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This paper tests the hypothesis of the existence of leakage of European Structural and Investment Funds destined for Andalusia to other Spanish territories, and it then analyses the impact of this leakage on the main business indicators. For this purpose, data from companies participating in the ERDF Innterconecta programme have been used. This work applies the Propensity Score Matching statistical technique to study the possible impact on the main business indicators (revenue, gross value added, employment, profitability, result of the year, investment in research and development). The study confirms firstly the existence of a significant leakage of resources directed to the Andalusian region. Furthermore, it is observed that there is an impact of the leakage of the funds on some business indicators of non-Andalusian companies which, in some respects, could be reducing the impact of funds on Andalusian companies. The observed results will allow extracting recommendations for the future implementation of business research, development and innovation policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The year 2024 marks 20 years since Poland joined the European Union. In this paper, the authors review the economic literature analysing the long-term economic effects of Poland’s membership in the EU. Their study is based on international and Polish literature referring mainly to partial and general equilibrium analyses. They show both the sectoral effects, as related to different EU policies, as well as the overall consequences of membership for the level of welfare of Polish society. The authors first discuss the trade effects in the context of the removal of barriers to the movement of goods within the Single European Market. Next, the consequences of the inflow of funds from the EU budget which finance the country’s structural funds and the Common Agricultural Policy, which are of particular importance to the Polish economy are discussed. A review of the consequences of the inflow of foreign direct investment from EU countries to Poland and the effects of labour migration within the EU is then conducted. A review of the related welfare consequences by aggregating the effects of individual policies and making an overall assessment based on a synthetic control method is then summarised. The authors then refer to their estimations showing that, thanks to EU accession, Poland’s GDP per capita 15 years after accession was higher by almost 55% compared to the counterfactual scenario of non-accession.

European Cohesion Policy is a complex scheme that allocates financial resources to European regions. The implementation of the policy is based on an articulated multi-level governance that involves local and national authorities and the European Commission. Local authorities often face difficulties in using structural funds due to limits in their administrative capacity (supply) and/or inefficiencies in adequately stimulating applications' submission (demand). By modelling and simulating the implementation of the policy, we explore how operations and decisions at the local authorities' and potential applicants' level (micro-foundations) explain emerging patterns of funds' absorption at a regional level (macro-behaviours). Building upon a mixed-methods approach combining field research and computer simulation, we develop a model capturing the key cause–effect relationships among agents and resources within the Cohesion Policy supply-and-demand system. The outcomes elucidate how poor local administrative capabilities, including staff skills, may entail delays and low absorption performances, while showcasing the factors affecting potential applicants' decision to submit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary objective of the European Union has been to bring cohesion among its member states and their respective regions. This has led the European Union to introduce structural funds of various types. Since the last decade, these structural funds have also been used to combat climate change via human capital and green investments. Our main objective is to analyse how these structural funds have impacted EU regional economic growth patterns. We use a novel heterogeneous panel estimator of C-Lasso type, conclude with two groups and find the definitive impact of structural funds towards regional economic growth. We then check the impact of the regional European emission trading system and European pollution registry system on economic growth using a panel threshold regression which uses a latent group structure. In doing so, we find two groups in our sample and the presence of threshold levels both with and without latent groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we explore the extensive utilization of European Union Structural Funds to enhance regional healthcare systems in Italy over the period 2014–2020. These funds serve as vital instruments for financing the construction, renovation, and modernization of healthcare facilities, as well as supporting medical research and technological innovation. They enable the implementation of disease prevention and health promotion programs and provide essential income support to vulnerable families through the European Social Fund. Our analysis found that EU funding allocated to “health-related” projects during the 2014–2020 programming period, amounts to just over 6.19 billion euros [5.1 billion financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and just over 1 billion financed by the European Social Fund (ESF)], of which 65.88% is funded by European resources. These funds supported a total of 26,739 projects, with 22,529 funded by the ERDF, primarily focusing on infrastructure projects and the acquisition of new technologies in the healthcare sector. Meanwhile, the 4,210 projects funded by the ESF were dedicated to personnel training and public health policies in the regions. The European co-financing provided by the ERDF exceeded 63%, while for the ESF, the European share was approximately 77%. Notably, some regions have leveraged these funds to pioneer telemedicine and healthcare technologies, improving healthcare accessibility, especially in remote areas. However, regional disparities in fund allocation and utilization persist and coordinated strategies and cross-regional collaboration, emphasizing the sharing of best practices and the reinforcement of transnational projects, need to successfully address these calls and to promote convergence not only in economic but also in healthcare terms.

