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Although both theoretically and methodologically controversial, measuring competitiveness at sub-national level remains an exciting challenge for analysts. The paper starts with the review of the recent theoretical and empirical literature on regional competitiveness in the European Union, followed by empirical analysis of competitiveness of Croatian regions, tackling differences between the hard data and the survey data as well as clustering the Croatian regions based on their main competitive strengths and weaknesses. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

EU rural policies have, in the past, used the twin concepts of disparity and diversity in alternative ways but have never really acknowledged the different assumptions that underlie them in terms of rural development and policy implementation. This, it is argued here, is the result of three different processes. The first is that by which scientific knowledge passes through several mediation stages as concepts that are adopted by policymakers leading to the subsequent modification of their original meaning. The second is that by which European Union ( EU) rural policies are hosted in a variety of different policy areas for which they are not the main concern, leading to a degree of ambiguity that may nevertheless serve a political purpose. The third is that experience has shown that even though the concept of diversity might initially appear more suited to addressing the different needs of European rural areas in modern advanced economies, it has nevertheless proved particularly difficult and costly to implement. As a consequence, the simpler concept of disparity, with its one-size-fits-all approach, has maintained its dominance as a policy concept; a dominance that has been considerably reinforced over the last decade. In the first section of the article the concepts of diversity and disparity are analysed and contrasted in their assumptions and policy implications. This is followed by an assessment of how these concepts are employed in EU rural policy. The final section discusses the governance implications of both concepts in rural policy and their link to the wider agenda of EU policies today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achieving economic, social and territorial cohesion by reducing existing disparities between regions through investing in infrastructure, human resources and diversification of regional economies remains a major goal for the EU Member States. The achievement of this goal would not be possible without the development and implementation of regional policy strategic instruments at national and EU level. This study presents the role, the essential elements, and objectives of instruments such as the Community Strategic Guidelines on Cohesion, the National Strategic Reference Framework, and the Romanian Operational Programmes for the programming period 2007-2013. Since the success of the cohesion policy is tied to its implementation, we also present the management and control system applicable for the operational programmes. The final part of the study deals with issues concerning the payment rate of Structural Funds in Romania, with a focus on the main challenges of the implementation process. An important task for the Romanian government is to remove the obstacles that brake the effective implementation of the Cohesion policy and the absorption of Structural and Cohesion Funds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]