EPRC has published a new European Policy Research Paper on the micro-efficiency of Cohesion policy written by Peter Wostner, Deputy Director of the Government Office for Local Self-Government and Regional Policy in Slovenia. Available here.
Based on a growing literature which indicates that the impact of Cohesion policy is conditional on the institutional or absorption capacity of the recipient regions and Member States, the paper seeks systematically to identify those institutional arrangements at every step of the policy cycle which contribute to an efficient and effective Cohesion policy implementation system.
Drawing on existing evaluations, as well as primary questionnaire-based research on the views of policymakers and experts, the paper demonstrates the need for far-reaching changes to the way Cohesion policy is implemented. It puts forward four proposals for improvement of the current system and reform of the regulatory framework in which Cohesion policy operates.