Territorial inequalities have become a pressing challenge in Europe, fueling political debates and shaping political responses around the urban-rural dichotomy. In this paper, we present a novel approach by identifying left behind places at a municipal level (LAU2) across 11 European countries....

We study the effects of place-based policies on aggregate productivity using administrative data on projects co-financed by the EU in Italy linked to balance sheet data. We exploit quasi-experimental variation in funding for a large place-based policy stemming from measurement error in regional...

This study provides new evidence on the impact of the EU Cohesion Policy on income growth in less developed regions. Our panel includes data from all European regions for the years 1989-2020. Using a fuzzy Regression Discontinuity Design, we model treatment dynamics by applying a random effects...

The EU Cohesion Policy is one of the European Union's key policy instruments for reducing economic and social disparities among its regions. The paper evaluates the policy contribution to regional economic growth in V4 (Visegrad Four) countries. The study establishes a significant variation in...

Independent and high-quality evaluations of government policies are an important input for designing evidence-based policy. Lack of incentives and institutions to write such evaluations, on the other hand, carry the risk of turning the system into a costly beauty contest. We study one of the...

The paper examines the European Union's efforts to promote economic and social integration. Despite significant convergence across EU member states, regional inequalities persist, particularly between urban centers and lagging rural areas, fueling Euroscepticism and political polarization. To...

This paper evaluates EU Cohesion Policy interventions during 2014-2020 using regression discontinuity design (RDD), exploiting funding thresholds at 75 and 90 percent of EU average GDP per capita across 281 NUTS-2 regions. The analysis examines nominal and real GDP per capita growth, GDP per...

This paper examines the impact of the European Union's Cohesion Policy 2014-2020 on enterprise dynamics at the NUTS-2 level. Using discrete eligibility thresholds at 75 and 90 percent of EU average GDP per capita, we implement sharp and fuzzy regression discontinuity designs to assess effects on...

We study the effects of place-based policies on aggregate productivity using administrative data on projects co-financed by the EU in Italy linked to balance sheet data. We exploit quasi-experimental variation in funding for a large place-based policy stemming from measurement error in regional...

We study the effects of place-based policies on aggregate productivity using administrative data on projects co-financed by the EU in Italy linked to balance sheet data. We exploit quasi-experimental variation in funding for a large place-based policy stemming from measurement error in regional...

Green transition is one of the priority areas in the European Union (EU), and thus also the focus of EU cohesion policy implementation during the 2021-2027 programming period, through 'green growth'. To establish adequate guidelines and achieve better outcomes, it is necessary to observe and...

This study provides new evidence on the impact of the EU Cohesion Policy on income growth in less developed regions. Our panel includes data from all European regions for the years 1989-2020. Using a fuzzy Regression Discontinuity Design, we model treatment dynamics by applying a random effects...

Unprecedented challenges require swift action. We need to modernise cohesion policy to boost Europe's competitiveness, defence and security, affordable housing, water resilience, and energy transition.

Smart specialisation is an EU policy approach, fully implemented from the 2014-2020 programming period onwards, wherein regions identify investment priorities and focus their EU regional innovation spending on them. The goal is to maximise competitive advantage and to build on the regions' own...

This policy brief presents one such initiative: a Peer2Peer study visit by the Andalusian delegation to their counterparts in Finland and Denmark. Facilitated by the Joint Research Centre and supported by the TAIEX-REGIO Peer2Peer instrument in collaboration with DG REGIO, the visit aimed to...

Unprecedented challenges require swift action. We need to modernise cohesion policy to boost Europe's competitiveness, defence and security, affordable housing, water resilience, and energy transition.

As one of the EU's key tools for participatory democracy, the European citizens' initiative (ECI) allows citizens to call directly on the European Commission to propose new laws in areas where the EU has competence. Since its launch, the ECI has given Europeans a stronger voice in shaping Union...

This review provides ideas to contribute to the ongoing discussion on the next cohesion policy period starting in 2028. It brings together results from our published audits, reviews and opinions on different aspects of the implementation of cohesion policy. It compares these findings with our...

