The newly designed regional development programs were formed with the intention of reducing regional differences and strengthening economic and social cohesion in order to ensure a more harmonious regional development of Slovenian territory. Due to the more proportionate development, Slovenia will become more competitive in the Common European Market as well as in globalisation processes. General regional developmental characteristics of Slovenia indicate the existence of considerable differences in the field of economic, social and spatial development between individual regions. Among statistical regions, the Podravje area is defined as the area having structural problems and being an economically weak and socially unstable territory with old industrial structure and predominantly agriculturally oriented. Strengthening general development in the border region with Austria and Croatia and preventing further socio-economic setback as well as ensuring sustainable development are the key strategic issues of the Podravje region in the next decade.