This paper studies the trends in the sectoral structue of employment in the regions of the European Union, based on an analytic description of the regional economies of the EU over a long period (1950-1990). For some elements of the analysis, a projection is made for the year 2000, with the study thus spanning half a century.Infraestructure is a contributing factor in the economic growth of regions. Although investment in infrastructure has gained a position of prime importance inregional policy, the results of econometric estimations that contemplate a causal relationship between the allocation of public-sector capital and economic development do not resolve the major questions regarding public-sector investment: in what, where and when the investment should be made. With the econometric literature allowing for a policy correlation between infrastructure and growth, the issues related tho the social evaluation of the investment projects must be resolved in order to ensure that the benefits of the investment in public sector capital ofset the sacrifices in consumption and the benefits of the projects displaced in the private sector.