The Transdanubian Research Institute celebrated the 60th anniversary of its foundation in 2003. It is an institute of the Centre for Regional Studies of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences that has carried out researches in the South Transdanubian region from the beginning and that emphasised the necessity of regional co-operation and decentralisation at a time when the politicians did not even know what regionalism meant.

More than a decade after the systemic change and just one year before the accession to the European Union, the importance of regionalism is not questioned any longer. Following the enactment of the Act on Regional Development and Spatial Planning in 1996, the decentralised institutions of spatial development were built out all over Hungary, development programmes were made and a conscious region-building activity started, financed from national and European resources. Over the past few years, the self-governments and the economic and non-governmental organisations have learnt to think in regional scale and harmonise their own interests with the common intereses of their regions.

South Transdanubia has been the forerunner among the regions of Hungary in the co-operation. The first formalised Hungarian regional co-operation was established in this region in 1993, with the creation of the South Transdanubian Regional Development Foundation. The creation of the Foundation was initiated by the Transdanubian Research Institute, and the first development concept of the region was made by the Institute, too.

The accession to the European Union is both a signifícant modernisation challenge and an enormous opportunity for South Transdanubia. I am convinced that the academic background available for the decisionmakers is an advantage that can contribute to the successful implementation of our development aims.

Hereby congratulate on the birthday and recommend this volume to the readers. The chapters of the book introducing South Transdanubia from all perspectives were written by the researchers of the Transdanubian Research Institute, this is their present for the new-born South Transdanubian region.

Dr Ferenc Kékes
Chairman of the South Transdanubian
Regional Development Council

Contents

Preface
Ferenc Kékes / 7

South Transdanubia in the European economic area
Gyula Horváth / 9

The settlement network
Zoltán Hajdú / 27

The environmental state, natural resources and environmental policy
István Fodor / 38

Transport in South Transdanubia
Ferenc Erdosi / 50

System and principles of land use
László Faragó / 67

The economy of the region within the Hungarian spatial structure
László Hrubi / 70

The position and development of services
Zoltán Raffay / 88

Tourism in the economy at the turn of the millennium
Gabriella Somogyi / 96

The role of the state subsidies in the regional development
Cecília Mezei / 105

Regional innovation development
Zoltán Gál / 718

Agricultural and rural development
Teréz Kovács / 129

Population and human infrastructure
Péter Póla / 138

Characteristic features of intermediate administration
Ilona Pálné Kovács / 155

Local administration and associations
Edit Somlyódyné Pfeil / 161

The organisational system of state administration
István Finta / 169

Regional Action Plan of South Transdanubia / 177

Scientific publications and expert studies on South Transdanubia / 191