The past two decades have seen increasing interest in the quality of government as an explanatory factor for the performance of European Union (EU) Cohesion Policy. An under-researched strand of these studies is administrative capacity in Cohesion Policy. Against this background, this mini-special issue provides new perspectives on the theme of administrative capacity, providing new insights into the operation and effectiveness of administrative capacity-building measures implemented in the EU countries, particularly through the support provided by the Structural Funds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The year 2024 marks 20 years since Poland joined the European Union. In this paper, the authors review the economic literature analysing the longterm economic effects of Poland’s membership in the EU. Their study is based on international and Polish literature referring mainly to partial and general equilibrium analyses. They show both the sectoral effects, as related to different EU policies, as well as the overall consequences of membership for the level of welfare of Polish society. The authors first discuss the trade effects in the context of the removal of barriers to the movement of goods within the Single European Market. Next, the consequences of the inflow of funds from the EU budget which finance the country’s structural funds and the Common Agricultural Policy, which are of particular importance to the Polish economy are discussed. A review of the consequences of the inflow of foreign direct investment from EU countries to Poland and the effects of labour migration within the EU is then conducted. A review of the related welfare consequences by aggregating the effects of individual policies and making an overall assessment based on a synthetic control method is then summarised. The authors then refer to their estimations showing that, thanks to EU accession, Poland’s GDP per capita 15 years after accession was higher by almost 55% compared to the counterfactual scenario of non-accession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After joining the European Union, Polish entrepreneurs, especially those in the small and medium-sized sector, gained the opportunity to be supported by non-repayable aid funds, mainly under the Cohesion Policy. They used these funds primarily for the expansion of production (service) capacities, research and development activities, implementation of innovations and training of human resources. Despite the need to meet numerous requirements, they eagerly sought EU funds because of their non-refundable nature. When analysing the available results of studies and analyses in the field of support to SMEs through EU non-reimbursable aid, it is difficult to assess clearly their importance for the functioning and development of the sector in question, in particular for the investment, innovation or R&D activities of SMEs. This is due to the fact that they were usually of a fragmentary nature. Effects were assessed in terms of the project system (tangible products) and not in terms of their importance for the functioning of the SME sector. This study is an attempt at a broader assessment of the significance of EU funding for SMEs, taking into account the author’s experience in preparing, evaluating and implementing projects co-financed by funds in the analysed sector. The subject of the analysis carried out in the study is the volume, directions and effects of support for the SME sector in Poland with EU funds, while the aim is to determine the importance of this support in the activities of the entities in this sector (excluding investments in human capital). The analysis covers the last two completed Cohesion Policy programming periods: 2007–2013 and 2014–2020. The data used for the analysis come from the sources of the Ministry responsible for the implementation of EU funds in Poland, the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development, and public statistics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing regional differentiation and discontent in Europe have directed critical attention to European territorial cohesion policy and the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESI Fund) mechanism. There is wide literature investigating macro-level processes of regional differentiation and cohesion as well as the efficiency of multi-level governance in the implementation of the funding mechanism. This study contributes to the existing multidisciplinary literature on cohesion policy and structural funds by extending an understanding of the ESI Funds system to a local agency perspective with a specific focus on Finnish municipalities and the programme period 2014–2020, characterized by austerity policies, regional discontent and disagreement between the ESI programme regions. The examination offers a new understanding of local agents and beneficiaries' differential access in the ESI Funds, showing that the agency of municipalities in the ESI Funds is simultaneously enabled and constrained by the multilevel Structural Funds programme's areas of specialization, national regional policies, partnerships and the local environment. The findings indicate that generating inclusive and equal possibilities for all municipalities would necessitate more attention to the allocation of ESI Funds within the programme regions, not just between them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Problematic areas in the field of education in Poland have been mentioned in strategic documents, necessary for the implementation of the cohesion policy, in all three previous financial perspectives of the European Union. In the face of changes in the socio-economic reality of the EU countries, education has become more and more present in the areas of intervention of the European Social Fund. The aim of the article is to evaluate the current Polish experience in the system of supporting education and lifelong learning under the ESF in the years 2004-2020. It is also a summary of nearly 20 years of involvement of this company in Poland. Design/methodology/approach: The article analyses the literature relating to both the Structural Funds in Poland, with particular emphasis on the ESF, as well as problem areas in the field of education, constituting the potential scope of the Fund's intervention. The article also includes an analysis of programming documents, as well as operational programmes at the national level, containing instruments to support education and lifelong learning in Poland from the ESF funds in the years 2004-2020. Findings: For nearly twenty years, Poland, as a beneficiary of the social policy, has benefited from support instruments within the competence of the ESF, also in the area of education and lifelong learning. For nearly two decades, in successive EU financial perspectives, a system of support for education and the idea of lifelong learning has been created, responding to the greatest needs of this area of human activity. It included further priorities and areas of support, which corresponded to increasing financial resources. Studies have shown the effectiveness of ESF financial intervention in many areas, but there are still deficits that will be supported in the coming perspectives. Originality/value: The article contains one of the first summaries of the functioning of the system of support for education and lifelong learning from the European Social Fund in Poland, mainly in the context of nationwide operational programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Galicia is an old European cultural nation. It is also a Spanish Autonomous Community, endowed with self-government since 1981, which joined the European Communities in 1986, becoming a NUTS II. It has been an important beneficiary of European structural funds that have helped it to converge in GDP with the Spanish and European Union averages. At the same time, it has developed an outstanding foreign action with the North of Portugal that has been taking shape in the configuration of an Euroregion.

