ANALYSIS OF FEATURES OF REGIONAL POLICY IN THE EUROPEAN UNION

The aim of the article is to analyze the evolution of regional policy in the EU carried out at the supranational level and to identify opportunities and directions for the implementation of the European experience in Ukraine. As part of the set goal a classification of types of regional policy in the EU is formed; features and instruments for its implementation in accordance with the defined types of regional policy are analyzed; a comparative characteristic of types of the selective regional policy of EU member countries is presented; the classification of types of problem regions in the EU is considered; the practice of implementing the regional development policy in the EU at the supranational level in the period from 1951 to the present time is analyzed and a periodization of the pursued regional policy is proposed; the key principles of the regional policy, priorities, instruments, mechanisms, featuresof its implementation and funding within the defined stages and substages are studied. On the basis of the conducted analysis it is proved that regional policy has evolved significantly during the entire period of the EU existence. In this respect there can be distinguished two main stages of its development: from 1951 to 1988 and from 1988 to the present time, which are characterized by different goals, priorities and instruments of implementation of the regional policy. It is shown that the experience of formation and realization of regional policy in the EU can be useful for its implementation in Ukraine and other countries.