Investigating the role of regional development agencies in Central and Eastern Europe

The project involved investigation of the role of Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) in the Central and East European EU Candidate Countries and specifically in the Czech Republic and Poland. The research has four specific objectives: i) to review the operation and legislative basis of RDAs across the Central and East European Candidate Countries, providing the context for more detailed work on Poland and the Czech Republic; ii) for the Czech Republic and Poland, to examine the role, position and status of RDAs within current institutional and administrative infrastructures, including: - a review of: the political and economic context in which the RDAs operate, relevant government policy and legislation; the position of RDAs within existing national and sub-national economic development structures; the involvement of RDAs with EU pre-accession aid and future Structural Funds; and a comparison of the structures, aims and responsibilities of RDAs within and between the case study countries. iii) to analyse the evolution, current status and future prospects for RDAs in the Czech Republic and Poland.