This study evaluates the impact of European Union Structural Funds for innovation on key business indicators related to growth, profitability, and innovation at the regional level. We use the case of Andalusia during the period 2007-2020, a Spanish region benefiting from these funds, focusing on the ERDF-Innterconnecta program which supports business collaboration in R&D projects. While some indicators, showed improvement, others did not. By analyzing these mixed results, we aim to inform the planning, design, and implementation of future regional innovation policies.

This paper investigates the impact of the main criterion employed by the European Commission for the allocation of the largest portion of Structural Funds, based on the threshold of the 75% of European Union (EU) average gross domestic product (GDP) per capita. We focus on the 2014–2020 programming period and on EU‐15 regions to analyze if this criterion has penalized some of them, as a consequence of the 2004 EU enlargement, which has represented an exogenous shock in the allocation process, due to the economic backwardness of new member states. Through the application of Synthetic Control Methods and Difference‐in‐Differences estimators at different geographical scales, we show that regions that did not obtain the less developed status in both the programming period 2007–2013 and 2014–2020, but that would have obtained it in the period 2014–2020 without the 2004 EU enlargement, experienced a significantly lower GDP per capita growth between −10.5% and −5.7%. Conversely, territories that in the period 2014–2020 lost the less developed status, previously obtained in the time frame 2007–2013, were not characterized by a significantly lower economic growth, providing some evidence of the effectiveness of the safety net. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Europeanisation situates local governments in a constantly changing environment, bringing challenges, opportunities, and constraints. These circumstances raise the question, how local authorities adapt to the process of European integration, face its challenges, and use its diverse opportunity structures. The article explores four dimensions, through which Europeanisation hits the ground of local government: downloading, uploading, dissemination, and horizontal networking. It examines the distribution of different types of Europe-related activities at the local level using data from a survey sent to all 396 independent cities, towns, and municipalities in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Our empirical analysis provides an overview of the most and least frequent Europe-related activities within the different types of local authorities. The findings of our multivariate analysis shows that next to the direct affectedness by Europeanisation, the municipalities' capacities in terms of financial and institutional resources have a major influence on their efforts towards Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyses the spatial differences in EU funds absorption among Romanian rural municipalities through the 2014–2020 programming period. The absorption capacity for EU funds is measured by the volume of spent EU funds by inhabitant, for each Romanian rural municipality. The results of the analysis highlight the importance of the territorial dimension when studying the distribution of EU funds among the rural municipalities of Romania. Affiliation with a specific development region (NUTS 2), county (NUTS 3) or a functional urban area (FUA) is used to differentiate the volume of absorbed EU funds. In Romania, rural municipalities with higher levels of absorbed EU funding are, to a statistically higher extent, located in development regions in the Centre, North-West, South-West and West of the country; in communes with no change, or even an increase, in population between 2014 and 2021; in the highest quartile of fiscal capacity and in communes with experience with EU funding from the preceding programming period. This article adds to the growing body of territorial evidence and can be used as a policy instrument to more closely examine the intervention tools embedded in EU funding policy.

