Regional policy of the EU
Lecturer: Trón Zsuzsanna
The aim of the course is to get the students familiar with the regional policy of the European
Union, its history and the political background. The students get a summary about the important
questions of regional policy in the course of the semester and they prepare presentations about the
basic literatures.
Course description:
Date
Topic
1. Introduction, requirements
2. Basic notions of regional policy, Factors influencing regional
disparities
3. Theories: An interesting example
4. Regional policy in the EU: Historical development
5. Regional policy of the EU: Structural Funds and their principles I.
6. Regional policy of the EU: Structural Funds and their principles II.
7. The reform of European regional policy
8. The reform of European regional policy
9. The institutional dimension of European regional policy
10. Regional policy in the old member states
11. The impact of EU regional policy on the new EU countries
12. Regional policy in Hungary
13. Summary
End term test
Requirements:
Visit classes (skip lesson max. 3 times), make a presentation (30%), and prepare a thematic
collection of 15 articles (20%) deadline: 31st October, written test in the end of the semester
(50%).
We use a final grade system as it follows: 0-57% failed (1), 58-68% fair (2), 69-78% average
(3), 79-89% good (4), 90-100% excellent (5).
Ask for help:
Personally: Office C/8., Phone: (52) 416-580 /77049
E-mail: zsuzsanna.tron@econ.unideb.hu
Readings
2. Basic notions of regional policy, Factors influencing regional disparities
Trón Zsuzsanna (2004): Need for Regional Policy and Some Theoretical Basis. In: István Tarrósy –
Gerald Rosskogler (eds.): Regional Co-operation as Central European Perspective. Proceedings of
the 1st Danube Rectors’ Conference Summer School, Pécs, pp. 10-22.
EC (2007): Growing Regions, growing Europe. Fourth report on economic and social cohesion.
Provisional version. Comission of the European Communities, Brüsszel. pp. 1-89.
http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/sources/docoffic/official/reports/cohesion4/pdf/4cr_en.pdf.
Chapter 1 — Economic, social and territorial situation and trends in Member States and regions of
the EU-27
3. Theories: An interesting example
Molle, Willem (2001): The Economies of European Integration: Theory, Practice, Policy. Ashgate,
Aldershot. pp. 395-427.
Armstrong, Harvey W. (1994): EC regional policy. In: El-Agraa (ed.): The economic of the EU.
Harvester-Wheatsheaf, New York – London, 349-375. o.
Martin, Philippe (1999): Are European regional policies delivering? EIB Papers, 4. Vol. 2. Issue,
10-23.
Midelfart-Knarvik, Karen Helene – Overman, Henry G. (2002): Delocation and European
Integration: is Structural Spending Justified? Economic Policy, Vol. 35. October, pp. 323-359.
4. Regional policy in the EU: The set-up today
Moussis, Nicholas (2006): Guide to European Policies. European Study Servis, Rexinsart. Chapter
12.1.: Regional development Policy, pp. 168-170.
EC (2008): Actual data on the current set-up. See http://ec.europa.eu/ regional_policy/ policy/
object/ index_en.htm
5. Regional policy in the EU: Historical development
Moussis, Nicholas (2006): Guide to European Policies. European Study Servis, Rexinsart. Chapter
12.: Regional development Policy, pp. 170-177.
Hooghe, Liesbet – Keating, Michel (1994): The politics of European Union regional policy. Journal
of European Public Policy, Vol 1. No. 3. 367-393. o.
Tsoukalis, Loukas (1997): Cohesion and Redistribution. In: Tsoukalis, Loukas: The New European
Economy Revisited. Oxford University Press, New York. 187-222. o.
6. Regional policy of the EU: Structural Funds and their principles
George, Stephan – Bache, Ian (2001): Politics in the European Union, Oxford: Oxford University
Press, pp. 361-383.
Allen, D. (2005): Cohesion and the Structural Funds. In: Wallace H.-Wallace W. (eds.) (2005):
Policy Making in the European Union. Oxford University Press, Oxford. pp. 213-241.
Sutcliffe, John B. (2000): The 1999 Reform of the Structural Fund Regulations: Multi-Level
Governance or Renationalization? Journal of European Public Policy, pp. 290-309
7-8. The reforms of European regional policy
Tondl, Gabrielle (2004): EU Regional policy. Experiences and Future Concerns. Europainstitut
Working Papers Nr. 59. 1-39.
Richter, Sándor (2006): On the future of financial redistribution across member-states of the EU.
Acta Oeconomica. Vol. 56. No. 1. pp. 1-43.
