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EU Regional Policy and the Neighbour's Curse: Analyzing the Income Convergence Effects of ESIF Funding in the Presence of Spatial Spillovers

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  • Philipp Breidenbach
  • Timo Mitze
  • Christoph M. Schmidt

Abstract

The European structural and investment funds (ESIF) constitute the prime instrument of EU regional policy. We study the ESIF's effectiveness in terms of fostering intra‐EU income convergence through investment support to lagging regions. Our empirical results for the period 1997–2007 indicate that the ESIF's contribution to income growth is insignificant or even negative for several peripheral EU regions. We argue that the negative link between funding and regional growth is mainly attributable to spatial spillovers. While the latter may reflect the intensified competition for scarce production factors among highly funded regions in geographical proximity, we also discuss the role played by structural backwardness in a macro‐regional context to explain this sobering result. As such, we show that negative funding effects significantly correlate with lower levels of regional institutional quality. Taken together, our findings indicate that unintended distortionary effects restrain EU regional policy from working effectively to foster income convergence.

Suggested Citation

  • Philipp Breidenbach & Timo Mitze & Christoph M. Schmidt, 2019. "EU Regional Policy and the Neighbour's Curse: Analyzing the Income Convergence Effects of ESIF Funding in the Presence of Spatial Spillovers," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 57(2), pages 388-405, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jcmkts:v:57:y:2019:i:2:p:388-405
    DOI: 10.1111/jcms.12807
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    Cited by:

    1. Jesús Peiró-Palomino & William Orlando Prieto-Bustos & Emili Tortosa-Ausina, 2020. "Weighted convergence in Colombian departments: The role of geography and demography," Working Papers 2020/01, Economics Department, Universitat Jaume I, Castellón (Spain).
    2. Bofinger, Peter & Feld, Lars P. & Schmidt, Christoph M. & Schnabel, Isabel & Wieland, Volker, 2018. "Vor wichtigen wirtschaftspolitischen Weichenstellungen. Jahresgutachten 2018/19 [Setting the Right Course for Economic Policy. Annual Report 2018/19]," Annual Economic Reports / Jahresgutachten, German Council of Economic Experts / Sachverständigenrat zur Begutachtung der gesamtwirtschaftlichen Entwicklung, volume 127, number 201819.
    3. Jesús Peiró-Palomino & William Orlando Prieto-Bustos & Emili Tortosa-Ausina, 2023. "Regional income convergence in Colombia: population, space, and long-run dynamics," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 70(2), pages 559-601, April.
    4. Olga Ivanova & d'Artis Kancs & Mark Thissen, 2019. "EU Economic Modelling System," Papers 1912.07115, arXiv.org.
    5. Martina Vukašina & Ines Kersan-Škabiæ & Edvard Orliæ, 2022. "Impact of European structural and investment funds absorption on the regional development in the EU–12 (new member states)," Equilibrium. Quarterly Journal of Economics and Economic Policy, Institute of Economic Research, vol. 17(4), pages 857-880, December.
    6. Burret, Heiko T. & Feld, Lars P. & Schaltegger, Christoph A., 2022. "Fiscal federalism and economic performance new evidence from Switzerland," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    7. Marco Di Cataldo & Vassilis Monastiriotis & Andrés Rodríguez‐Pose, 2022. "How ‘Smart’ Are Smart Specialization Strategies?," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 60(5), pages 1272-1298, September.
    8. Cristian Incaltarau & Gabriela Carmen Pascariu & Neculai‐Cristian Surubaru, 2020. "Evaluating the Determinants of EU Funds Absorption across Old and New Member States – the Role of Administrative Capacity and Political Governance," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 58(4), pages 941-961, July.
    9. Feld, Lars P. & Fuest, Clemens & Haucap, Justus & Schweitzer, Heike & Wieland, Volker & Wigger, Berthold U., 2020. "No retreat into fortress Europe!," Kronberger Kreis-Studien 66e, Stiftung Marktwirtschaft / The Market Economy Foundation, Berlin.
    10. Mitze, Timo & Breidenbach, Philipp, 2018. "Economic integration and growth at the margin: A space-time incremental impact analysis," Ruhr Economic Papers 775, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    11. Maciej Jagódka & Małgorzata Snarska, 2023. "Should We Continue EU Cohesion Policy? The Dilemma of Uneven Development of Polish Regions," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 165(3), pages 901-917, February.
    12. Marco Di Cotaldo & Vassilis Monastiriotis & Andres Rodriguez-Pose, 2020. "Populism Amidst Prosperity: How ‘smart’ are Smart Specialisation strategies?," LEQS – LSE 'Europe in Question' Discussion Paper Series 162, European Institute, LSE.
    13. Eleonora Cutrini, 2023. "Postcrisis recovery in the regions of Europe: Does institutional quality matter?," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 63(1), pages 5-29, January.
    14. repec:ehl:lserod:107085 is not listed on IDEAS
    15. Marco Di Cataldo & Vassilis Monastiriotis & Andres Rodriguez-Pose, 2020. "How ‘smart’ are Smart Specialisation strategies?," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 2052, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised Nov 2020.
    16. Crucitti, Francesca & Lazarou, Nicholas-Joseph & Monfort, Philippe & Salotti, Simone, 2023. "Where does the EU cohesion policy produce its benefits? A model analysis of the international spillovers generated by the policy," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 47(3).

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