In the European Union (EU), member countries organise and develop education and lifelong training systems. While this responsibility rests with individual states, the EU supports members’ actions by supplementing their capacity through political cooperation and various funding instruments. Therefore, this paper assesses the impact of structural funds' (ESIFs) absorption in the general European framework, with a particular focus on Romania. More precisely, we are interested in observing the implementation of operational programmes intended to finance education and training in different programming periods. For the theoretical component, this research stresses the role of several social actions granted from nonreimbursable sources that contribute to achieving the objectives of the Cohesion Policy, i.e., maximising human capital performance according to the development needs of the citizens. Hence, this study presents the absorption degree of the most relevant ESIF interventions in Romania, following the specifics of the national education system. In the empirical plan, based on a comparative analysis of the main socioeconomic strategies oriented towards stimulating human capital accumulation, we analyse some key medium- and long-term outcomes from capitalising on the potential of qualitative education. By efficiently implementing these actions, we hope Romania may accomplish (or at least get closer to) the regional targets of high labour force competitiveness, social integration at European standards, and sustainable economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the European Union’s cohesion policy is to reduce development inequalities between the regions of the Member States and to increase economic, social, and territorial cohesion. Expenditures on it account for one‑third of the European Union (EU) budget. Therefore, the appropriate and effective use of the structural funds plays a very important role. The purpose of the paper is to show the effectiveness of using the EU’s structural funds in two of the largest beneficiary countries in the programming period 2014–2020. The first part of the paper presents the efficiency and effectiveness of using EU structural funds and the barriers related to their implementation, as well as the main characteristics of the 2014–2020 programming period. The second part contains a statistical analysis of the effectiveness of implementing the cohesion policy in Poland and Italy, comparing the amounts of planned and spent funds in the analyzed period. The main method is the statistical analysis, which includes asummary of the amount of allocated funds and their use, as well as a calculation of the percentage of structural funds used. The theoretical part shows potential problems related to the implementation, while the statistical part shows the scale of the problem and the areas with the greatest problems with implementation in both countries.The analysis takes into account thematic objectives, as well as national and regional operational programs.

In order to reduce the economic and social development gaps between the Member States, structural funds are allocated in the European Union, which are non-reimbursable financing instruments, being a main source of funding, which helps reduce the disparities between the Member States through the development of sustainable projects. This paper focuses on the case of Romania and it aims to examine the implementation status of the social projects contracted at regional level through the Human Capital Operational Programme of the European Social Fund for the 2014-2020 period. As regards Romania, the implementation of these projects leads to the development of communities and vulnerable groups in each development region. An extremely important role in the implementation of projects is played by local and regional authorities that must support local sustainability by stimulating investments, creating jobs, and improving infrastructure.

