Methodological Basis for Assessing Territorial Cohesion: Eu Experience and Priorities for Ukraine in the Context of European Integration

The article is devoted to analyzing the tools and methodological approaches used to assess the impact of territorial cohesion policy on reducing interregional disparities across regions within EU countries. A content analysis of territorial cohesion assessment tools—as applied in various programs and projects of the European Observation Network for Territorial Development and Cohesion, originally known as the European Spatial Planning Observation Network (ESPON)—was conducted to trace the evolution of methods for assessing territorial disparities between regions in EU countries. Based on a comparative analysis of the methodological frameworks used for territorial cohesion assessments in the EU, the author identifies the main obstacles to applying EU methodologies in evaluating territorial development policy in Ukraine and outlines key directions for improving Ukraine’s system of statistical observation for territorial development.