Carlos Mendez

The Post-2013 Reform of EU Cohesion Policy and the Place-Based Narrative

This article examines the role and use of discourse as a means of affecting EU cohesion policy reform. A discursive shift is traced to a place-based narrative, which sought to re-legitimize and reconnect the policy with its foundational principles during the post-2013 policy review. It is argued that the impact of the narrative on the Commissions proposals has been only partially effective owing to deep-rooted ideational, interest-driven and organizational resistance and tensions relating to the policys objectives, governance and relationship with Europe 2020. Implications are drawn for ideational analysis in the EU.

The Lisbonization of EU Cohesion Policy: A Successful Case of Experimentalist Governance?

This article traces the emergence of a new “experimentalist governance architecture” in EU Cohesion policy and assesses its effectiveness. Following trends in other EU policy areas, the core features of the architecture are the joint setting of objectives between EU institutions and the Member States, (semi-)autonomous implementation by the Member States and regions, the use of performance reporting and peer review mechanisms at the EU level and the periodic revision of policy objectives. The new architecture—characterized by a hybrid mix of soft and hard new modes of governance—has been instrumental in driving policy and governance change in the 2007–2013 strategies and delivery arrangements, although a direct and exclusive “EU-driven effect” is not always easy to discern. More fundamentally, the effects on mutual learning have so far been weak and are unlikely to improve unless a more structured and robust assessment and peer review process is introduced.

Administrative reform and unintended consequences: an assessment of the EU Cohesion policy ‘audit explosion’

This paper investigates the effects of administrative reform in the Commission on policy implementation and outcomes through a study of EU Cohesion policy auditing. It argues that the growth in audit has taken a distinctively compliance-oriented form, in contrast with the performance audit model adopted in other countries that have embraced administrative modernization agendas. Further, the link between organizational efficiency and governance effectiveness postulated by other studies of Commission administrative reform is challenged, as the underlying audit and control problem in Cohesion policy – the high error rate – remain unresolved. Lastly, the proliferation in Cohesion policy auditing is presented as a classic example of unintended consequences: originally intended to improve policy performance and accountability, it has in fact undermined the strategic performance of the policy and is even threatening its sustainability.

EU Cohesion Policy and European Integration : The Dynamics of EU Budget and Regional Policy Reform

EU Cohesion policy accounts for a major share of the EU budget and is central to economic and social development in many European countries. This book provides a comprehensive and theoretically-informed analysis of how Cohesion policy has evolved over time and, in particular the budgetary and policy dynamics of the 2007-13 reform. In the context of the budgetary politics of the EU, the book examines the process by which the reform of Cohesion policy has been was shaped; it identifies the key factors that explain the allocation of funding, assesses the roles of the Member States, European Commission and European Parliament, and tests whether the process and outcome are consistent with the expectations of EU decision-making and integration theories. Based on extensive, EU-wide research over a ten-year period, the book provides new insights into both the process and outcomes of EU policy reform. Presenting original research in an accessible format, this book will be of interest to scholars as well as undergraduate and postgraduate students in the fields of European integration and policy studies.

Made to Measure? Europeanization, Goodness of Fit and Adaptation Pressures in EU Competition Policy and Regional Aid

Abstract The measurement of Europeanization and adaptational pressures can be facilitated by three elements: an EU-wide perspective to enable a comparative assessment of impacts and outcomes; using a clear example of a new European-level policy initiative that impacts on all member states simultaneously; and a detailed knowledge of the ex ante and ex post situation in each country. This article incorporates these elements in a comparative case study of adaptational pressures and policy change under EU regional state aid policy, which casts doubt on the utility of goodness-of-fit propositions.

Financial Compliance in the European Union: A Cross‐National Assessment of Financial Correction Patterns and Causes in Cohesion Policy

EU compliance scholarship has expanded rapidly over the last decade but has neglected the financial dimension of compliance in terms of Member States’ conformity with EU financial rules on the regularity and legality of EU spending. This article makes the case for a multi-dimensional approach to compliance research and provides a cross-national assessment of financial compliance in EU Cohesion policy, employing quantitative and qualitative methods. To account for cross-national variations in the application of financial corrections for non-compliant spending, several factors are explored, focusing on regional autonomy, administrative capacity and goodness-of-fit. The quantitative analysis finds strong support for the impact of administrative capacity on cross-national compliance patterns and some evidence for the role of goodness-of-fit. Contrary to expectations, regional autonomy is not associated with compliance in this critical case of EU multi-level governance. Qualitative analysis reinforces these findings and reveals additional factors of relevance.

Cohesion policy reform and the evolving role of the council

The reform of Cohesion policy is a complex process within the complex polity of the European Union. Understanding how it takes place requires insight into the interplay between different institutions at EU, national and sub-national levels as well as formal and informal alliances and networks of countries, regions and interest groups. This chapter examines the way that institutions play a role in determining the financial allocations and regulations of Cohesion policy, and discusses the recalibration of inter-institutional relationships in the latest reform with important implications for the design of Cohesion policy.

An Assessment of Multilevel Governance in Cohesion Policy 2007-2013 : Volume 1, Study

This study provides an in-depth analysis of Multi-Level Governance in Cohesion Policy in the programming period of 2007-2013. It begins by examining the evolution of the concept and previous practices of implementing Multi-Level Governance in Cohesion Policy across the EU. It then provides a comparative analysis of partnership-working in nine programme case studies during the programming period and across the various stages of the policy cycle. The study identifies the advantages and disadvantages of partnership-working and formulates strategic and operational recommendations in the context of the preparation of the 2014-2020 programming period.

Visions and options for cohesion policy after 2013

This study provides a critical analysis of EU Cohesion Policy reform perspectives for the post-2013 period. On the basis of a literature review and budgetary modelling, the study offers an assessment of the policy’s strengths and weaknesses, the main reform ideas and counter-positions, including the implications of different reform proposals. Recommendations are derived to inform the position of the European Parliament in the upcoming negotiations on the legislative package of regulations.