Projects

This study involved an ex post evaulation of the management and implementation systems for the ERDF in Objective 1 and 2 programmes in 2000-6, across 25 EU Member States.

The project involved research on regional development in Central and Eastern Europe.

The project involved research and knowledge exchange contributing to the Barca report. It examined reform options for Cohesion policy, assessing the effectiveness of the the policy to date and the development of conceptual and policy recommendations for the future of the policy in 2014-20.

The project involved research on knowledge exchange networks to support learning and exchange of experience in the field of regional development and the provision of guidance to the Management Organisation Unit in Greece on the appropriate methodology for setting up an internal network dealing with the implementation of regional policy in Greece.

The project involved comparative research on the effectiveness of Structural Funds in different national contextx, focusing on support for gender equality and demographic change.

This study for the Madeira development agency provided a comparative overview of tax regimes designed to attract mobile investment, comparing and contrasting the Madeira regime with those operating across a number of other EU Member States and their dependencies.

This study for the Madeira development agency assessed the impact of the special tax regime. The study was undertaken in the context of proposed changes to it imposed by the European Commission under the State aid rules. It sought to assess the attractiveness of the regime to actual and potential investors compared to the existing regime.

The project comprised an evaluation of the potential for regional policy instruments (2007-13) to contribute to the Lisbon and Gothenburg objectives for growth, jobs and sustainable development. It focused on the role of the Operational Programmes for the 2007-13 period, and their relationship to the National Sustainable Reference Frameworks, as well as the National Reform Programmes and National Sustainable Development Strategies for the operationalisation of the Lisbon and Gothenburg agendas at national level.

The project involved the preparation of a background paper for a 'Sub Rosa' seminar on the future of EU regional and rural policies, sponsored by the Scottish Government EU Office, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Scotland Europa. The project analysed the added value of EU Cohesion policy and EU Common Agricultural Policy Pillar II, as well as the need for enhanced coordination structures between the two policy fields in 2007-13. It also drew lessons from area-based policies in the Member States, focusing on experiences in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (Germany), Krajna & Paluki (Poland), Algarve (Portugal), Pohjois Suomi (Finland) and the Highlands and Islands (UK). Lastly, the project identified a range of questions for discussion, under the two main themes of the form of rural policy needed, and how EU policies should support rural development. The paper was presented at the Sub Rosa seminar on 29 February - 1 March 2007.

The project involved a comparative analysis of evaluations of EU-funded programmes in Poland. The aim was to examine the factors that contribute to the effective use of these evaluations in public sector management.