïmplementeer word in reaksie op bepaalde ongelykhede in 'n streek. Laasgenoemde verwys gewoonlik na hoe vlakke van werkloosheid en kwynende ekonomiese sektore in sekere stede. Die voorstel in die studie is die vroegtydige formulering van streekontwikkelingsbeleid vir al die elemente binne die stedelike sisteem, gegewe die huidige ontwikkelingsvlak in terme van die differensiële verstedelikingsmodel. Hiervolgens kan sentra met toenemende ekonomiese- en bevolkingsgroei vroegtydig geïdentifiseer en ontwikkeling bevorder word. Soortgelyk, kan plekke met kwynende ekonomieë en bevolkingsgetalle ondersteun word in die fase van stedelike groei. Die sosio-ekonomiese profiel van die studiegebied, naamlik die Gauteng Funksionele Metropolitaanse Streek, het in die studie bewys dat dit 'n identifiseerbare ontwikkelings- of 'verouderingsroete' gevolg het sedert die 1960s. Dit is ook duidelik in die studie dat die effektiwiteit van streekontwikkelingsbeleid en die volhoubaarheid daarvan gewoonlik omgekeer eweredig is aanmekaar: soos volhoubaarheid toeneem, neem ekonomiese effektiwiteit af. Die voorgestelde integrering van streekontwikkelingsbeleid en differensiële verstedeliking behoort hierdie negatiewe tendens ten opsigte van effektiwiteit en volhoubaarheid om te keer, ten einde toenemende volhoubaarheid en effektiwiteit te verseker in die stedelike ontwikkelingsproses. / PhD (Town and Regional Planning), Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, 2001

Streekontwikkelingsbeleid en differensiële verstedeliking is twee fundamentele temas binne die ruimtelike beplanningsveld. Streekontwikkelingsbeleid is veral sedert die Tweede Wêreldoorlog in Europa geïmplementeer, waar regerings besef het dat die vryemarksisteem nie noodwendig optimale ekonomiese groei op streekvlak verseker nie. Doelwitte Die primêre doelwit van hierdie studie is die integrering van effektiewe en volhoubare streekontwikkelingsbeleid met die konsep van differensiële verstedeliking, ten einde 'n effektiewe stedelike bestuursmeganisme daar te stel. Sekondêre doelwitte sluit in: * om die beginsels en doelwitte van streekontwikkelingsbeleid en streekontwikkelingsinstrumente te bepaal; * die analisering van Suid-Afrikaanse streekontwikkelingsbeleid in terme · van bogenoemde klassifikasie; * ondersoek na die teoretiese en praktiese toepassings van die differensiële verstedelikingsmodel; * om die geldigheid van die differensiële verstedelikingsmodel te bepaal in die Gauteng Funksionele Metropolitaanse Streek; en * om relevante streekontwikkelingsbeleid te integreer met sosio-ekonomiese tendense in 'n stedelike sisteem, met spesifieke verwysing na die Gauteng Funksionele Metropolitaanse Streek. Metodiek Die rasionaal vir die formulering van streekontwikkelingsbeleid word in Hoofstuk Twee beskryf. Regerings en ander streekowerhede formuleer streekontwikkelingsbeleid ten einde spesifieke doelstellings te behaal. Hierdie doelstellings verander met tyd en is gewoonlik streekspesifiek. Die relevante owerheid of instansie neem 'n besluit in terme van bogenoemde fundamentele benaderingswyses, waarna 'n keuse ten opsigte van spesifieke beleidsopsies en -instrumente geneem word. Hoofstuk Drie beskryf laasgenoemde beleidsinstrumente asook meer gedetailleerde beleidselemente soos wat dit op projekvlak geïmplementeer word. In Hoofstuk Vier word die geskiedkundige implementering van streekontwikkelingsbeleid in Suid-Afrika en spesifiek vir die Gauteng- en omliggende streek, ondersoek. Die Gauteng Funksionele Metropolitaanse Streek het reeds 'n gevorderde vlak van stedelike ontwikkeling binne die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks bereik en was histories instrumenteel in die implementering van streekontwikkelingsbeleid. 'n Sentrale tema in hierdie studie, is die beginsel dat stedelike komplekse 'verouder' met tyd. Soos wat hierdie stedelike komplekse ontwikkel, kan verskillende migrasie- en ekonomiese produksiepatrone onderskei word in dieselfde areas, maar die patrone is georiënteer in verskillende rigtings en gebaseer op verskillende motiverings. Hierdie tendense word deur die differensiële verstedelikingsmodel in Hoofstuk Vyf aangespreek. Na die afskaffing van diskriminerende wetgewing, is die verwagting dat die bevolkingsgetalle van groter stedelike komplekse vir 'n aansienlike tydperk steeds sal toeneem. In Hoofstuk Ses word hierdie migrasieprosesse, asook veranderende produksiepatrone in die studiegebied ontleed, gebaseer op die resultate van die mees onlangse sosio-ekonomiese opnames. Bevindings Uit die studie blyk dit duidelik dat streekontwikkelingsbeleid steeds geïmplementeer word in reaksie op bepaalde ongelykhede in 'n streek. Laasgenoemde verwys gewoonlik na hoe vlakke van werkloosheid en kwynende ekonomiese sektore in sekere stede. Die voorstel in die studie is die vroegtydige formulering van streekontwikkelingsbeleid vir al die elemente binne die stedelike sisteem, gegewe die huidige ontwikkelingsvlak in terme van die differensiële verstedelikingsmodel. Hiervolgens kan sentra met toenemende ekonomiese- en bevolkingsgroei vroegtydig geïdentifiseer en ontwikkeling bevorder word. Soortgelyk, kan plekke met kwynende ekonomieë en bevolkingsgetalle ondersteun word in die fase van stedelike groei. Die sosio-ekonomiese profiel van die studiegebied, naamlik die Gauteng Funksionele Metropolitaanse Streek, het in die studie bewys dat dit 'n identifiseerbare ontwikkelings- of 'verouderingsroete' gevolg het sedert die 1960s. Dit is ook duidelik in die studie dat die effektiwiteit van streekontwikkelingsbeleid en die volhoubaarheid daarvan gewoonlik omgekeer eweredig is aanmekaar: soos volhoubaarheid toeneem, neem ekonomiese effektiwiteit af. Die voorgestelde integrering van streekontwikkelingsbeleid en differensiële verstedeliking behoort hierdie negatiewe tendens ten opsigte van effektiwiteit en volhoubaarheid om te keer, ten einde toenemende volhoubaarheid en effektiwiteit te verseker in die stedelike ontwikkelingsproses. / PhD (Town and Regional Planning), Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, 2001

