Projects

The project comprised the Territorial Impact Assessment of past Structural Fund programmes and the appraisal of the potential territorial impact of current Structural Funds programmes. The study was undertaken with a view to formulating policy recommendations for the reform of the Funds for the post 2006 period and to improving their capacity of delivering enhanced territorial cohesion. In particular, the research has the following objectives: elaboration and application of a methodology for the territorial impact assessment of Structural Fund policies; presentation of Structural Fund policies with reference to the territorial dimensions and the governmental level responsible; ­development of a set of indicators and of a database for capturing the spatial effects of Structural Fund programmes; ­analysis of the result of EU Structural and Cohesion policies as regards balanced territorial development; development of policy recommendations on future implementation of Structural Fund programmes in an enlarged EU in relation to strategic focus, area designation and delivery mechanisms.

The project involved research on the territorial effects of applying the EU acquis, Community policies and pre-accession Instruments. The study was undertaken with a view to formulating policy recommendations for the support of territorial cohesion in an enlarged EU. In particular the research focused on: the development and application of a methodology for the territorial impact assessment of past pre-accession programmes and of the adoption of the acquis; investigate the interplay between EU policies and national spatial policies; recommend further policy developments for the support of territorial cohesion. Working as part of an international consortium, EPRC is responsible for a number of thematic components of the research and for the country analysis of the Czech Republic.

The project involved research on the expected shifts in the future of Cohesion policy after 2006. The study considered: the likelihood of Cohesion Policy becoming much more oriented towards growth and will, in a much more profound way than in the past, contributing directly to the fulfilment of the Lisbon strategy; geography becoming a less important component of any replacement of Objective 2; many aspects related to the future delivery of policy being unclear, with in particular the possibility of Cohesion support being subject to some sort of Community Framework under the open method of coordination; uncertainties regarding any future funding criteria which may be used to allocate resources from the EU to the Member States and, thereafter, from the Member States to the sub-national level.

The project involved two parallel and inter-related research streams which were undertaken concurrently: (i) evaluation of the 1994-99 Poland-Germany Cross-Border Cooperation Programmes, focusing on the impact of transport infrastructures; (ii) Development of an indicator system to support future CBC programmes. The first element was the ex post evaluaton of the 1994-99 CBC programmes, while the second addressed tasks associated with ex ante appraisal, establishing the necessary indicator frameworks to inform the monitoring and evaluability of future Interreg IIIA programmes, and to accelerate preparations for the transition to the Structural Funds upon Poland's accession to the EU.

This project involved undertaking the mid-term evaluation of the 2000-06 special transitional programme for the Highlands and Islands. The study, which will ran from September 2002 until September 2003, was organised into six key phases: (i) Design of research materials, initial analysis of financial progress, initial analysis of physical progress, and initial review of quantification ; (ii) Consultation with stakeholders, data input and analysis, delivery of interim report; (iii) Validation of reported outcomes, analysis of strategic relevance, review of Programme processes, review of Community added value, contribution to parallel policy initiatives, review of integration of horizontal themes ; (iv) Final review of financial progress, final review of physical progress, estimation of Programme impacts, forecast for progress towards the Performance Reserve targets, and review of changes to strategy; (v) Delivery of the Draft Final and Final Report; (iv) Review of updated estimates of progress towards the targets for the Performance Reserve

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.