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The 43rd European Congress of the Regional Science Association Jyväskylä, Finland 27th-30th August 2003 The Economic and Spatial Peripherality of Border Regions in Southeastern Europe Gülden ERKUT Professor of Regional Planning, Istanbul Technical University Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Regional Planning Section Taşkışla cd. Taşkışla/Taksim, 80191, İstanbul/Turkey Tel. +90 212 2931300/2326, Fax: +90 212 5144895 e-mail: gerkut@itu.edu.tr Ceren ÖZGEN Research Asisstant,Istanbul Technical University Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Regional Planning Section e-mail: ozgence@itu.edu.tr Abstract The aim of this paper is to analyse the core-periphery pattern of Europe with a special interest to the economic and spatial peripherality of border regions in South-eastern Europe. In this respect, some statistical calculations and data in NUTS II level are used to examine the regional disparities between the countries and regions. The result is that there are serious regional inequalities that are deepened after enlargement and are supporting the continuity of well-known core-periphery pattern in Europe. The most depressed areas in South-eastern Europe are the border regions to the detriment of poor infrastructure and undeveloped economic activities. The Capitals and metropolitan cities are the certain foci of high value-added economic activities and tak