GLOBALIZATION AS A CHALLENGE TO REGIONAL POLICY (Globalizacja jako wyzwanie wobec polityki regionalnej)

The article presents the most important relationships between globalization processes and regional policy. In the author's view the most significant tasks inspired by regional policy which can be gradually solved by the globalization processes involve in the first place the following: environmental protection and proper shaping of the environment; development and improvement in functioning of the economic infrastructure; cooperation within the framework of culture, scientific research, tourism and sport; the removal of the international trade barriers; achieving a satisfactory degree of social, economic and spatial integrity (fundamental objective of the structural and regional EU policy); minimizing of differences in the living standards; protection for the unemployed, the poorest families and those deprived of social welfare and health care against the adverse effects of globalization; providing advantageous terms for foreign companies to come and invest directly (direct foreign investments).