Cohesion Policy for Europe 2020

Local authorities have to deal with a large part of practical work in promotion of the European integration project. Today, cities together with other actors are involved in the EU political process. This involvement leads to modification and enrichment of the European political space and increases the viability of supranational institutions. Cities extend the range of available channels for representation of citizens’ interests. Participation of cities in the decision-making improves the quality of these decisions and the legitimacy of supranational institutions, which is especially important in the context of the debate on the democratic deficit in the EU. Cities and other subnational actors can be active at the pan-European level and national levels. They use different "access points" at the European level, such as the Committee of the Regions, the European associations of cities, representations of local authorities in Brussels. The role of cities is especially evident in the Europe 2020, Cohesion Policy and the European Neighborhood Policy. European cities are involved in the elaboration of national reform programs. Cities and their associations can offer their assessments and visions of development to the Commission. Participating in the elaboration of national reform programs cities get a chance to influence the agenda of national development. This can indirectly affect the implementation of the Europe 2020 and dynamics of the European integration process as a whole. The participation of subnational actors – regions and municipalities – is important for realization of the Cohesion Policy objectives. Cities are particularly relevant for this policy, because they can become a ground for social conflicts and unrest. New tools, such as JESSICA and Integrated Territorial Investment, pay significant attention to local level politics in Europe. The European Neighborhood Policy has an important local dimension. There are such city-oriented programs as COMUS, The Covenant of Mayors, CIUDAD and projects of cross-border coordination. Examples show that cooperation between cities is successful, if it is based on the mutual interest in solving common problems. The Treaty of Lisbon has opened new opportunities to cities' participation. European institutions are now obliged to consult with the Committee of Regions on the issues that have a strong effect at the local and regional level. However, the involvement of cities into integration practices of the EU is still limited. This is due to both, the fundamental problem of the EU organizational design, and the lack of effective channels for representing urban interests at the European level.

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22. Cohesion Policy

Politics in the European Union ◽

10.1093/hepl/9780199689668.003.0022 ◽

2014 ◽

pp. 405-431

Author(s):

Ian Bache ◽

Simon Bulmer ◽

Stephen George ◽

Owen Parker

Keyword(s):

Regional Policy ◽

Growth Strategy ◽

Cohesion Policy ◽

Structural Funds ◽

Europe 2020 ◽

Policy Control ◽

Major Reform ◽

Treaty Of Rome ◽

Multi Level ◽

European Regional

This chapter examines the European Union’s cohesion policy, which had its origins in the European Community’s regional policy. Despite evidence of wide disparities between Europe’s regions, the Treaty of Rome made no specific commitment to the creation of a Community regional policy. It was only in 1975 that a European regional fund was created, and a coherent supranational policy emerged only in 1988. The chapter traces key developments in cohesion policy, focusing on reforms made between 1988 and 2013. Enlargement and the single market programme provided the context for a major reform of the structural funds in 1988. In the 2013 reform, the Commission’s subsequent proposals linked cohesion policy to the goals of the Europe 2020 growth strategy. The chapter also considers shifts in the intergovernmental–supranational nature of policy control in the sector that first gave rise to the notion of multi-level governance.

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Effectiveness of the Portugal 2020 Programme: A Study from the Citizens’ Perspective

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13115799 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (11) ◽

pp. 5799

Author(s):

Adriana Nishimura ◽

Ana Moreira ◽

Manuel Au-Yong-Oliveira ◽

Maria José Sousa

Keyword(s):

The European Union ◽

Cohesion Policy ◽

Investment Funds ◽

Europe 2020 ◽

Europe 2020 Strategy ◽

Partnership Agreement ◽

Programming Period ◽

Main Instrument ◽

Probabilistic Sample ◽

The Eu

The European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) are the main instrument of the European Union (EU) Cohesion Policy to promote convergence, economic growth and reduce imbalances between EU members. The objectives of the 2014–2020 programming period follow the agenda of the Europe 2020 Strategy to promote smart, sustainable and inclusive growth of EU members. Since before joining the EU, in 1986, until the end of the Portugal 2020 Partnership Agreement (PT2020), Portugal will have received more than EUR 130 billion. Have the subsidies that Portugal has received been well applied? Our study fills a gap in the literature by portraying citizens’ perceptions about the effectiveness of EU funds for the development of the country and its regions. The study is quantitative in nature, and a non-probabilistic sample of 1119 participants answered our survey. A high proportion (76%) of the respondents considered that EU funds contributed to the development of the region where they live, although a significant percentage of the respondents (more than half) considered that there may be corruption in Portugal. The Portuguese also mentioned the existence of practices such as favouritism and lobbying regarding the approval of projects. Our findings are supported by the literature, which refers to “lost opportunities” in the inefficient application of ESIF, while recognising that EU funds have played a significant role in Portugal’s development over the last three decades.

