REGIONAL DISPARITIES IN BULGARIA AND EU COUNTRIES.

The realization of economic convergence of the new member states is one of the biggest challenges that face EU. It raises important questions and problems for research; to determine what processes of regional development are taking place within the Union. In this regard, a key issue that arises and is related to the Bulgarian integration to the economic structures of the EU is the extent to which these processes have an impact on Bulgarian regional development. By applying statistical and economic methods the paper attempts to analyse these processes in the light of similar processes in the EU as a whole and by particular countries - to highlight the general and specific features in the Bulgarian regional development. According the "EU Regional Social Progress Index" and some of its sub-indices the specific places that occupy the Bulgarian regions on NUTS 2 among all other regions of the EU countries are compared and analysed. Based on the obtained results some policy implications are made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]