Projects

The project involved preparatory research and organisation of a major international conference on 'Benchmarking Regional Policy in Europe' in September 2001 . The meeting brought together senior regional policymakers from all ten Central and East European Candidate Countries as well as Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden and the UK. The aim of the conference was to provide a forum for informal but in-depth discussion on common regional policy challenges facing European countries. The conference represented an important opportunity to exchange experience in all aspects of structural and regional policy. Research papers prepared and presented by EPRC were used to guide and open discussion, with participants encouraged to make maximum use of the confidential setting for frank and open debate. Discussions during the two main conference days covered topics such as the evolution and form of national regional policy, EU competition policy constraints and their impact on policy-making, and the experience of implementing EU structural and cohesion policies.

The project involved a comparative study of regional incentives in selected case study countries and regions. The aim of the study was to situate Walloon regional policy in the wider European context with a view to presenting a range of policy options for further consideration, and, in particular, to: review the nature, institutional framework, coverage, value and importance of the regional policy grants in Wallonia and selected Member States (France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom; compare and contrast the regional policy grants in Wallonia with those found in the selected Member States; draw out possible policy options for Wallonia, based on this comparison.

The project involved research on the implications of EU enlargement for regional policy in the European Union and the facilitation of a Sub Rosa seminar held in Brussels, sponsored by Highlands & Islands Enterprise and the Scottish Executive.

The project involved research on the future of regional policy in an enlarged European Union to include countries from Central and Eastern Europe. Initially drafted as a briefing paper for an informal discussion sponsored by Scotland House in September 2000 in Brussels, the research paper was subsequently revised in the light of the discussion.

The project investigated policy transfer between the EU and the Member States in the field of regional policy, using the designation of assisted areas as a case study of the transfer process. The project focused on the 1999/2000 designation of regional aid areas within the framework of the March 1998 EC regional aid guidelines and the designation of Structural Fund areas under the 2000-06 Structural Funds Regulation

The project involved research tracing and analysing the evolution of Objective 1 eligibility and funding through the 1994-9 and 2000-6 programme periods, focussing on the negotiations on the draft Structural Funds Regulation in the first quarter of 1999. The study comprised: an overview of the 1993 reform of the Structural Funds, focusing on eligibility and financial allocations under Objective 1; an examination of the Commission proposals for Objective 1 for the period 2000-6; a consideration of the main alternative scenarios put forward during the course of the Council negotiations; and an overview and analysis of the outcome of those negotiations.

The project involved research on regional development in less-favoured regions. The study comprised three main elements: a consideration of the main demographic trends in the Member States, focusing particularly on those which affect less-densely-populated areas; a review of the definitional and statistical issues relating to less-densely-populated areas; and a discussion of policy responses in less-densely-populated areas.

The project involved research investigating the implications of the 2000-6 reform of the Structural Funds for the Dublin region. Following the loss of Objective 1 status, part of the region became eligible for Objective 2. The study considered the options for designating Objective 2 areas.

The project involved research reviewing and analysing policy instruments in the Czech Republic with a view to establishing those which constitute State aid and identifying the steps needed to ensure their compliance with the Europe Agreement.

This study looked at the implications of the proposed reform of Objective 2 for the Glasgow area, especially in the context of area designation and eligibility for the revised Objective 2. The project involved a detailed Community-wide statistical analysis of the Commission’s proposed area designation criteria.