Projects

The BE-Rural project aims to realise the potential of regional and local bio-based economies by supporting a wide group of stakeholders to participate in the development of bioeconomy strategies and roadmaps. It focuses particularly on five regions, namely Stara Zagora (Bulgaria), Szczecin Lagoon and Vistula Lagoon (Poland), Strumica (Macedonia), Covasna (Romania) and Vidzeme and Kurzeme (Latvia), each of which had strong potential in specific bio-based sectors (e.g. essential oils and herbs for cosmetics/pharmaceuticals; small-scale fisheries; agricultural residues; and forestry). BE-Rural will stimulate learning and the co-creation of knowledge within each individual region, but also between the five regions, and at a wider European level.

To visit the BE-Rural website, click here.

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 aimed to provide a better understanding of the potential and the use of synergies among EU funds in the field of research and innovation in the agri-food sector. The study was managed by Stefan Kah in cooperation with Markus Gruber of convelop.

The research showed that there is a broad variety of support instruments available for innovation in agriculture, covering all stages of the innovation process. However, they are not necessarily linked to each other and operate independently, making the creation of synergies challenging. Also, a high complexity and different sets of rules, particularly between direct and shared management instruments, deter policy-makers from pursuing synergies.

Synergies do not easily develop automatically, but have to be supported proactively. The research identified four key success factors, as well as three supporting factors:

• Enablers that can provide guidance and coordination in agricultural innovation systems

• Strategies that define objectives and priorities

• Incentives that make synergies worth the additional effort and associated risk

• Harmonisation of rules between different instruments and associated simplification

• Supporting factors: transparency, trust and culture

The full report is available here (from page 172).

The project involves mapping how integrated territorial approaches are being planned and implemented, gaining insights into progress and challenges. The research encompasses 800 integrated territorial strategies from across the EU, focusing on the factors influencing the way in which territorial strategies are set up and implemented and the effectiveness of the strategies.

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, for the European Parliament REGI Committee, involves examining synergies between ESIF and other EU instruments, particularly Horizon 2020, RIS3, CEF, COSME, EaSI, EFSI. It includes research on Commission bodies and actors involved in the maximisation of synergies between ESIF and other EU instruments, among authorities involved in the implementation of these instruments and in relevant Member State authorities. The study  assesses the pursuit of synergies via different means: regulatory provisions, strategic frameworks, operational structures and processes.

The project, funded by Italian Agency Invitalia in the framework of the technical assistance to the Italian Ministry of Economic Development involves an overview of aid schemes for firms aimed at increasing the territorial attractiveness of regions and their structural change through the development of tourism, particularly that linked to the full exploitation of historical, cultural, environmental and social assets. The research involves assesment of successful measures implemented in the 2007-13 OPs from across Europe, six case studies and the detailed examination of the implementation and performance of selected schemes, an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of each intervention examined and the lessons learnt and transferrable practices for the 2014-20 Italian programmes.

This study assess the implementation of financial instrument in Cohesion policy in terms of their economy, efficiency and effectiveness during the 2007-13 programming period.  The study takes stock of existing knowledge on the operation of FIs as reflected in the academic literature and policy documents, as well as undertaking eight case studies. A comparative analysis of the case studies, focusing on the different stages in the lifecycle of FIs, provides the basis on which to draw lessons from the implementation of FIs in 2007-13, highlighting implications for 2014-20.

The project involved research on the evolution and implementation of the strategic coherence of Cohesion policy in 2014-20. Based on documentary analysis and interviews with authorities in 11 Member States, the study concluded that there had been overall improvements compared to the previous period, but it also highlighted a series of EU and domestic challenges in ensuring a strategically coherent approach between different ESI Funds and with other EU policies.