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This paper explores the roots of territorial cohesion thinking in the 'European model of society'. There is much to do about this model. Some regard it as a liability for European competitiveness. The Barroso Commission wants to safeguard the model by, albeit temporarily, giving priority to growth. There are those - not only in Europe, but also on the other side of the Atlantic - arguing that the European model forms a solid basis for a highly competitive economy. In these debates, 'European model' stands for moderating the pursuit of economic growth with concerns for social welfare and equity, sustainability and good governance. Before elaborating, the paper summarises the discussion about territorial cohesion and the struggle over current EU policy. Then the paper backtracks to the ideas of Jacques Delors responsible for injecting the European model into the integration discourse. What follows is an account of four reports in the wake of the hapless Lisbon Strategy, all invoking the European model. The paper concludes with reflections on territorial cohesion policy and the European model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction of the new Europe based on knowledge strengthens the role of the regions and offers great potential for generating higher levels of growth and employment and greater prosperity and cohesion. In this paper, the geographical distribution of knowledge produced by European universities in the regions has been analysed by means of a sample from 213 regions in the EU-15, comparing its degree of concentration with that of economic activity and verifying whether a process of convergence of relevant indicators has taken place during the period 1998-2004. Finally, an evaluation as to whether this convergence of university scientific and technological knowledge affects the regional economic convergence has been carried out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]