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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]

Based on the review of regulations and press releases of EU institutions, the content of changes in the cohesion policy in 2021–2027 was revealed in comparison with the period 20142020. The conclusion is made about the preservation of a significant role of the cohesion policy in the EU’s activities and high volume of its allocations from the EU Budget. The author sees an element of novelty in the synthesis of well-known methods and principles of supranational regulation of the socio-economic development of the EU territories –the budget method, the principle of financial conditionality and the open method of coordination. Particular attention is paid to the decision to reorient a third of the allocations of European regional policy funds for programs of transition to a circular and climate-neutral economy in 2021–2027. The explanation of such strong link between the goals of regional policy and the ecological and climatic goals of the EU is proposed. Namely, the success of the «Europe 2020» Strategy only in terms of climate benchmarks, according to the author, gives to the official Brussels a reason to see the potential to increase the effectiveness of regional policy.

Copyright of Review of Regional Research is the property of Springer Nature 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 Social Inequalities & Economic Growth / Nierownosci Spoleczne a Wzrost Gospodarczy is the property of University of Rzeszow 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 Journal of Accounting & Management is the property of Croatian Accountant 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 article is aimed at further developing the financial instruments for the cross-border cooperation with the definition of key classification criteria, disclosing the contensive, subject-targeted, and functional directedness together with institutional support for the implementation of relevant programs. Developed on the basis of generalization of existing scientific approaches, the author’s own approach to systematization of financial instruments for the cross-border cooperation is presented. On the basis of carried out research, the author proposes a number of new criterial attributes of classification of financial instruments for the development of cross-border cooperation. This approach is of applied and integrated nature, taking into account the comprehensiveness of directions of its implementation, and can be used in developing mechanisms for activating the cross-border cooperation. Prospects for further research in this direction will be substantiating the specificity of effect of the financial instruments for the cross-border cooperation to activation of the development of border areas, taking into account their economic, social, cultural, climatic, and other features.

For Romania, 2015 represents the year in which new programming documents are enacted, among which the Regional Operational Programme is the one that focusses on the harmonious development of the regions in terms of GDP/inhabitant and number of new jobs created. During the 2007-2013 period, 19% of the total EU contribution of EUR 19,667 million were allocated for this programme and about a third of the total allocation for 2014-2020 is provided for it. This shows that regional development was and is still considered one of the main objectives, after the improvement of the transport and environment infrastructure. In this context, the authors analyse, in a comparative manner, the results obtained on each axis and by each region during the 2007-2015 time-span, through the projects financed under the Regional Operational Programme 2007-2013 of Romania, trying to identify the main problems and bottlenecks and the way they were dealt with during these years, as well as the changes envisaged for the new ROP 2014-2020. For this analysis the monitoring and the evaluation reports were taken into consideration.

The regional development of Romania in 2014-2020 should rely on the lessons learned from the 2007-2013 period. In this wider context, the paper analyses the effects of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) provided within the 2007-2013 programme focusing on the development of the economic competitiveness, on the large enterprises from the North-East region of Romania. Three hypotheses are tested within this empirical research. First, that the EU financial assistance granted to a large enterprise implies an increase in its net turnover, gross profit and number of staff. Second, we aim to see whether the increase in the net turnover, gross profit and number of staff is directly linked to the increase of the ERDF grant. Finally, we analyse if the increase of the three indicators is higher for the large enterprises that implemented more projects than for the enterprises that implemented a single project. The analysis also puts under discussion the quality and the availability of the information concerning the projects funded by the European Union in Romania, taking also into consideration the 2014-2020 e-cohesion requirement.

This commentary discusses the nexus between the European Union (EU) and the local level of government in light of the contemporary challenge of maintaining social cohesion in European urban areas. Social cohesion is understood as a key element of societal stability, which is increasingly constrained in many urban contexts. Against the backdrop of decision-makers being challenged to find effective governance modes and policies addressing ever more diverse urban populations, the commentary presents evidence on how urban authorities use European funds in addressing social cohesion challenges. Cities’ use of the European Structural and Investment (ESI) Funds in diversity governance has been found to hinge on various factors that are often inter-institutionally determined and that may restrict cities’ possibilities to make most efficient use of the funding. The commentary concludes that more effective and participative forms of multi-level cooperation within frameworks like cohesion policy and the newly established Urban Agenda for the EU are necessary in supporting social cohesion and successful diversity governance in European cities. It further suggests that a reform of EU cohesion policy should entail both conceptual and institutional innovations, allowing for an integration of the intersections of urban diversity and cohesion in policy and fund design and a reinforcement of the partnership principle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]