The report, presented yesterday (19 April) in Brussels, was an 'Ex-Post Evaluation' of 2000-2006 programmes financed by the European Regional Development Fund in Objective 1 and 2 regions. The report was commissioned by the European Commission and produced by a team led by Belgian independent research company Applica.
Speaking at the launch of the report, Regional Commissioner Johannes Hahn argued that the evaluation proves that the vast spectrum of regional policy programmes and projects can be evaluated in a meaningful way.
He claimed the results showed noteworthy successes in job creation, a strong improvement in SME activities, and evidence of social and environmental progress.
Does current crisis undermine findings?
Hahn also argued that the findings gave some strong pointers for reforming regional policy after 2013, in order to maximise its success. In particular, he cited the need for new indicators beyond mere GDP to assess whether the policy is succeeding on the ground.
A panel of experts agreed, arguing that despite the fact that the 2000-2006 period was set against a backdrop of consistent economic growth – in sharp contrast to the current 2007-2013 period, which is framed against a deep recession - the lessons learned can still inform regional policy after 2014.
"The value of this evaluation lies in learning from our past mistakes," said Dirk Ahner, director-general for regional policy at the European Commission.
Be realistic about what regional policy can do
There is nothing wrong per se with adding new objectives, such as environmental targets, to other overall regional policy goals, argued Harvey Armstrong of the University of Sheffield, as long as the "ambitions for what can be achieved are kept modest".
Expecting too much of regional funds hampers their ability to be effective, Armstrong added, saying he had seen worrying traces of so-called "mission creep" in regional policy in recent decades. In other words, the EU has gone too far in expanding the number of areas where it believes regional policy can make a difference.
It makes more sense to focus on a limited number of objectives, he argued.
