Is Cohesion policy effective? Does it contribute to the reduction of development disparities and strengthen competitiveness in the EU? These are the questions that have inspired a growing body of research on Cohesion policy evaluation, which has come to varied and inconclusive results.
A new paper in the EPRC 'European Policy Research Paper' series by Peter Wostner and Sonja Slander re-examines the effectiveness of EU Cohesion policy using a mix of methods.
They confirm that Cohesion policy effectively increases the structural expenditures of the recipient Member States, thereby fulfilling one of the necessary conditions for effectiveness of EU transfers. Overall, effectiveness still depends on other conditions, among which the micro-efficiency of funds' management and their effect on private investment stand out in particular.
'The Effectiveness of EU Cohesion Policy Revisited: Are EU Funds Really Additional?' By Peter Wostner and Sonja Å lander, European Policy Research Paper, no.69, accessible here.