Copyright of Legal Thought / Pravna Misao is the property of Legal Thought / Pravna Misao and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The papers makes an analysis, with a focus on the North-East Region of Romania, of the stage of the drafting of strategic documents at national level and their correlation with regional and county planning documents, at the end of 2022. The analysis is carried out both in terms of the regional and local strategic documents, correlated with the national ones, as well as in terms of the perception held by some of the most important regional actors. The questions that the article pursues in its research approach are: How do we evaluate the preparation of projects for the new programming period 2021-2027 from the point of view of strategic planning and correlation with the documents adopted at the national/regional/local level? and How do local actors perceive the influence on the absorption of European funds the drafting and adoption of strategic documents at national and regional level after the start of the programming period? The conclusions of the research: after two programming periods, there are still difficulties in connecting the priorities of the strategies and the preparation of local projects for accessing European funds based on the national and regional strategic documents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first buds regarding the nature and architecture of regional development blossomed with the genesis of the classical, neoclassical and Keynesian schools of economic thought. We believe that the natural recognition of research in the field took place when the creators of the various schools of thought mentioned, as well as the subsequent ones, decided that a region designates a space, a territory that has a major impact on economic, cultural and social activities carried out within it. Among the widely circulated conceptions with major significance in the coagulation of regional development, we recall: the classical and neoclassical conceptions; the concept of focus on exports; the concept of circular and cumulative causality; the conception of concentration poles or development poles; centre-periphery concept; Marxist conception; the concept of endogenous development; the concept of development in stages; institutional conceptions. Worthy of mention is the fact that all of them have the final goal of ensuring the economic and social well-being of the inhabitants of the respective region by: consolidating and diversifying economic activities, stimulating the growth of demand, stimulating and promoting investments made by the private sector and in the general infrastructure, creating new places of work and the development of human capital, the reduction of unemployment, the promotion of social inclusion, the development of institutional capacity, the superior valorisation of resources, the promotion of decentralization. We believe that, in the coming decades, as community institutions are strengthened, the conceptions aimed at the progress of regional development will "coagulate" giving birth to a more complex theory capable of responding to the requirements regarding the process of simplification and monitoring of the legislation that governs regionalization mechanisms. The multitude and, above all, the complexity of the objectives aimed at ensuring the achievement of the final goal generate difficulties in the process of choosing regional development financing systems, systems whose evolution and decoding we dedicate our effort to. More significant, on which we will focus our attention, we believe to be: budget financing; bank lending; the structural and cohesion funds offered by the European Union.

