How can regional and cohesion policies tackle demographic challenges?

This study provides an overview of regional demographic structures and trends in the EU with the focus on their likely effects on socio-economic and territorial cohesion and the role of Cohesion Policy in addressing demographic change. In detail it analyses how and to what extent the 2007-13 European Cohesion Policy and Structural Funds have been tackling demographic change at the regional level in order to derive useful indications on how Cohesion Policy actions could be more effective in the future programming period (2014-2020). The study contains a literature and data review on demographic and spatial trends in the EU regions and the main policy developments; a review of Cohesion Policy programming documents for 2007-2013; an in-depth field analysis of ten regional case studies and good practices and finally, a horizontal reading of the main findings to draw conclusions and policy recommendations for the 2014-2020 programming period.