Projects

EPRC is coordinating a study for the European Commission aimed at enhancing the understanding of the planned and implemented use of Technical Assistance (TA) under EU Cohesion Policy programmes during the 2014-20 period. Given the important contribution of Technical Assistance to the successful implementation of Cohesion Policy, the study will provide a better understanding of the use of TA and present cases of TA-funded sustainable capacity building activities, particularly in the area of Human Resources Development.

From a policy perspective, the key issues are whether and how TA is being used to strengthen the administrative capacity of Member States for implementing Operational Programmes and projects. The project also seeks to understand whether this Technical Assistance investment is sustainable – whether TA is planned and monitored to ensure the strengthening of administrative capacity beyond the life of an OP.

The project is led by a core team comprising EPRC and Red2Red researchers, and involves also a team of National Experts in the Member States.

The project involves research on the contribution of Cohesion policy to citizens’ identification with the EU. Funded by Horizon 2020 and involving 10 research institutes and SMEs, the project provides new insights into the European identification of EU citizens and the effectiveness of strategies to communicate EU cohesion policy to citizens.

http://www.cohesify.eu/

This project involved research on the take up and effectiveness of financial instruments (FIs). The new regulatory framework for EU Cohesion policy in 2014-20 has reinforced the scope for (repayable) financial instruments to deliver Cohesion policy objectives, as an alternative to using grants. The research focuses on: identifying the rationale for using FIs within Cohesion policy programmes; providing a ‘stocktake’ of how EU Member States are making use of FIs in 2014-20; identifying the issues which influence uptake of FIs; and analysing complementarities and interaction between Cohesion-policy funded FIs and other sources of funding such as the European Fund for Strategic Investments.

The project is about promoting stakeholder engagement and public awareness for a participative governance of the European bioeconomy. Funded by Horizon 2020, it BioSTEP aims to engage citizens and various stakeholder groups in discussions about the future development of Europe’s bioeconomy. Its objective is to increase the overall awareness and understanding of the bioeconomy as well as its consequences and benefits by considering citizens' needs and concerns. In order to overcome the current lack of public knowledge on the bioeconomy, BioSTEP makes existing data on bio-based products and processes accessible to the general public and various stakeholder groups. In addition, BioSTEP involves identifying and disseminating best practices on the participatory development of national and regional bioeconomy strategies.

The project, undertaken for the European Parliament REGI Committee, provided a comprehensive analysis and assessment of how Cohesion Policy objectives have been delivered through measures that involved the EIB Group. Specifically, it focused on: the role of EIB Group in the implementation of Cohesion Policy; the effectiveness of EIB activities in Cohesion Policy; accountability, transparency and visibility of EIB Group activities; relationships between EU institutions and EIB Group; and future expectations of the EIB Group.

The project, funded by an EIB University Research Scholarship, examines the differences in administrative capacity for implementing Cohesion policy across the EU, the factors that influence the administration of Cohesion policy - both internal and external to implementing bodies - and ways in which effective administrative capacity for Cohesion policy can be built and sustained.

The IQ-Net project involves comparative research and knowledge exchange on the management and implementation of EU Structural Funds programmes. Funded by national and regional authorities from across the EU, the project investigates how EU Cohesion policy is implemented on the ground, and facilitates policy learning and exchaneg of experience on themes relating to programme design, management and delivery.

Visit the project website here.

The EoRPA project involves comparative research and knowledge exchange on regional policy in Europe, involving annual reviews of regional policies in Europe (covering 30 countries) focusing on EU Cohesion policy and the impact of EU Competition policy on regional policy on policy objectives, instruments, eligible areas, governance and effectivenes. Funded by a consortium of national government departments, EoRPA also involves research in the interactions between national regional policies and EU Cohesion policy and EU Competition policy.