Background: Economic logistics in fire and rescue services is a critical determinant of operational readiness, fiscal sustainability, and resilience to large-scale emergencies. Despite its strategic importance, logistics remains under-researched in Central and Eastern European contexts, where...

We study the effects of place-based policies on aggregate productivity using administrative data on projects co-financed by the EU in Italy linked to balance sheet data. We exploit quasi-experimental variation in funding for a large place-based policy stemming from measurement error in regional...

We analyse the macroeconomic impact of the European cohesion policy investments deployed during the 2014-2020 programming period on the basis of simulations carried out with the spatial dynamic general equilibrium model called RHOMOLO. We use the latest data on actual expenditures including the...

The study delves into the future landscape of EU Cohesion Policy, set against the backdrop of three challenges: globalisation and technological advancements, shifting demographic trends, and the transition to a climate-neutral economy. To assess the impacts of these challenges on various EU...

The "Study on National Policies and Cohesion" report presents an analysis of nationally-funded policy measures aimed at enhancing territorial cohesion across the EU. Coordinated by DG REGIO and implemented by a consortium led by Technopolis-Group, CSIL, and Opix, the study addresses the lack of...

This study was performed from January to September 2024 by a consortium that includes t33 srl, Spatial Foresight and ÖIR. The study supports the European Commission in complying with the provisions of Common Provisions Regulation (CPR) Article 45: 'The Commission shall carry out a mid-term...

This paper introduces a novel approach to measuring synergies between Horizon 2020 and cohesion policy funding in the field of R&I during the 2014-2020 programming period. Leveraging project-level data, we calculate regional cosine similarity indices based on societal grand challenges (SGCs)...

Cities and regions around the world are crucial stakeholders in implementing the Global Agenda for Sustainable Development. As a key force in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, local and regional authorities should be better included in the governance of these processes...

Cities and regions around the world are crucial stakeholders in implementing the Global Agenda for Sustainable Development. As a key force in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, local and regional authorities should be better included in the governance of these processes...

Cohesion Policy in Ireland has been instrumental in addressing regional disparities, fostering innovation, and promoting a greener, low-carbon economy. With two regional programmes in place, the focus has been on enhancing research excellence, skills development, energy efficiency measures, and...

Malta's Cohesion Policy has yielded transformative results across two programmes, addressing significant challenges while fostering economic growth and sustainability. With a focus on research and innovation, sustainable water and waste management, energy efficiency and renewable energy,...

Malta's Cohesion Policy has yielded transformative results across two programmes, addressing significant challenges while fostering economic growth and sustainability. With a focus on research and innovation, sustainable water and waste management, energy efficiency and renewable energy,...

Cohesion Policy in Ireland has been instrumental in addressing regional disparities, fostering innovation, and promoting a greener, low-carbon economy. With two regional programmes in place, the focus has been on enhancing research excellence, skills development, energy efficiency measures, and...

In September 2022, DG Regio commissioned PPMI in association with the European Policies Research Centre to study the organisational models of the programme authorities involved in implementing ERDF programmes over the first two decades of the 21st Century. The study is distinctive in its focus...

Created in 1994, the European Committee of the Regions is the EU's political assembly of 329 regional and local representatives such as regional presidents or city-mayors from all 27 Member States, representing over 446 million Europeans.

Created in 1994, the European Committee of the Regions is the EU's political assembly of 329 regional and local representatives such as regional presidents or city-mayors from all 27 Member States, representing over 446 million Europeans.

Poverty can be defined in various ways, capturing different facets of deprivation. Traditionally, poverty has been understood as insufficient command over economic resources. This is typically measured in monetary terms and is expressed in one of two ways: absolute poverty, and relative poverty....

The original full study analyses the evolution and current implementation status of synergies between the Horizon Europe research and innovation funding programme (HE) and the funds and programmes underpinning the European Union's (EU) Cohesion Policy (CP). Synergies between the HE and CP...

This study examines the evolution and the current status of the implementation of synergies between Horizon Europe and the Cohesion Policy funds for research and innovation activities. It provides insights into the main barriers and drivers for the uptake of these synergies, along with possible...