EPRC has been awarded two studies in competitive tenders relating to EU Cohesion policy. Collectively worth some 1.7 million euro, the EPRC's success reinforces its position as one of the leading research institutes in Europe for the study of regional policy.
One the studies will involve the first major research project to assess the long-term economic impact of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) from 1989 to the present. Led by Professor John Bachtler, Dr Laura Polverari and Professor David Charles, the 18-month study will be undertaken in collaboration with the London School of Economics and a network of nine other research institutes across Europe and will involve a mix of in- depth quantitative and qualitative research in 15 case study regions in 10 countries.
The second study involves an ex post evaluation of how EU Cohesion policy interventions, worth 33.6 billion euro, financed by the EU Cohesion Fund (and the former Instrument for Structural Policies for Pre-Accession, ISPA) have been managed and implemented. Led by Professor John Bachtler and Frederike Gross, working together with Fraser Associates, the study will examine the management capacity for effective administration of EU funding, mainly in Central, Eastern and Southern European countries.
Both studies will seek to shed new light on contested questions relating to the effectiveness and efficiency of EU Cohesion policy and contribute to policymaker thinking on the design and delivery of interventions in the 2013-20 period.