Tools for regulating the spatial development of the economy: EU experience in the context of relevance for Ukraine

Abstract

The practice and results of regulation of spatial development of individual EU countries are analyzed. The tools for stimulating spatial economic development in the direction of reducing disparities in the regions of Germany are considered, in particular, the activities of the national system of financing the structural development of the regions of this country are described. The article argues that despite the positive results from the financing of special programs, socio-economic imbalances between different regions of Germany exist and are growing. The results of the use of EU structural funds to increase the innovativeness of enterprises and eliminate regional imbalances in Poland are summarized. The advantages and disadvantages of using such tools as smart specialization, polarization, diversification, economic agglomeration, industrial and innovation parks in the EU are summarized. Emphasis is placed on the fundamental problems of the Ukrainian economy: inefficient material, energy, labor-intensive, and low-tech economy and its irrational structure; low (with a downward trend) share of the gross accumulation of fixed capital in the GDP of Ukraine; high openness and import dependence (primarily in the segment of gross accumulation of fixed capital, intermediate consumption of medium and high-tech products), raw material orientation of commodity exports; significant interregional and interterritorial socio-economic imbalances. The article puts forward the hypothesis that the application of the considered tools in Ukraine will not ensure the desired level of spatial development of regional economies. This hypothesis is based on the fact that the support of less developed or less privileged territories and the methodology for determining areas of smart specialization, polarization, agglomeration, industrial and innovation parks, clusters, etc. are the tools of promotion, encouragement, and stimulation rather than the means of spatial development of the economy.