Moreover, Article III-220 (“In order to promote its overall harmonious development, the Union shall develop and pursue its action leading to the strengthening of its economic, social and territorial cohesion”. ) accords a central place among EU policies to ESTC, since it aims at the overall harmonious development of the Union. Over the past few years, the notion of territorial cohesion
has been gradually taken up in various European Parliament resolutions, but in a minimalist way, drawing attention to the areas which have been most neglected by regional development (rural areas, rem
ote, mountainous or ...[+++]island areas or areas with permanent disadvantages). In Parliament’s most recent resolutions (particularly the resolution on the Third Report on Cohesion Policy), the concept of territorial cohesion has recovered some lost ground and is becoming a genuine tool for regional development for the whole territory of the EU.