The European Regional Development Fund: community ideals and national realities

Despite the creation of a European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) in 1975, the European Communities (EC) still lack a policy instrument to reduce the gap between its richest and poorest regions. Analyzes the size, nature, and geographical distribution of the fund's expenditures. The limitations of the ERDF can be partially explained by the continuing dominance of the wealthier member states within the EC. The Single European Act, adopted in July 1987, reasserted the belief that regional disparities must be reduced in order to maintain the "economic and social cohesion" of the EC and promised a shift toward qualified majority voting on matters relating to the ERDF, but whether these changes will lead to an effective ERDF remains to be seen.