This atlas provides a macro-regional overview of the areas that surround the European Union, from the Sahara to the Middle East, Western Balkans to European Russia, Turkey to the Arctic. Detailing key socio-economic data as well as developmental trends, the maps provide a comprehensive territorial analysis at a local scale and explore the potential for regional integration and cooperation.
These pioneering maps examine challenges that threaten this wide, yet inter-connected, region, including environmental concerns in the North, political unrest in the East, social factors in the Western Balkans, and the upheaval in the Mediterranean since the Arab spring. Coverage investigates such key countries and areas as Libya, Israel, Palestine, Syria, and the Ukraine as well as explores such essential issues as Europe’s energy procurement. In addition, it also presents a comparison with other world regions such as East Asia and North America.
In the end, readers discover that territorial integration faces many shortcomings, but that deep regional cooperation would be a key driver for the EU’s sustainable future. This atlas features the main results of the “Integrated Territorial Analysis of the Neighbourhoods” research project undertaken by ESPON (The European Observation Network for Territorial Development and Cohesion). It provides scholars; local authorities and NGOs involved in cross-border cooperation; companies interested in energy, agriculture, water, transportation and communication; and interested readers with key insights into this important region.
Pierre Bekouche is Professor at Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne University, of which he has headed the Faculty of Geography from 2000 to 2005. His researches deal with economic and regional geography. Another area of research is the link between identity and territories. He has worked for local authorities, the French State Secretariat for Planning, French ministries, the European Union. His actual work is focused on the European space and the limits of the European region. Specialised in the Euro-Mediterranean area, he has long been the scientific adviser of the Institute for Economic Prospective of the Greater Mediterranean (www.ipemed.coop). He is the Scientific Coordinator of the European ESPON “ITAN” project (Integrated Territorial Analysis of the Neighbourhoods). He chairs the Scientific Council of the “Collège International des Sciences du Territoire”. The CIST’s goals are helping federate interdisciplinary research units dedicated to territories, develop interaction between research and training, and interaction between researchers and practitioners of territorial development.