EC (2007): Growing Regions, growing Europe. Fourth report on economic and social cohesion.
Provisional version. Comission of the European Communities, Brüsszel. pp. xiv-xx and 125-131.
http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/sources/docoffic/official/reports/cohesion4/pdf/4cr_en.pdf.
9. The institutional dimension of European regional policy
Börzel, T. (2001): Europeanization and Domestic Institutional Change: Toward Cooperative
Regionalism, In: Green, C. – Caporaso, J. – Risse, T. (eds.): Transforming Europe:
Europeanization and Domestic Change. Cornell University Press, Ithaca-London. pp. 137-158.
10. Evaluation
EC (2007): Growing Regions, growing Europe. Fourth report on economic and social cohesion.
Provisional version. Comission of the European Communities, Brüsszel. http://ec.europa.eu/
regional_policy/sources/docoffic/official/reports/cohesion4/pdf/4cr_en.pdf. pp. 93-125. (Chapter 2
— The impact of cohesion policy)
JOHN BACHTLER and COLIN WREN (2006): Evaluation of European Union Cohesion Policy:
Research Questions and Policy Challenges. † Regional Studies, Vol. 40.2, pp. 143–153, April 2006
JOHN BRADLEY (2006): Evaluating the Impact of European Union Cohesion Policy in Lessdeveloped Countries and Regions. Regional Studies, Vol. 40.2, pp. 189–199,
RON MARTIN and PETER TYLER (2006): Evaluating the Impact of the Structural Funds on
Objective 1 Regions: An Exploratory Discussion. Regional Studies, Vol. 40.2, pp. 201–210,
EC (2007): Growing Regions, growing Europe. Fourth report on economic and social cohesion.
Provisional version. Comission of the European Communities, Brüsszel. http://ec.europa.eu/
regional_policy/sources/docoffic/official/reports/cohesion4/pdf/4cr_en.pdf. pp. 133-154. (Chapter
3 — National Policies and Cohesion)
EC (2007): Growing Regions, growing Europe. Fourth report on economic and social cohesion.
Provisional version. Comission of the European Communities, Brüsszel. http://ec.europa.eu/
regional_policy/sources/docoffic/official/reports/cohesion4/pdf/4cr_en.pdf. pp. 155-175. (Chapter
4 — Community policies and Cohesion)
11. Regional policy in the old member states
Eloïse Stéclebout (2002): Europeanization of Regional Policies and Conflicts over Power and
Information: The Case of the French Region of Nord-Pas de Calais. Paper presented at the 3rd
workshop of the European Young Researchers Network on EU Spatial Policies: “Rethinking EU
spatial policy as a hologram: actions, institutions, discourses” Istituto Universitario di Architettura
di Venezia, Dipartimento di Pianificazione, Venice, Italy, October 21st – 23rd, 2002.
esteclebout.free.fr/papers/paper_yern.pdf
Foss, O. – Johansen, S. and Johansson, M. – Svensson, B (2002): Regional Policy at a Crossroad:
Sweden and Norway on Different Paths? Paper Presented at the ERSA Conference, Dortmund,
August 2000. pp. 1-22
Simón Sosvilla-Rivero, José A. Herce (2004): European cohesion policy and the Spanish economy
Evaluation and prospective. http://www.fedea.es/pub/Papers/2004/dt2004ENG-20.pdf
Cassimati, Anreta Antigoni (2003): The EU and regional reform in Greece. The Hellenic
Observatory Symposium On Social Science Research in Greece London School of Economics, 21st
June 2003
12. The impact of EU regional policy on the new countries Reg. Pol. in Hungary
Gorzelak, Grzegorz (2000): The Dilemmas of regional policy in the transition c.s and the territorial
organisation of the state. In: Petrakos, G. – Maier, G. – Gorzelak, G. (eds.): Integration and
transition in Eur. The economic geography of interaction. London-New York, Routledge, 131-149.
Ferry, M. (2003): The EU and recent regional reform in Poland. Europe-Asia Studies, Vol. 55.
No.7. (Nov.) pp. 1097-1116.
John Batchler, Ruth Downes, Irene McMaster, Philip Raines, Sandra Taylor,” Future Governance,
The transfer of EU regional policy to the countries of Central and EasternEurope: Can one size fit
all?” Future Governance Paper 10, 2002, www.hull.ac.uk/futgov/Papers/PubPapers/Downs 10.pdf
Szabo Eva Borbala,”EU programs and funds and their impact on Hungarian Economy” www.euconsent.net/library/phd/szabo.pdf
13. Summary