Laura Polverari of EPRC was an invited speaker at the high level conference on 'Evidence based cohesion policy' organised by the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union and held in Gdansk on 8 July.
With the Commission's legislative package proposals announced for the coming autumn, the conference aimed to provide a forum for an informed discussion on how to use evaluation evidence to improve policy performance. The main messages emerged from the debates will be used to inform the negotiations of the new regulations, in particular during the ministerial meetings of 25 November and 16 December 2011.
Opened by the Polish Minister for regional development (Mrs.Elżbieta Bieńkowska) and with interventions by Commissioner Johannes Hahn (DG Regio), Commissioner László Andor (DG Employment) and the European Parliament's REGI Committiee Chair MEP Danuta Hübner amongst others, the conference brought together senior practitioners, evaluation experts and representatives of Member States' evaluation working groups from across the entire EU.
Laura's presentation focused on the use of conditionalities : and the related incentives and sanctions - to reorient the policy from compliance-based to outcome-orientated. Conference proceedings are available from this link.