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Does European cohesion policy reduce regional disparities? An empirical analysis

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  • Joeri Gorter
  • S. Ederveen

Abstract

European cohesion policy entails predominantly the funding of infrastructure and employment projects in lagging regions of EU Member States. It involves the distribution of more than 35 billion euro annually, making it the second most important EU policy in budgetary terms. Its main aim is to reduce regional disparities in regional welfare. This paper investigates to what extent European cohesion policy achieves this aim. The data reveal poorer regions do tend to receive more cohesion support. The policy thus satisfies a necessary condition for its effectiveness. It remains, however, unclear whether cohesion support significantly increases economic growth. In particular, the more independent convergence one presupposes, the less well cohesion support appears to work. This points at a clear trade-off: either one accepts that regional disparities are here to stay, or one concludes that cohesion policy fails.

Suggested Citation

  • Joeri Gorter & S. Ederveen, 2002. "Does European cohesion policy reduce regional disparities? An empirical analysis," CPB Discussion Paper 15, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpb:discus:15
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Floro Ernesto Caroleo & Gianluigi Coppola, 2006. "The Impact of the Institutions on Regional Unemployment Disparities in Europe," Discussion Papers 4_2006, D.E.S. (Department of Economic Studies), University of Naples "Parthenope", Italy.
    2. Juan González Alegre, 2010. "Fiscal decentralization and intergovernmental grants: the European regional policy and Spanish autonomous regions," Working Papers 2010/6, Institut d'Economia de Barcelona (IEB).
    3. Ed Dammers & David Evers & Aldert De Vries, 2005. "Spatial Scenarios and the Lisbon Strategy," ERSA conference papers ersa05p321, European Regional Science Association.
    4. Oldřich Hájek & Jiří Novosák & Petr Zahradník & Pavel Bednář, 2012. "Regionální disparity a financování regionální politiky - některé poznatky z České republiky [Regional Disparities and Financing of Regional Policy - Some Lessons from the Czech Republic]," Politická ekonomie, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2012(3), pages 330-348.
    5. Kutan, Ali M. & Yigit, Taner M., 2007. "European integration, productivity growth and real convergence," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 51(6), pages 1370-1395, August.
    6. Oldřich Hájek & Lenka Smékalová & Jiří Novosák & Petr Zahradník, 2014. "Prostorová koherence národní a evropské regionální politiky: poznatky z České republiky a Slovenska [Spatial Coherence of National and European Regional Policy: The Insights from the Czech Republic," Politická ekonomie, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2014(5), pages 630-644.
    7. Juan González Alegre, 2010. "Fiscal decentralization and intergovernmental grants: the European regional policy and Spanish autonomous regions," Working Papers 2010/6, Institut d'Economia de Barcelona (IEB).
    8. Floro Ernesto Caroleo & Gianluigi Coppola, 2005. "The impact of institutions on Regional unemployment disparities," ERSA conference papers ersa05p758, European Regional Science Association.
    9. Forte, Francesco & Magazzino, Cosimo & Mantovani, Michela, 2010. "On the failure of European planning for less developed regions. The case of Calabria," MPRA Paper 25527, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    10. Floro Ernesto Caroleo & Gianluigi Coppola, 2006. "Le cause dei divari regionali della disoccupazione in Europa," RIVISTA DI ECONOMIA E STATISTICA DEL TERRITORIO, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2006(1).
    11. Sławomir Listkiewicz, 2005. "Próba estymacji wpływu funduszy strukturalnych na wzrost gospodarczy w Polsce," Gospodarka Narodowa. The Polish Journal of Economics, Warsaw School of Economics, issue 1-2, pages 123-136.
    12. Ilaria Zambon & Kostas Rontos & Pere Serra & Andrea Colantoni & Luca Salvati, 2018. "Population Dynamics in Southern Europe: A Local-Scale Analysis, 1961–2011," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-12, December.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • O18 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Urban, Rural, Regional, and Transportation Analysis; Housing; Infrastructure
    • O40 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - General
    • O52 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Europe
    • R11 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Regional Economic Activity: Growth, Development, Environmental Issues, and Changes
    • R58 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Regional Government Analysis - - - Regional Development Planning and Policy

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