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WHAT IS NEW IN THE EU COHESION POLICY?

Scientific and Analytical Herald of IE RAS ◽

10.15211/vestnikieran520218491 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 23 (5) ◽

pp. 84-91

Author(s):

Natalia Kondratieva ◽

Keyword(s):

Regional Policy ◽

High Volume ◽

Press Releases ◽

Cohesion Policy ◽

Europe 2020 ◽

Europe 2020 Strategy ◽

Supranational Regulation ◽

European Regional Policy ◽

The Eu

Based on the review of regulations and press releases of EU institutions, the content of changes in the cohesion policy in 2021–2027 was revealed in comparison with the period 2014– 2020. The conclusion is made about the preservation of a significant role of the cohesion policy in the EU’s activities and high volume of its allocations from the EU Budget. The author sees an element of novelty in the synthesis of well-known methods and principles of supranational regulation of the socio-economic development of the EU territories – the budget method, the principle of financial conditionality and the open method of coordination. Particular attention is paid to the decision to reorient a third of the allocations of European regional policy funds for programs of transition to a circular and climate-neutral economy in 2021–2027. The explanation of such strong link between the goals of regional policy and the ecological and climatic goals of the EU is proposed. Namely, the success of the «Europe 2020» Strategy only in terms of climate benchmarks, according to the author, gives to the official Brussels a reason to see the potential to increase the effectiveness of regional policy.

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The backdrop to EU Cohesion Policy debates: Europe 2020 and the post-crisis economy

The Regional and Urban Policy of the European Union ◽

10.4337/9781783479511.00005 ◽

2015 ◽

pp. 1-15

Keyword(s):

Cohesion Policy ◽

Policy Debates ◽

Europe 2020

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Competitiveness of EU Member States Regarding the Implementation of the Europe 2020 Strategy Assumptions

VUZF Review ◽

10.38188/2534-9228.21.4.18 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 6 (4) ◽

pp. 158-168

Author(s):

Alina Walenia

Keyword(s):

European Commission ◽

Smart Growth ◽

Inclusive Development ◽

Cohesion Policy ◽

Member States ◽

Eu Countries ◽

Eu Member States ◽

Europe 2020 ◽

Europe 2020 Strategy ◽

Eu Regions

The Europe 2020 Strategy occupies a prominent place in the European Union's (EU) cohesion policy as a long-term programme for social and economic advancement. The main objective of the strategy is to implement the idea of smart, sustainable and inclusive development. An important priority implemented by EU countries in the context of implementing the assumptions of the Europe 2020 strategy is smart growth, i.e., the development of an economy based on knowledge and innovation. This requires significant spending on research and development and the use of mechanisms that enable the rapid transfer of theoretical knowledge into economic practice. The Europe 2020 strategy has set new targets for increasing competitiveness and accelerating the development of EU regions and countries. For all regions, including the economically weakest ones, the implementation of the Europe 2020 Strategy goals has been an important stimulus for the development and increase in competitiveness of EU regions. The decade just ending justifies carrying out assessments that must be intricately linked to the analysis of indicators set by the European Commission within the framework of the strategy's three priorities, i.e., smart, sustainable and inclusive development. The aim of the article is to assess the degree of implementation of the assumptions of the Europe 2020 Strategy in EU Member States. With the use of a synthetic indicator calculated using a multidimensional comparative analysis based on the Hellwig method, a ranking of EU countries, in terms of implementing the Europe 2020 Strategy assumptions, was established. The main indicators proposed by Eurostat for monitoring the Europe 2020 Strategy were applied for the assessment. As a result of the conducted research, conclusions were formulated regarding the importance of the Europe 2020 Strategy in the implementation of the cohesion policy principles in EU Member States. The research results show that the countries that have achieved the best results in the implementation of the assumptions of the Europe 2020 Strategy are also leaders in the ranking of competitiveness taking GDP per capita into account published by the European Commission.

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Territorial Cohesion and the Pandemic in Romania

Studia Universitatis „Vasile Goldis” Arad – Economics Series ◽

10.2478/sues-2021-0019 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 31 (4) ◽

pp. 54-69

Author(s):

Marioara Iordan ◽

Ion Ghizdeanu ◽

Alexandra Patricia Braica

Keyword(s):

