ADVANCED DEVELOPMENT AREAS AS AN INSTITUTION REGULATING THE FUNCTIONING OF THE UNIFIED ECONOMIC SPACE OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

The article examines the spatial aspect of the formation and evolution of preferential economic zones (PEZs). The main types of PEZs are analyzed; it is shown how their transformation took place in the Russian Federation, as a result of which the principles and mechanisms for the creation and functioning of PEZs changed. An assessment of the role of the PEZ institution from the point of view of their specialization shows that they all have different influence on the formation of a single economic space. The most aimed at leveling the existing socio-economic inequality of regions are the Advanced Development Areas (ADTs). It is the ADTs that are aimed at bringing territories out of a state of depression, at overcoming the low level of development of backward constituent entities of the Russian Federation and single-industry towns. In conditions of strict sanctions, this task becomes especially urgent. The spread of the ADTs across the country will enable a transition in the system of goal-setting of PEZs from a purely sectoral focus to the integrated socio-economic development of territories and, as a consequence, to the reduction of the degree of asymmetric development of the economy, the formation of a unified economic space of the country, which meets the basic principle of federal relations, consisting in the equalization of socio-economic development of the subjects of the Russian Federation. At the same time, the analysis shows that despite the positive results in the creation and development of the ADTs one can conclude that they are practically absent in the process of strategizing the country’s spatial development. The ADTs are only mentioned in strategic and territorial planning documents. Accordingly, a unified approach to assessing their contribution to the development of the territories in which they are located and the indicators that determine their effectiveness has not been developed. Meanwhile, the ability of the ADTs to solve the problems of smoothing out interregional differentiation and, on this basis, to ensure a balanced socio-economic development of the country, urgently requires a separate development strategy for the ADTs with its mandatory inclusion in the Spatial Development Strategy of the Russian Federation.

preferential economic zones, tax preferences, advanced development area, free economic zones, special economic zones, depressed regions, single-industry towns, spatial development strategies, public-private partnership, common economic space

Maevskaya L. I. Advanced development areas as an institution regulating the functioning of the unified economic space of the Russian Federation. Biznes. Obrazovanie. Pravo = Business. Education. Law. 2024;2(67):75—81. DOI: 10.25683/ VOLBI.2024.67.969.