Studies and Papers
Lessons from shared management in cohesion, rural development and fisheries policies
The aim of this study is to offer a comparative perspective of the views of officials of the Commission Services concerning the systems and practices specific to the shared management system applied to structural policies, i.e., cohesion policy, rural development policy and fisheries policy. To achieve this objective, the study maps existing arrangements in the three policy areas concerned and explores how well the systems function on the basis of interviews with EC officials.
Final Report 
- Annexes
The Objective of Economic and Social Cohesion in the Economic Policies of Member States
This study identifies which are the most relevant policies of Member States for the objective of economic, social and territorial cohesion enshrined in the Treaty of the European Union. It describes how such policies are designed and implemented with a view to determining how and to what extent they contribute to the achievement of these objectives. The study contains a main part which presents the main results for the whole EU and then a second part with a single country report per Member State.
Final Report : Part 1 - Part 2
Report on joint study on regional policies in China and EU
A study which compares aspects of regional policy in China with cohesion policy in the European Union – financed by the Commission under its EU-China Policy Dialogues Support Facility - has been carried out in 2008-2010. The study examines the regional policies of the European Union and China to assess their potential to speed the economic growth of regions which are lagging behind. The study is on practical aspects of policy-making and regional development. It concentrates, in particular on: the definition and economic classification of regions; the governance and co-ordination of regional policy; and the role of regional policy in improving competitiveness, sustainable development and urban and rural development. As illustrations, the study report describes examples of best practice in these subject areas in China and the EU.
- Less Poverty, More Employment: Helping the European Union to achieve its 2020 targets -
A Study of the organisation of the European Union Cohesion Policy with special reference to anti-poverty policy in the People’s Republic of China
- EU–China Cooperative Research Program on Regional Policy :
Research Report of the Chinese Expert Group
Regional governance in the context of globalisation: reviewing governance mechanisms and administrative costs
This is the first study to provide a systematic evidence-based survey of the administrative workload and costs for Member State public authorities of the implementation of the European Regional Development Fund and Cohesion Fund during the 2007-2013 period.
The study concluded that:
- an estimated 3-4% of total eligible expenditure is devoted to administration
- there are considerable variations in administrative costs and workload between programmes
- the highest proportion of administrative costs lies with the Managing Authorities
- there is a heavy workload associated with project selection and verification of deliverables.
Final report - Annex 1 - Annex 2
Study on the development of diagnoses and regional innovation strategies in the French regions under the ERDF Operational Programmes for the 2007 – 2013 programming period
The aim of this study was to analyse the development of diagnostics and of the Regional Innovation Strategies (RIS), and more particularly to examine: the process of developing and adapting the RIS in the regions, and the chosen methods of governance; - the main developments or reorientations in relation to the initial situation in 2007, and how the process and its constitutive elements may have contributed; the main conclusions drawn from the RIS exercise, particularly with a view to the mid-term review of the ERDF operational programmes.
Foreword 
- Summary - Synthesis - Regional Factsheets
The regional impact of technological change in 2020
This study highlights the great diversity in development pathways and trajectories of innovation across European regions. A regional knowledge-based economy has multidimensional aspects. It includes a variety of knowledge activities and multiple interactions among a range of actors including universities, research institutes, enterprises, knowledge workers and institutions. The spatial patterns and trends for the different aspects of the knowledge-based economy vary significantly across Europe. Most aspects show convergence and generate catching-up processes, while some show divergence between European regions.
Synthesis Report
Regional Challenges in the Perspective of 2020 - Regional disparities and future challenges (December 2009)
The study broadens and deepens the analysis carried out in “Regions 2020”. The papers composing this study analyse the regional impacts of five key challenges that regions will face in the future, i.e. globalisation, demographic change, climate change, sustainable and competitive energy as well as social risks. Five thematic workshops were carried out with contributions from the World Bank and the Bertelsmann Foundation. From each of the workshops a background paper emerged and was then synthesised in the Synthesis report. The study contributes to defining two overall scenarios of regional disparities in the perspective of 2020 as well as introducing neighbourhood issues into the discussion on challenges.
Synthesis - Background Paper on: New Social Risks - Background Paper on: Energy - Background Paper on: Demographic Challenge - Background Paper on: Globalisation -Background Paper on: Climate change
Regional Focus
The Regional Focus is a series of relatively short papers on a specific theme prepared by the Directorate General for Regional Policy.
n° 03/2010 : The Regional Lisbon Index 
n° 02/2010 : Regional Innovation Governance
n° 01/2010 : Does population decline lead to economic decline
in EU rural regions?