Purpose: The development and competitiveness of regions constitutes one of the most crucial areas of the intervention of the European Union’s structural funds. Aid to SME’s and increasing their competitiveness constitute one of the main priorities of supporting the development of individual regions. The aim of the article is to summarize and evaluate Polish experiences in the use of EU funds for the needs of increasing the competitiveness of the SME sector. Design/methodology/approach: The paper features an analysis of literature concerning the structural funds with a particular focus on the European Regional Development Fund. Additionally, the author analysed the provisions of basic strategic documents, which contain the assumptions for the implementation of the cohesion policy in Polish regions in subsequent EU budget periods over the course of 2004-2020. Findings: Poland as well as its regions have been the beneficiaries of the EU cohesion policy for nearly twenty years, preparing strategic documents and managing aid received from the structural funds during three subsequent periods: 2004-2006, 2007-2013 and 2014-2020. For almost two decades a system of support and the implementation of its major priorities was created at a national and regional level, stipulated in operational programmes and implemented by institutions equipped with suitable competences. Originality/value: The paper is an attempt at summarising Polish experiences in using the ERDF’s aid for the purpose of raising the competitiveness of the entities in the SME sector, which was to constitute one of the main priorities of improving the competitiveness and growth of Polish regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The European Union (EU) is a form and process of supranational integration. It is a supra-state political community of complex legal and instrumental articulation that has historically responded to a series of objectives of territorial interest to the member states. This study aims to shed light on some fundamental aspects of the work carried out by the EU on an international scale and more specifically in the countries of southern Europe. Within this work carried out by the EU, our study focuses on the analysis of the so-called cohesion policy and how it influences regional development in certain southern areas of Europe. The EU is composed of 27 European countries among which there are clear socioeconomic disparities. This plural and diverse scenario influences the way in which European funds are implemented in the territory, and more specifically in Southern Europe. It is essential to study this process in order to achieve the sustainable development objectives of the 2030 Agenda and to provide the regions with their own instruments so that they may be dynamic and competitive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Comparative Economic Research is the property of Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Lodzkiego and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of European Policy Analysis is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The European Union's Structural Funds are a key instrument for reducing the disparities between its regions. The Slovak Republic, as well as other countries of the V4, has been eligible to implement these funds since joining the EU in 2004. This paper focuses on the implementation of the Structural Funds in the V4 countries in the 2007-2013 programming period. We have searched this programming period as it was the first period since the accession of countries to the EU in which they benefited from this support throughout its whole duration. The ability to spend EU funds effectively has a major impact on the economies of countries, as these resources make up the bulk of public investment. In this paper, we were working with secondary data using standard scientific methods of quantitative research as well as descriptive statistics. The results of our research have shown that the level of effectiveness of the implementation of EU allocated funds varies in the V4 countries in 2007 - 2013, while the effectiveness of some key indicators in the Slovak Republic was the worst among the V4 countries. We have also found that in terms of selected key socio-economic indicators in the period under review, such as unemployment rate, the Slovak Republic has improved least within the V4 countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industry 4.0 (I4.0), driven by the need to access real-time insights and information across the manufacturing process, creates a disruptive impact on industries. Large-scale machine-to-machine communication, virtual reality (VR), the Internet of Things (IoT), simulation technologies and network management are integrated for increased automation, machine learning, self-controlled social and technical systems (Smart Factories). The uptake of advanced manufacturing solutions represents a challenge for businesses and SMEs in particular. SMEs possess neither the organisational capability nor financial resources to systematically investigate the potential and risks of introducing Industry 4.0. However, the so-called Fourth Industrial Revolution is a matter of technology and cooperation between European regions to share knowledge concerning alternative regional and national approaches to reinforcing the I4.0 uptake. Therefore, this paper primarily aims to analyse practical experience on how European policies related to the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) can unlock the full potential of Industry 4.0 and overcome the fragmentation of Industry 4.0 solutions. Case studies of successful transfer of I4.0 to SMEs in Europe and supporting regional policy instruments presented in the paper could inspire and enable the potential of digitalisation by dealing with main challenges hampering their diffusion into the business ecosystem.

This paper evaluates the impact of the European Structural Funds on the performance of employment policy in Greece. The employment policy in Greece, is a policy funded by EU and characterized by centralization, increased red tape, administrative overlaps and fragmentation pitfalls, factors' contributing to policy's ineffectiveness. Based on the comparative analysis of the implementation and performance of ESIF Operational Programs in Greece and by focusing on the case of the Greek Public Employment Service (OAED), this article evaluates European Union Policies actual impact on employment policy effectiveness and new jobs creation in Greece during the 2012–2020 period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The last EU Financial Perspective for 2014-2020 as well as the approaching 20th anniversary of Poland’s accession to the European Union create an opportunity for recapitulation of Poland’s use of structural funds in both of these periods. Design/methodology/approach: The objective of the paper involves a preliminary analysis and assessment of the areas of assistance as well as the instruments supporting the improvement of personnel qualifications in a regional economy on the example of the West Pomeranian Province. The assessment concerns the implementation of the Regional Operational Programme for the West Pomeranian Province in the period of 2014-2020 (ROP WP). The paper is one of a series of papers, constituting a recapitulation of the experience that Poland and its regions have had so far in benefiting from the EU structural funds. Findings: The article presents an analysis of the contents of strategic and programme documents of national and regional scope, and in particular of the Partnership Agreement and the ROP WP for 2014-2020. The evaluation of the aid granted for the improvement of qualifications of the West Pomeranian Province personnel was based on an analysis of competition documentation as well as the results of project evaluations conducted by the Managing Authority of the ROP WP 2014-2020. Originality/value: The article contains a preliminary analysis and assessment of the main areas of support and instruments supporting the development of human resources in the regional economy on the example of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in 2014-2020. It is addressed to entities and scientists dealing with programming and management, supporting the improvement of the quality of human resources in the economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cohesion Policy is a core policy of the European Union, the main objective of which is to address uneven economic growth across the EU by promoting balanced and sustainable development. Given its characteristics, it certainly has a great impact on the daily life of European citizens and can compensate population groups and places less favoured by the implementation of the internal market and economic and monetary union. As a result, Cohesion Policy is expected to shape regional support for European integration. This study tests this assumption using regional data for the EU‐28 in a period that includes the recent phases of expansion and recession, in a scenario characterized by growing anti‐EU rhetoric. The results suggest that a greater amount of EU funds spent in the region does not stimulate support for the Union. However, an appropriate temporal distribution of the resources allocated to the region could have a positive effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper contains the main aspects and elements to the next programming period and future regional policy of the European Union. From the perspective of the next programming period, cohesion policy keeps on investing in all regions, still on the basis of three categories (less-developed; transition; more-developed). The allocation method for the funds is still largely based on GDP per capita, but the new criteria are added (youth unemployment, low education level, climate change, and the reception and integration of migrants) to better reflect the reality on the ground.

