European cohesion policy and regional development policies in other parts of the world : research for REGI Committee

The study compares regional policies of China, Brazil, ASEAN and MERCOSUR with the EU's cohesion policy to inspire the policy debate on its future after 2020. Despite the fact that these countries differ significantly from the EU, they attach great importance to territorial policies and provide useful suggestions. Strategic priorities are supported by flexible territorial concentration and competition rules in their regional policies, and cooperation among regions and administrative capacity building are key components of policy implementation.