The document discusses regional disparities in France and efforts to promote development in less industrialized peripheral regions through regional policy. It describes how regional policy since the 1980s has aimed to decentralize industry and services, improve infrastructure, and use incentives to encourage regional development and attract investment to growth poles outside Paris. As examples, it outlines the development of the Gulf of Fos industrial complex near Marseilles and efforts to grow tourism in Languedoc through new resorts and infrastructure improvements.

1. Regional disparities in France The core The periphery

2. Industrialisation in France Compare the core to the periphery

3. The French core is part of the European Hot Banana

4. Success of regional policy: growth and development in the periphery Recent regional policy has seen a growth of industry and services in the periphery

6. The gulf of fos An new industrial growth pole near Marseilles Fos, a deep water port, refinery complex, petrochemicals, steelworks, car plant

7. AN INDUSTRIAL GROWTH POLE Deep water port and industrial complex, refinery, steel, car manufacture To aid the spread effect and counter-balance the dominance of Paris

8. A FRENCH FLORIDA New resorts to take advantage of the Natural advantages of Languedoc, hot summer, long sandy beaches and the Mediterranean sea. Infrastructure improvement to increase tourism Multiplier effect Spread effect

9. From a vine monoculture To a diversified, intensified, irrigated, modernised farm system A FRENCH CALIFORNIA

10. Industrial decline of a core region Closure in coal and steel Unemployment Depopulation Dereliction Poor, old housing Congestion of infrastructure Poor environment Industrial reconversion Input of investment Improvements in infrastructure Replacement industries Housing and environmental programmes

11. . Located at the heart of an area with 100 million people living within a 300 km radius . A fluid motorway network: at the intersection of the Paris-Brussels (A2) Valenciennes-Lille-Dunkirk (A23-A25) and Calais-Dijon (A26) motorways, . Access to the northern seaports (Rotterdam, Antwerp, Dunkirk) . Airport equipped with ILS (freight and business aviation), . A wide range solutions : 26 business parks covering a total of 1,700 hectares, . Eligible for the maximum rate of grant allowed by the European Commission for business locations, . 400,000 sq. m. warehousing facilities, 100,000 sq. m. of which have been created in the last five years.