One of the European Union’s priority objectives is the reduction in regional disparities. Regional economic growth depends to a large extent on the level of private investments that a region either generates or attracts. In both cases the availability of a well-qualified labour force is of increasing importance. Regions with a small and relatively low-skilled labour force therefore have hardly any possibilities to stimulate economic growth. As a result companies do not invest in regions with an insufficient labour force and thus do not create high-skilled jobs, while the skilled and talented people leave the region because of a lack of suitable jobs. The migration of people, among which skilled and talented people, from less favored regions to the more prosperous regions reduces the development potential of their region of origin. In the long run this will inevitably increase regional disparities. The main scope of this paper is to investigate the possible conflict between the aim of regional development policy, which is to reduce disparities, and the freedom to migrate. The first part of the paper examines the importance of the human capital for economic growth and regional development. Second part of the paper presents the regional development policy. Next the causes and effects of intra-European migration are discussed. Finally, the most important findings and the policy recommendations are presented.