The European Policies Research Centre has won two major research tenders from the European Commission for new research on the future of regional development policies in Europe, collectively worth more than £700,000.
The first study, to be led by Professor John Bachtler and Dr Martin Ferry, will involve a global study of how regional policy can operate most effectively in a multi-level governance setting (in particular the use of conditionalities for contracting between levels of government) and will draw lessons for EU Cohesion policy from policies operated in North & South America, Australia and Australasia as well as from the lending policies of international financial institutions like the World Bank.
The second study, to be directed by Professor Douglas Yuill and Fiona Wishlade, will involve an assessment of how the national and sub-national policies in each of the EU's 27 Member States contribute to the strengthening of the EU's goal of 'economic and social cohesion'. Both studies will inform European Commission thinking as part of the current EU budget review and will influence the future direction of EU Cohesion policy from 2014 onwards. Professor Susan Hart, Dean of Strathclyde Business School commented: 'EPRC's success in winning these tenders against stiff competition from research institutes throughout Europe is a tribute to the Centre's expertise in international comparative research and recognition by the European Commission of the EPRC's track record in managing major projects with partners from throughout Europe and globally.