EPRC Seminar: Capacity and performance variation for EU Structural Funds in Bulgaria and Romania. Going beyond the administrative capacity nexus?

On Wednesday 24 June, EPRC hosted a seminar by Neculai-Cristian Surubaru, a visiting PhD Researcher at EPRC and Teaching Assistant at Loughborough University. The aim of the seminar was to address the core question: What explains the variation in capacity and performance within and between Bulgaria and Romania in terms of Structural Funds management and implementation for 2007-2013? Drawing on interview-based research findings and an analytical approach based on qualitative data coding, a model incorporating administrative and political variables served to identify the most critical associated factors as expressed by respondents. Key findings are that the absorptive capacity of administration is highly influenced by factors such as political centralism and clientelism, but also that Bulgaria and Romania have fundamental differences in their administration of ESI Funds.