The evaluation of the economic impact and efficiency of European Structural Funds at the level of Member States have gained overwhelming importance in the last two decades, searching for answers to questions such as: "what works?", "Why does it work" or "how much does it influence?". This article aims to assess the impact generated by the European Structural Funds granted for the development of tourism infrastructure on the evolution in dynamics of two economic and financial indicators registered by both companies receiving non-reimbursable funds (intervention group) and companies that have developed through own sources (control group), businesses with activity in the field of tourism in the South West Oltenia Region.

Copyright of European Mirror / Európai Tükör is the property of National University of Public Service and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In order to reduce the economic and social development gaps between the Member States, structural funds are allocated in the European Union, which are non-reimbursable financing instruments, being a main source of funding, which helps reduce the disparities between the Member States through the development of sustainable projects. This paper focuses on the case of Romania and it aims to examine the implementation status of the social projects contracted at regional level through the Human Capital Operational Programme of the European Social Fund for the 2014-2020 period. As regards Romania, the implementation of these projects leads to the development of communities and vulnerable groups in each development region. An extremely important role in the implementation of projects is played by local and regional authorities that must support local sustainability by stimulating investments, creating jobs, and improving infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economic development has been a major priority for the European Commission, with significant amounts of Structural and Cohesion Funds being allocated in this direction. With the enlargements of the Union in 2004, 2007 and 2013, the Regional Development Policy faced a new challenge, with the disparity between new members and the community average being a notable one. The literature is divided with respect to the impact generated by funds allocated through the Regional Development Policy, as some authors claim the existence of positive effects, others identify conditional positive effects and other authors identify only negative effects and say that the whole support system needs to be rethought. This research presents an empirical approach to the issue of the effectiveness of the European Community's support system for business environments. An analysis is performed at the microeconomic level in order to quantify observable effects at the level of the SMEs that have benefited from non-reimbursable financial aid. The data obtained indicate that Structural and Cohesion Funds for business environments have a significant effect in the medium and long terms, contributing to the achievement of the general objective of the Regional Development Policy (reducing economic disparities between EU member states). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Micro-enterprises, which constitute the largest group of entities operating on local markets, are constantly facing many challenges, which include, among others, achieving and maintaining competitiveness and efficiency, using the opportunities offered by new technologies. What is more they need to operate in a constantly changing environment, especially nowadays during the new pandemic reality. The functioning of microenvironments depends to a large extent on belonging to the European Union, as a very significant area of the economic strategy of the EU countries is the creation as assistance in the growth of entrepreneurship in individual national economies. The EU offers a number of different financial resources for people who want to set up or develop a business. The main purpose of this paper was to formulate recommendations on the use of EU structural and investment funds in the development of Podlasie micro-enterprises. The paper consists, apart from the introduction, of four meritorical parts and the conclusion. The method of studying the literature on the subject and other secondary sources as well as the survey method were used to achieve the goals and verify the hypotheses. The research was carried out on a sample of one hundred microentrepreneurs and was a pilot nature.

