Lietuvos regioninės politikos kaitos tendencijos Europos sąjungos kontekste

LTYpatingą prasmę regioninė politika Lietuvoje įgyja pastaruoju metu, kai dabartinė šalies valdžia pradėjo įgyvendinti naująją šalies regioninę politiką, pagal kurią 1994 m. atkurtos 10 Lietuvos apskričių iki 2010 m. liepos 1 d. bus panaikintos, o jų funkcijos perduotos savivaldybėms ir ministerijoms. Atitinkamai bus reorganizuota apie 240 struktūrų, dabar veikiančių apskrities pavaldumu, pvz., muitinės, "Sodros" padaliniai, ligonių kasos, apskričių ligoninės, apskričių visuomenės sveikatos centrai ir kt. Tyrimo tikslas - moksliniais metodais ištirti Lietuvos Respublikos būsimųjųregionų situaciją, apskaičiuoti prognozes, pagrįsti regioninio vystymosi socialinės ir ekonominės plėtros galimybes, adaptuoti ES ir kitų šalių pažangią patirtį. kitų šalių pažangią patirtį. Siekiant šio tikslo išanalizuoti Lietuvos regioninės politikos aspektai nuo 1994 m. ir pagrįstos Lietuvos regioninės politikos tendencijos, ištirti ES regioninės politikos dokumentai lyginant juos su Lietuvos regionine politika bei jos kaitos tendencijomis, atlikta pagrindinių Lietuvos regioninio vystymosi rodiklių naujausių reikšmių analizė. Išanalizuoti penki regionų darnaus vystymosi rodikliai: Bendrasis vidaus produktas (BVP), BVP vienam gyventojui, materialinės investicijos, 15-64 m. gyventojų užimtumo lygis, nedarbo lygis. Rodiklių pokyčių analizė dešimtyje Lietuvos Respublikos apskričių parodė, kad ekonominė situacija Lietuvoje 2004-2007 m. buvo labai palanki, ryškus augimas, teigiami rodiklių pokyčiai pastebimi visose apskrityse.Reikšminiai žodžiai: Regioninė politika; Lietuvos Respublikos regionai; Regionų vystymosi rodikliai; Pokyčiai.; Regional policy; Reform of counties; Regions in the Republic of Lithuania; Regional development indicators; Percentage changes; Pokyčiai.

ENThe article analyses application of new Lithuanian regional policy to future Lithuanian regions according to official documents, regional statistical data calculations and analysis. The scientific research problem of the article deals with the following problematic questions: 1) what are the aspects of application of new Lithuanian regional policy for future Lithuanian regions?; 2) What are the groups of regional development indicators, economic and social groups, which could be used to forecast perspectives of Lithuanian regional policy and to ground future regional policy of the Republic of Lithuania? The aim of the research is by using scientific methods to investigate situation of future regions in the Republic of Lithuania and to ground possibilities of regional development dealing with social and economic development, to adapt innovative experience of the European Union and other countries. Scientific literature analysis, documents' content analysis, qualitative and quantitative analysis of research data, calculations of percentage changes have been used in the article. There have been discussed the aspects of the EU regional policy dealing with innovations, use of structural funds and focus on principles of sustainable development. Two charts illustrating complex process of the EU regional policy related to national regional policy in the Republic of Lithuania have been given. Activities of Regional Committee have been discussed and related to activities of Šiauliai county representatives. The situation of the Lithuanian regional policy from 1994 to 2009 has been analyzed. The new reform of counties' dissolution and creation of new Lithuanian regions has been discussed according to the decrees of the Government of Lithuania, laws of Lithuania, and ideas of Lithuanian politicians.The claim has been made that the new Lithuanian reform of counties is based not only on agreements of political parties, but also on possible involvement of organizations representing certain groups of Lithuanian people. Peculiarity of the theoretical system of regional development in the Republic of Lithuania has been analysed focusing on the works of Lithuanian social sciences' specialists, international documents. The need for focus on scientists' ideas about regional development, aspects of innovations, planning and regional development indicators' analysis in the Republic of Lithuania is emphasized. There have been analysed sustainable development indicators' group titled "Regional Development Indicators" dealing with statistical data changes in the counties of the Republic of Lithuania. Five indicators (gross domestic product (GDP) by county in million Litas, gross domestic product (GDP) per capita by county in thousand Litas, investments in tangible fixed assets by county per capita in thousand Litas, employment rate of persons aged 15 64 by county in percentage, unemployment rate by county in percentage) have been chosen and their percentage changes have been calculated. Percentage calculations for certain periods of time were analysed in five tables. The most successful and the least successful counties in the Republic of Lithuania have been identified. In conclusion, there has been stated that it is necessary to create economic development strategy covering particular indicators and the regional development model for future Lithuanian regions, which would help to create society characterised by economic growth and social development sections such as social development and improving environment. The imperative is to create particular group of regional indicators based on the aspects of the EU regional policy and regional development principles.There is a need to provide calculations and forecasts using statistical methods for Lithuanian future regions, counties. While continuing the started project, it is necessary to create social and investment attractiveness indicators system for municipalities of the Lithuanian regions, and to relate it to the statistical data given in Regional Database and Indicators Database of the Department of Statistics to the Government of the Republic of Lithuania. Besides, while forecasting changes in the mentioned indicators' system, attention should be focused not only on formal statistical methods, but also on strategic plans of the chosen Lithuanian regions as well as the strategic plans of municipalities of the chosen region, regional priorities of the national Lithuanian regional policy and the EU economic and financial policy. The aspects discussed in the article could be useful for scholars of social sciences, employees of public and private sector in the process of analysis of the Lithuanian regional policy and its application in practical or scientific activities. [From the publication]