Characteristics of Disadvantaged, Peripheral Areas

All in all, the main characteristics of the underdeveloped, disadvantaged and declining small areas are:

 significant development differences, territorial disparities;

 general economic-social backwardness;

 disadvantaged and particular disadvantaged situation;

 acute, continuous extremely high unemployment;

 depth structural crisis, general decay of the industry („rust zones”, areas with the lack of industry, fallback of the processing industry, etc.);

 decay of agriculture (marketing crisis), shortcomings of the service sector;

 bad state of infrastructure, difficult access and isolation;

 long-term social crisis, declining quality of life and standard of living (segregation, deep poverty);

 deteriorating public safety.

The disadvantaged state generally and specifically occurs by a lot of unfavourable coherent, effect increasing reasons and factors. If some or all of the factors determining the socio-economic development are unfavourable, we can speak of particular disadvantaged regions and/or small areas. Because of the complexity of disadvantaged or unfavourable indices, particular disadvantaged regions can be large land geographical areas and major regions (e.g. the Great Plain) or statistical development regions (e.g. Northern Great Plain Region, Northern Hungary Region). Small areas can be homogeneous natural, land geographical areas (e.g. Bodrogköz, Sárrét, Bereg, Ormánság), but they can also be self-organizing, previously geographical, historical small areas having administrative and traditional background, and so-called HCSO small areas as complex, multi-purpose small area associations, like we can find some in the southern part of Transdanubia, primarily in South

Western Baranya and Somogy or in some small areas of the Southern Great Plain Region (Figure 5.9). However, their presence is the most frequent and extended in the major region of Great Plain, mainly in the six counties of Northern Great Plain and Northern Hungary Regions in the area of North Eastern Hungary (Baranyi, 2004a;2007a).

Figure 5.9: Differences among the small regions in Hungary – economic spatial structure, 1998–2002

Source: MTA RKK ATI, Debrecen Division on the basis of VÁTI

As far as the latter is concerned, it can be said that within Hungary actually the whole area of Eastern Hungary, especially Northern East Hungary is still a disadvantaged area from socio-economic aspect; there are particular disadvantaged small areas (Bodrogköz, Taktaköz, Middle-Tisa area, Bihar, Sárrét, Szatmár, Bereg, Cserehát, etc.), external (border) peripheries and transition areas between the external and internal peripheries (e.g. Encs, Szikszó, Fehérgyarmat, Mátészalka, Sellye, Szigetvár, etc.) in great number. Simplifying, we can say that most of the areas to north from the line of Békéscsaba-Szolnok-Balassagyarmat contain the most extended crisis zones, but such internal and external peripheries can be found at the border of Tolna and Somogy and in Baranya (Baranyi, 2010). For example, if the major region of Great Plain – especially North Eastern Hungary – is a disadvantaged peripheral area in the geographical structure of the country, its extended border areas and settlements are considered as areas having further disadvantages, they are so-called “periphery of the periphery” (Figure 5.10).

Figure 5.10: „Periphery of the periphery” in the North-Eastern Great Plain

Source: Baranyi, ed., 2001.

Actually the disadvantaged or particular disadvantaged character of a region can be easily demonstrated by the aid policy of the European Union, since these regions are in the first and second target group of the Union aid policy and they get significant support from the Structural Funds. Objective 1 aims to emerge the most underdeveloped areas, where GDP is lower than 75% of the community average. In this respect the regions of Northern Great Plain, Northern Hungary, Southern Great Plain and Southern Transdanubia are permanently among the 20-30 most underdeveloped regions on national and Union level as well. However, they are significantly concerned by Objective 2, which helps the economic and social restructuring of the areas having problems with the conversion (declining agriculture, fisheries, industry, etc.) (Figure 5.11).

Figure 5.11: Unfavored and less favored small regions in Hungary, 2007

Source: MTA RKK Debrecen Division, 2007.

Figure 5.12: Development states of small regions according to the National Parliament Order 67/2007. (VI. 28.)

Source: CSO Regional Statistical Yearbook, 2008.

There are several calculations and methods to determine the disadvantaged state of small areas and settlements. The most well-known and most frequently used official method

counts the economical, infrastructural, social and employment data and their subsystems’

statistical data when calculating the complex index of economic-social and infrastructural development for small areas and settlements. This is how the disadvantaged and most disadvantaged small regions are classified from the aspect of spatial development according to the parliamentary decrees year by year.

At present, the government regulation by the Decree No 67/2007 (VI.28.) regulates the classification of disadvantaged small areas in which 48 small areas got the most disadvantaged class, 47 are in the disadvantaged class, which also expresses that the settlements in each area get a similar qualification. The third category ceased in 2007, that also counted those most disadvantaged settlements which did not belong to any most disadvantaged small area (Figure 5.12). Considering their economic-social position, the difference between the small areas and their settlements can also be expressed by the enhancement of the word of disadvantaged and most disadvantaged. It is a common character of the disadvantaged areas that their sustainable development or perhaps emerge requires external and internal development fund.

5.4. Control Questions

1. What are the most important regional and spatial dimensions of the spatial politics?

2. Explain the territorial division of Hungary in the NUTS system from 1998 to 2012!

3. What are the most important functions of the NUTS system?

4. What kind of characteristic regional differences can you see of the Hungarian regions concerning their state of development?

5. What are the main characteristics of the disadvantaged, underdeveloped and declining small areas?

6. Present the location of disadvantaged and most disadvantages small areas in Hungary!

7. Take a look at Figure 5.12. and draw conclusions of the spatial development differences, in particular of the internal and external (border) peripheries!

8. What does the expression ‘periphery of the periphery’ mean?

5.5. Competence Developing Questions

1. What kind of conclusions can you draw about the economic performance of the Hungarian regions based on Figure 5.4?

2. How the priorities of solidarity, justice and fairness are reflected in the differences of economic strength (development) and Union subsidies concerning the Hungarian regions (see Figure 5.6)?

3. Typify your own small area based on the characteristics of disadvantaged areas!

4. Explain how you would typify the economic-social state of your settlement, small area and/or region based on the factors taken into account!

5. How would you eliminate the disadvantaged state of your settlement or small area?

In your opinion what are the most serious factors concerning the disadvantaged state and from where would you gather reliable information to diagnose it?