This Report analyses the legal viability of the constitution of an EGTC – European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation– between the Campo de Gibraltar and Gibraltar. A concise guide is presented for the eventual creation of the EGTC in this territory, examining the specific regulations, the initial key questions such as the components, the applicable law, the objectives, the convention and the statutes or the financial issues. The creation procedure and the phases to be followed for the authorization, registration and start of the EGTC are subsequently detailed. Finally, an assessment of the possibility of setting up a Campo de Gibraltar / Gibraltar EGTC is offered, with suggestions for the formation that take into account the historical Spanish-British controversy over Gibraltar. Thus, there are international and European legal elements that could condition this adaptation to the Campo de Gibraltar of the figure of the EGTC, created by the EU to promote cross-border cooperation in the context of the objectives of Economic, Social and Territorial Cohesion and of the Structural Funds

There is a major interest from international and national bodies, but also from researchers for measuring inequality, materialized in numerous reports, studies and researches in the field. Multiple indicators are used to generate data and analyse the dynamics and patterns of inequality in order to find solutions to reduce economic disparities. This paper intends to carry out a comparative analysis regarding regional inequality. In order to carry out this analysis we have chosen two countries, Romania and Poland. We have analysed regional inequality based on regional Gross Domestic Product (GDP), for the period 2007-2016, and also based on the structural funds for 2007-2013. For measuring inequalities, we have used Theil index. Our results emphasize that there are significant inequalities between the regions of the two analysed countries and also that there is greater inequality in Romania than in Poland. The results of the study should be of interest to the policy makers as measuring and reducing inequality is a necessary process for meeting the objective of reducing European regional disparities and ensuring sustainable economic growth.

The huge discrepancies between the different euroregions after the last enlargements of the European Union are a major concern of the Community authorities. Narrowing these gaps is possible through a well-thought-out investment policy with the optimal allocation of funds. The article briefly examines the history of the emergence of European funds that contributes to achieve economic, social and territorial cohesion. The evolutions of the last years have caused the European Union authorities to change the way of structural funds that are allocated for the multiannual financial framework 2021-2027, both the objectives and the financing of the Euroregions. The volume of allocations in the structural funds will be affected by Brexit, which will affect the financing of projects and programs in the less developed regions. In this article we intend to examine the structure of the new European Union financial framework, the priority directions of investment support of the governments of the Member States through the allocations from the structural funds, as well as the geographical area of financing. The paper examined the new criteria for cataloging regions by development levels. The map shows the territorial changes of the regions NUTS II eligible for funding, as well as the degree of funds absorption within the Member States. In this article it is examined the winning and losing states in the new distribution of funds, resulting from the increase of welfare in the level 2 euroregions that until recently were not eligible. The work mentions the Joint Operational Programs for cross-border cooperation between the Republic of Moldova and Romania implemented in recent years.

European Union (EU) structural funds aim at reducing economic and social disparities between the member states regions. The objectives of the study were to (1) provide a summary overview of all health related projects co-financed by EU structural funds in Poland between 2004 and 2020, (2) define the share of projects/funds devoted to infrastructure investments, and (3) assess the total value of EU structural funds' contribution to health care infrastructure investments in comparison to the national public budgets. Data on projects co-financed by EU structural funds covered all projects realized under three financial perspectives: 2004–2006; 2007–2013; 2014–2020. The extraction of “health-related” projects was done according to both the type priority under which the project was realized as well as the type of beneficiary. Results showed that between 2004 and 2020, 14,179 health related projects were implemented, with a total value of 33.2 billion PLN, including EU contribution of 22.8 billion PLN (68.7%). Although projects focused on education and public health prevailed in terms of their total number, infrastructural projects consumed the vast majority of funds. Within the analyzed period, a total of 6,689 health infrastructure projects were implemented with a total value of 29.5 billion PLN, including 19.7 billion PLN of EU contributions. The results confirm that the EU structural funds constituted an important source of infrastructural investments in the Polish health system and majority of them were consumed by investments in public hospitals.