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 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.

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 assessment of support structures for attracting EU funding in Finland, Sweden, Ireland, Emilia Romagna (Italy), and Nordrhein Westfalen (Germany). Against a backdrop of declining receipts for Scotland from EU Structural Funds, the question is whether Scotland could better exploit some of the other sources of EU funding, notably: the EU Framework Programme for Research and Development (FP); the Competitiveness and Innovation Programme (CIP); the Lifelong Learning Programme (LLP); Trans-European Networks (TEN-T and TEN-E); and the Community Initiative, formerly known as Interreg, which in 2007-13 is part of the new Territorial Cooperation Objective.

The project comprised the ex ante evaluation of the IPA Operational Programmes (OPs) for Environment, Transport, Regional Competitiveness and Human Resource Development for Croatia (2007-09). The study involved stablishing the evaluation frameworks, assessing each of the programmes and critically evaluating the final programme drafts.

The project involved research on the impact and added value of EU Cohesion policy in the period up to 2007 and assessed the financial and strategic shifts in Cohesion policy arising from the Council decision and Interinstitutional Agreement in 2005-06, with a view to identifying the key changes and implications for added value.

The project involved research on the operation and impacts of the main Structural Funds programmes (excluding Community Initiatives) in Scotland in the period 1994-2006. The specific objectives were: to assess the overall effects of the 1994-99 and 2000-06 programmes; (b) to provide detailed analyses of a small number of Structural Funds projects; and (c) to identify examples of good practice and value-for-money.