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Implementation of European Cohesion Policy at the sub‐national level: Evidence from beneficiary data in Eastern Germany

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  • Bianka Dettmer
  • Thomas Sauer

Abstract

Regional governments’ discretion in allocating structural funds is limited by the competences of the European Commission to control fiscal activities of decentralized governments. Regional political behaviour and the complexity of the implementation process shape the policy outcome. Who benefits from structural funds? In this paper, we analyse implementation of ERDF funds in East Germany in the financial perspective 2007 to 2013. We find that less rural regions and some economic sectors benefit by more than others. A few beneficiaries control the highest share of the funds. The Gini coefficients vary by group of actor and show high inequality in the distribution of the funds. This indicates that a few actors have better access to the funds than others. La discrecionalidad de los gobiernos regionales en la asignación de los fondos estructurales está limitada por las competencias de la Comisión Europea para controlar las actividades fiscales de los gobiernos descentralizados. El comportamiento político regional y la complejidad del proceso de aplicación determinan el resultado de la política. ¿Quiénes se benefician de los fondos estructurales? En este artículo se analiza la ejecución de los fondos FEDER en Alemania Oriental desde la perspectiva financiera de 2007‐2013. Se encontró que las regiones menos rurales y ciertos sectores económicos se benefician más que otros. Unos pocos beneficiarios controlan la mayor parte de los fondos. Los coeficientes de Gini varían según el grupo de actores y muestran una gran desigualdad en la distribución de los fondos. Esto indica que unos pocos actores tienen mejor acceso a los fondos que otros. 欧州委員会に地方分散型の政府の財政活動を抑制する権限があるため、構造基金の分配における地方自治体の裁量は制限されている。地域の政治的行動と運営プロセスが政策の結果を左右する。誰が構造基金の恩恵を受けるのか?本稿では、2007年~2013年の財政の見通しにおける東部ドイツのEuropean Regional Development Fund:ERDF)の運営を分析する。都市からそれほど離れていない地域といくつかの経済セクターが利益を受けることがわかる。利益を得る者のわずかな一部の者が最も多い基金の割合を制御している。ジニ係数はアクターのグループにより変化し、基金の配分が非常に不平等であることを示す。これは、一部のアクターが他のアクターよりも基金を利用しやすいということを指摘している。

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  • Bianka Dettmer & Thomas Sauer, 2019. "Implementation of European Cohesion Policy at the sub‐national level: Evidence from beneficiary data in Eastern Germany," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 98(1), pages 167-189, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:presci:v:98:y:2019:i:1:p:167-189
    DOI: 10.1111/pirs.12348
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    Cited by:

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    3. Ramona Pîrvu & Cristian Drăgan & Gheorghe Axinte & Sorin Dinulescu & Mihaela Lupăncescu & Andra Găină, 2019. "The Impact of the Implementation of Cohesion Policy on the Sustainable Development of EU Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(15), pages 1-20, August.
    4. Stoetzer, Matthias-Wolfgang & Watzka, Klaus, 2017. "Die Akkreditierung von Studiengängen in Deutschland: Ein Instrument zur Qualitätssicherung? (Jenaer Erklärung zur Akkreditierung)," Jena Contributions to Economic Research 2017/1, Ernst-Abbe-Hochschule Jena – University of Applied Sciences, Department of Business Administration.
    5. Stoetzer, Matthias-Wolfgang & Gerlich, Steffen & Koesters, Jochen, 2017. "Trump's first triumph: The US republican primaries 2016 - An analysis of socio-demographic, time-related and regional influences," Jena Contributions to Economic Research 2017/2, Ernst-Abbe-Hochschule Jena – University of Applied Sciences, Department of Business Administration.
    6. Watzka, Klaus, 2019. "Plädoyer für eine neue Tarifpolitik: Kritische Situationsanalyse und Diskussion einer alternativen Gestaltungsvariante," Jena Contributions to Economic Research 2019/2, Ernst-Abbe-Hochschule Jena – University of Applied Sciences, Department of Business Administration.
    7. Eirini Aivazidou & Giovanni Cunico & Edoardo Mollona, 2020. "Beyond the EU Structural Funds’ Absorption Rate: How Do Regions Really Perform?," Economies, MDPI, vol. 8(3), pages 1-24, July.
    8. Watzka, Klaus, 2018. "Fachkräftemangel in der Pflege: Kritische Situationsbewertung und Skizzierung einer Handlungsalternative," Jena Contributions to Economic Research 2018/2, Ernst-Abbe-Hochschule Jena – University of Applied Sciences, Department of Business Administration.

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    JEL classification:

    • H5 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies
    • H7 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations
    • R11 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Regional Economic Activity: Growth, Development, Environmental Issues, and Changes

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