n° 02/2009 : Public investment in Spain 
n° 01/2009 : Metropolitan regions in the EU
n° 02/2008 : Labour mobility between the regions
of the EU-27 and a comparison with the USA
n° 01/2008 : Remote Rural Regions -
How proximity to a city influences the performance of rural regions - Urban/Rural classification of NUTS3 regions 
Working papers
A series of short papers on regional research and indicators produced by the Directorate-General for Regional Policy
n°03/2010 : Patterns and trends of public investment in the new Member States of the European Union
n°02/2010 : Modelling the Policy Instruments of the EU Cohesion Policy
n° 01/2010 : The economy of the
Italian regions: recent
developments and
responses to the
economic crisis 
n° 03/2009 : The Future of Cohesion
Policy in Richer Regions
n° 02/2009 : Territories with specific geographical features
n° 01/2009 : A Cross-Country
Impact Assessment of
EU Cohesion Policy - Applying the Cohesion System
of HERMIN Models
n° 01/2008 : Convergence of EU regions -
Measures and evolution
Studies
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Report on joint study on regional policies in China and EU
A study which compares aspects of regional policy in China with cohesion policy in the European Union – financed by the Commission under its EU-China Policy Dialogues Support Facility - has been carried out in 2008-2010. The study examines the regional policies of the European Union and China to assess their potential to speed the economic growth of regions which are lagging behind. The study is on practical aspects of policy-making and regional development. It concentrates, in particular on: the definition and economic classification of regions; the governance and co-ordination of regional policy; and the role of regional policy in improving competitiveness, sustainable development and urban and rural development. As illustrations, the study report describes examples of best practice in these subject areas in China and the EU.
- Study on the development of diagnoses and regional innovation strategies in the French regions under the ERDF Operational Programmes for the 2007 – 2013 programming period : Foreword - Summary - Synthesis - Regional Factsheets
- The regional impact of technological change in 2020 (July 2010): Synthesis Report
- Regional Governance in the Context of Globalisation (July 2010) - Annex 1 - annex 2
- Regional Challenges in the Perspective of 2020 - Regional disparities and future challenges (December 2009)
- Synthesis
- Background Paper on: New Social Risks
- Background Paper on: Energy
- Background Paper on: Demographic Challenge
- Background Paper on: Globalisation
- Background Paper on: Climate change
- Synthesis
- Regions 2020: An Assessment of Future Challenges
for EU Regions - November 2008
| Preparatory studies for the fourth cohesion report (2007)
The studies listed above were commissioned by the European Commission as part of the preparatory work for the fourth report on economic and social cohesion. The contents of these studies are the responsibility of their authors and do not bind the Commission.
|
- Comparative
Study of Venture
Capital and Loan
Funds Supported
by the Structural
Funds
- Study on the strenghts, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for spanish regions within the framework of the conclusions of the Lisbon and Gothenburg European Councils (September 2006) - Executive summary :
- Full Report
- Policy guidelines for regions falling under the new regional competitiveness and employment objective
for the 2007 - 2013 period (December 2005)
Executive Summary
Foreword
Vol. I : Statistical analysis
Vol. II Country Reports :
: Austria - Belgium - Cyprus - Czech Republic - Denmark - Finland - France - Germany - Greece -Hungary - Ireland - Italy - Luxemburg - Netherlands - Portugal - Slovakia - Spain - Sweden - United Kingdom Vol. III : Discussion Papers by the Scientific Committee’s Members
- Regulatory, infrastructure and tariff aspects of electronic communications and broadband connectivity in the Outermost Regions (ORs). A comparison of the current situation with that in the rest of the Community and neighbouring countries. (2005)
- Thematic Evaluation of the Structural Funds’ Contributions to the Lisbon Strategy (February 2005)
| Preparatory studies for the third cohesion report (2004)
The studies listed above were commissioned by the European Commission as part of the preparatory work for the third report on economic and social cohesion. The contents of these studies are the responsibility of their authors and do not bind the Commission.
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- Mountain Areas in Europe: Analysis of mountain areas in EU member states, acceding and other European countries
Part 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - Annexes
Partie 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - Annexes
- Study on the islands and outermost regions
Analyse des régions insulaires et des régions ultrapériphériques de l'Union européenne
Partie I Les territoires et les régions insulaires + Résumé
Partie II Les régions ultrapériphériques + Résumé
- Integration of Equal Opportunities between Women and Men in Objective 1 and 2 Structural Fund programming Documents (120 KB)
- New publication on « Regional Innovation Strategies under the ERDF Innovative Actions 2000-2002 » : 30 projects RIS and RIS+ analysed and lessons drawn from 8 years of experience. (694 KB)
- New guide to Cluster strategies in less favoured regions : « Creating Smart Systems ». (167 KB)
- The economic impact of Objective 1 interventions for the period 2000-2006
Final report (606 KB)
Statistical Annex
: East Germany (248 KB); Germany (217 KB); Greece (285 KB); Ireland (283 KB); Italy (217 KB); Mezzogiorno (286 KB); Portugal (284 KB); Spain (284 KB)
- Impact territorial des évolutions dans la région de la Mer Noire sur l'Union européenne (2001)
Rapport (1886 Kb) ; Cartes (200 - 800 Kb) 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 5 - 6 (jpg)
- The Danube Space study (July 2000)
- Market trading in Europe - Methodological guide for the analysis and enhancement of markets in public areas (836 KB)
- Spatial impacts of Community policies and costs of non-co-ordination (4.44 MB)
| Preparatory studies for the second cohesion report (January 2001)
The studies listed above were commissioned by the European Commission as part of the preparatory work for the second report on economic and social cohesion. The contents of these studies are the responsibility of their authors and do not bind the Commission.
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