Disadvantaged regions
Spatial development glossary, European Conference of Ministers responsible for Spatial/Regional Planning (CEMAT), Territory and landscape, No 2, published by Council of Europe Publishing in 2007, defines disadvantaged regions (or disfavoured regions) as: ‘…regions with a relatively low level of economic development which may result from their geographical location, especially from remote and peripheral situations, from natural and climate conditions (regions in polar areas or regions subject to drought, mountainous regions), from the characteristics of their population (sparsely populated regions with extremely low population density, regions subject to out-migration), from accessibility constraints (insular regions, regions badly connected to centres through efficient transport infrastructures). Regions characterised by obsolete economic structures (old industrial regions subject to economic reconversion) are also often considered disadvantaged regions.'
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