Inforegio - Evaluations of the 2007-2013 programming period

Ex Post Evaluation of the ERDF and CF: Key outcomes of Cohesion Policy in 2007-2013

Main Findings

Work packages

The DG REGIO Evaluation unit - in cooperation with the Member States – is carrying out the ERDF/Cohesion Fund ex post evaluation 2007-2013 of 320 co-funded programmes. The evaluation consists of a set of 15 working packages most of them thematic in nature.

Summary: The evaluation analysed the progress and achievements of Cohesion Policy for environment related infrastructure focusing on two areas: waste management and water. The study assessed to what extent Cohesion Policy funding contributed to Member States' implementation of EU environmental directives and 2) environmental projects co-funded by Cohesion Policy are financially sustainable. In order to answer these questions, a broad review of the portfolio of projects and operational programmes and a more detailed analysis of the quality of the financial analysis for 20 selected major projects were carried out. 10 case studies examined implementation issues and provided a contextual understanding of the financial analysis: 3 projects for waste management (Poland/ Gdańsk, Portugal/ERSUC, Romania/Cluj County) and 7 projects for water (Czech Republic/Brno, Estonia/Kohtla-Järve Area, Greece/Koropiou & Paianias, Lithuania/Vilnius, Malta, Poland/ Żory, Portugal/SIMARSUL).
1. The study found that the support for environment for the programming period 2007-2013 represented about € 46.5 billion and the decided amounts accounted for over 17% of all Cohesion Policy resources. In many EU13 and southern EU15 Member States, Cohesion Policy is one of the main sources of public financing and therefore provided a major contribution to achieving EU water and waste targets. Many of these countries have made broad progress: in the area of waste, the recycling rate increased in almost all EU13 Member States; in the area of water, projects financed by the ERDF and Cohesion Fund improved drinking water supply for at least 4 million EU citizens and contributed to better wastewater treatment for over 7 million EU citizens.
2. The evaluation found that the financial analysis undertaken as part of the preparation of the examined major projects on water and waste management was of reasonable good quality and provided a sound basis for financial sustainability of those environmental projects.
Deliverables:
- Environment - Final Report - Work package 6 Ex post evaluation of Cohesion Policy programmes 2007-2013, focusing on the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Cohesion Fund (CF)

Evaluations of the 2007-2013 programming period

Ex Post Evaluation of the ERDF and CF: Key outcomes of Cohesion Policy in 2007-2013

Main Findings

Work packages

Open Work package 0 - Data collection and quality assessment

Open Work package 1: Synthesis

Open Work package 2 - Small and medium sized enterprises, innovation, ICT

Open Work package 3 - Financial Instruments for Enterprises

Open Work package 4 - Large enterprises

Open Work package 5 - Transport

Open Work package 6 - Environment

Open Work package 8 - Energy efficiency

Open Work package 9 - Tourism and Culture

Open Work package 10 - Urban development and Social infrastructure

Open Work package 11 - European territorial Cooperation

Open Work package 12 - Delivery System

Open Work package 13 - Geography of expenditures

Open Work package 14a - The impact of cohesion policy 2007-2013: model simulations with Quest III

Open Work package 14b - The impact of cohesion policy 2007-2013: model simulations with RHOMOLO

Open Work package 14c and 14d - Regression Discontinuity Design and Propensity Score Matching

Evaluations