THE POLICY

DEPARTMENT
STUDY
DETAILS
STUDY
in a nutshell
We provide Committees of the AUTHORS DIRECTORATE-GENERAL FOR INTERNAL POLICIES

European Parliament in the area of European Policies Research Centre, University of Strathclyde, POLICY DEPARTMENT
Glasgow: John BACHTLER, Laura POLVERARI STRUCTURAL AND COHESION POLICIES
Structural & Cohesion Policies with a
dedicated research service.
As a Policy Department we do our own
research but also contract external
experts to deliver studies and briefings Building Blocks for a
for the Committees.
Future Cohesion Policy
– First Reflections
The full study is available here:
http://bit.ly/601-974

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L009141
IP/B/REGI/IC/2017-11
Current and future challenges of
PE 601.974 April 2017
the post-2020 Cohesion Policy

A study commissioned by the

Committee on Regional Development
 MAIN
CONCLUSIONS
• The reform of the EU budget and policy
priorities in the post-2020 Multiannual
Financial Framework comes at a difficult
time for the EU with major internal and
external challenges.
• Cohesion Policy is under pressure to
justify its added value in relation to EU
political objectives; the latest data show
that the challenges for economic, social
and territorial cohesion remain
profound.
• There is increasing evidence of
Cohesion Policy effectiveness, but there
are also competing pressures on the EU
budget.
• One of the difficult debates for
post-2020 is to clarify the priorities for
Cohesion Policy and its relationship
with other EU policies.
• Discussions will focus on delivery,
namely on how to achieve
simplification, facilitate synergies and
provide for increased flexibility in the
• Cohesion policy’s management.
ABSTRACT FOCUS ON
A fundamental enabling issue is the need This study discusses the essential
for harmonization and simplification of themes expected to be part of the
rules attached to different policies (ESIF debate on the post-2020 Cohesion
and other EU investment programmes) Policy. It covers the rationale and overall
and the applicable EU regulatory policies, framework of the policy, current and
especially concerning State aids and future challenges, and the post-2020
public procurement. In addition, there is a delivery system. The context in which
need for better coordination and debates on the future are taking place is
communication between relevant more challenging than in the past but
Commission services – and, equally, advocacy of a continued strong role of
within national and sub-national Cohesion Policy has begun to emerge
administrations - to bridge the ‘culture from EU, national and regional
gap’ between regional development and institutions.
sectorial policies, to fostering collective
action between ESIF and other EU
policies. Comments on this study are welcome at:
poldep-cohesion@europarl.europa.eu
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The full study is available here:
http://bit.ly/601-974