The aim of my thesis Cohesion and Regional Policy of the EU and its influence over the Region of Pardubice is to find out if the subjects from the Region of Pardubice have learnt to use the financial means from the funds of the EU and to benefit from them to realizing their projects which they could not probably execute only with use of their financial sources. At first I am concerned with the development of this policy since the time when six european countries have started to cooperate, this cooperation was found advantageous and was getting deeper and wider, till present programming period 2007 - 2013. The second chapter is focused on the Czech Republic which has been involved in using of financial means from the fund for the pre-entry help already during the existence of Czechoslovakia and then other using of the funds of the EU for pre-entry help followed. On the 1st May 2004 the Czech Republic gained the EU membership and since then the Czech Republic has been engaged in the Cohesion and Regional Policy of the EU. By entry to the EU the Czech Republic has won more financial means which the Czech Republic can use. I was interested in operational programmes which have taken place in the Czech Republic and distribution of the financial means assigned for the Czech Republic. The third chapter is aimed at the Region of Pardubice, its characteristics, I focus on the operational programmes which are significant for this region, I am interested in the biggest applicants and realized projects. In conclusion I can say that the subjects from the Region of Pardubice have learnt to use the financial means from the funds of the EU for their development and realization of their projects. There is some possibility to improve using the financial means from some operational programmes, the example can be improvement of the using financial means of operational programme Research and Development for Innovations. The most significant applicants for the financial supports from the funds of the EU in the Region of Pardubice are the Region of Pardubice, city Pardubice, Employment office in Pardubice, University of Pardubice, towns Ústí nad Orlicí, Svitavy, Chrudim, Králíky. Also many primary, secondary and special schools, many associations and companies.

This graduation theses deals with the system of spatial planning in the Republic of Ireland. Its aim is to determine the main advantages and disadvantages of the Dublin approach to planning. The first part deals with the socio-economic characteristics of Ireland, which creates the necessary background for subsequent analysis of the Irish system of spatial planning. The analysis includes a legislative framework, an institutional system or practical aspects of the planning documents. At the end the positive and negative aspects are spoken.

This diploma thesis determines the foreign activities of municipalities in South Bohemia and Plzeň region (i.e. paradiplomacy) and so by the analysis of cross-border municipal partnerships. The term paradiplomacy is defined, European regional policy, possibilities of financial support of mentioned activities and institutionalized forms of co-operation among municipalities are presented. Special attention is given primarily to the cross-border partnerships that are the main subject of interest of the diploma thesis. The thesis is based on an analytical-empirical approach. There are also used the methods of comparative politics and statistical and mathematical methods for evaluation of data.

This thesis examines the regional differentiation of Spain and the regional politics in the context of Spanish economic situation within the EU. The first chapter looks at Spain as an EU member, focusing on its profile from the perspective of economic level and growth. Included comparative analysis of the Spanish economy emphasizes the nominal and real convergence with the Eurozone based on the most influential variables. The second chapter deals with the causes and development of the Spanish regional disparity, highlighting various economic sector specializations of distinct regions, impacting employment and productivity. This chapter also touches the topic of social and information inequality. The third and final chapter is dedicated to structural and cohesive policies of Spain during the past program periods as well as the current financial perspective of 2007-2013, focusing on the tools of the EU providing regional aid. Spain within the process of fund redistribution, existing successful results as well as concrete impact on Andalucia's regional economy are also described.

The thesis clarifies the role of tourism in regiona development. The first chapter deals with the characteristics of tourism in the Czech Republic and its economic importance. The second chapter presents the EU regional policy with a focus on tourism. The last chapter deals with a specific project, which was succesful in application for grant from the Regional Operational Programme NUTS II Severovýchod. The thesis should explain why tourism is supported by the EU as well as provide comprehensive information to persons interested in EU grants in the area of tourism.