Cohesion Policy ◽

General Validity ◽

Health Crisis ◽

Real Convergence ◽

Europe 2020 ◽

Europe 2020 Strategy ◽

Territorial Cohesion ◽

The Impact ◽

Global Strategies ◽

The Eu

Abstract Convergence and economic and social cohesion remain priorities for the EU, beyond failures to achieve the objectives of the ‘Europe 2020’ strategy. Convergence and territorial cohesion, as a prerequisite for sustainable and durable development, have been the fundamental objectives that generated and developed the strategic planning in the EU, including through the two global strategies, ‘Lisbon’ and ‘Europe 2020’. The sustainability of these processes, even in periods of high economic growth, is questionable since real national convergence is based in many countries, including Romania, on large and widening divergences between regions and counties. In recent years, Romania has seen one of the most enhanced improvements in convergence compared to the EU average, from 60% in 2016 to 69% of the European average in 2019 respectively. During the same period, disparities between regions and counties have deepened. More than 10 years after EU accession and participation in the Community cohesion policy, there is still a third of the counties with less than 70% of the national average of gross domestic product per capita. The health crisis has deeply affected economic activity, but in a differentiated way, depending on the specific territorial economic structures. As a result, the objective of improved and sustainable real convergence, by bringing regions and counties closer together in terms of their level of development, is receding. The economic situation in the counties in 2020 indirectly provides support for assessing the impact of the pandemic on the territorial cohesion process. The implicit conclusion revealed by the latest statistical data is that the level of development has been the support for better resilience to the health crisis. Although the restrictions on international movement and the closure of tourist and industrial capacities have had general validity, the counties with a higher degree of disparity have been more affected.

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Competitiveness, Emu and Cohesion Experiences in the Past (2000–2013); Assessment of the Present (2014–2020) and Lessons for the Future (2020 and Beyond)

International Journal of Management and Economics ◽

10.1515/ijme-2015-0008 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 44 (1) ◽

pp. 39-50

Author(s):

Willem Molle

Keyword(s):

European Union ◽

Inclusive Growth ◽

The European Union ◽

Cohesion Policy ◽

The Past ◽

Europe 2020 ◽

Europe 2020 Strategy ◽

Eu Policies ◽

Policy Fields

Abstract The European Union has adopted several strategies to cope with a set of inter-related problems. The best known is the Europe 2020 strategy with its focus on smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. Another is fostering balanced macro growth via a strengthening of the EMU. Finally the cohesion policy has to cope with spatial unbalances. The objective of this paper is to highlight the main issues in three policy fields: competitiveness, EMU and cohesion.1 Two scenarios for post 2020 development are described, which show the need for further strengthening of EU policies and of the quality of government at all levels.

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EU cohesion policy as a requirement to voivodeship development pathways

Miscellanea Geographica ◽

10.1515/mgrsd-2017-0015 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 21 (2) ◽

pp. 68-72 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jacek Szlachta

Keyword(s):

European Union ◽

Purchasing Power Parity ◽

The European Union ◽

Power Parity ◽

Cohesion Policy ◽

Investment Funds ◽

Support For Innovation ◽

Europe 2020 ◽

Europe 2020 Strategy ◽

Partnership Agreement

AbstractPoland joined the European Union on 1 May 2004. By 2007, this had resulted in Poland being the greatest beneficiary of the European cohesion policy due to its low per capita GDP by purchasing power parity at the voivodeship level. The scale of European Structural and Investment Funds brought the possibility for a fundamental acceleration of socio-economic growth in Polish regions. The European Union gradually modified the directions of intervention under the framework of the European cohesion policy, initially orienting this activity principally towards cohesion, but from 2010 directing it mainly towards competitiveness. Of particular significance was the Europe 2020 strategy (2010). In Poland its arrangements were deferred until the signing of the Partnership Agreement for the period 2014-2020, which established extensive support for innovation, competitiveness and the R&D sector. In the final part of the paper, conclusions and recommendations for regional policy are elaborated.

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The Sustainable Territorial Innovation of “Inner Peripheries”. The Lazio Region (Italy) Case

International Studies Interdisciplinary Political and Cultural Journal ◽

10.1515/ipcj-2017-0006 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

pp. 87-101 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Elena Battaglini

Keyword(s):

Multivariate Analysis ◽

Spatial Distribution ◽

Statistical Processing ◽

Cohesion Policy ◽

Lazio Region ◽

Strategic Objectives ◽

Urban Policies ◽

Italian Government ◽

Sustainable Innovation ◽

Europe 2020

This methodological, policy-focused paper firstly defines the concept of “sustainable territorial innovation” and its operationalisation according to the strategic objectives of Europe 2020. Statistical processing was based on 26 indicators, which helped to perform a multivariate analysis and allowed to identify ten groups of municipalities characterised in terms of the territorial sustainable innovation idea. Their GIS spatial distribution has led authors to combine them with the set of indicators proposed by the Italian Government in the UE Cohesion Policy 2014–2020 perspective. The paper also addresses the constraints and opportunities for urban and peri-urban policies within new scenarios.

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