Taking account the European level as an example, this section focuses on the importance of considering the multiscalar typologies of regions in political decisions.

When the policymakers want to build political scenari or when they want to evaluate propositions of structural funds, they need to get a synthetic view on the situations of regions which depend on the various territorial contexts.

The question of perequation (transfer from “advanced” to “lagging” region) is very sensible and it is important to propose a complete view of the scales where those perequation processes can take place, according to the principle of subsidiary.

As an example, we analyse how the picture of “lagging” regions is modified when the previous criterion of Objective 1 (less than 75% of the mean value of GDP) is applied simultaneously at three scales: European, national and local.

Simultaneously, it is possible to propose a typology of “advanced regions” based on the symmetric criteria of more than 133% of the mean value of GDP at those three scales.

According to this methodology, it is possible to demonstrate that very few regions are “lagging at all scales” and “advanced at all scales”. Many are in more complex situations, like certain regions of Switzerland or Norway which are “advanced” at European scale, but they are “lagging” at their national or local scales.

Reversely, the metropolitan regions of candidate countries are very often “lagging at European scale” but “advanced at national and local scales”.