ESPON Workshop at the Open DaysBrussels, 6 October 2010

ESPON provides regions with targeted analysis

Success for Convergence Region’s EconomiesVictoria Primhak, L.U.P.T. - University of Naples

Federico II

Research TeamLead Partner: L.U.P.T. University of Naples Federico IICoordinator: Prof. Guglielmo TrupianoTeam: Dr Enrica Rapolla, Dr Ettore Guerrera, Dr Filomena Izzo, Dr Victoria Primhak

Partner: Dept.of Environmental Sciences, Geography/ Urban andRegional Studies, University of BaselCoordinator: Prof. Dr. Rita Schneider-SliwaTeam: Dr Tina Haisch, Prof. Urs Muller, Esther Gloor

Subcontractors and local experts: BAK Basel Economics, EurofundProject Consulting S.L., Nodi srl, Stowarzyszenie Miasta w Internecie,Georgia Karavangeli, Vasilis Lepidas, Lukas Nikitin

StakeholdersCampania (Italy)Podlasie (Poland)East Macedonia – Thrace (Greece)Valencia (Spain)

Umbrella Organisations:Conference of Peripheral Maritime RegionsAssembly of European Regions Assembly of European Border Regions

Advisory status:Ministry of Economic DevelopmentItaly

General Goals

•To understand why some convergence regions continue to lag behind and others are able to accelerate their growth rates and catch up with the EU mean

•To identify factors that affect above average and below average growth rates relating to effective fund management and effective public administration

•To identify effective strategies regional policy-makers can adopt in lagging regions to improve economic performance and make the most of cohesion policy

• To draw up policy suggestions for the 4 stakeholder Regions

Research approach

Key Findings

• Preconditions for Economic success• Efficiency of the public workforce• Efficient decision-making for fund allocation and implementation

procedures • Effective monitoring and evaluation systems• Transparency and accountability of processes, including low levels

of corruption and a stable regulatory framework• Economic drivers

• Exploiting knowledge and innovation potentials, eg university quality• Enhancing accessibility & connectivity• Improving the quality of life including heritage, social conditions• Exploiting/modernising the economic settings and structure • EU funds amount and allocation

• Economic enablers• Taxation• Regulation• Administration system and governance

Key findings – stakeholder regions…from the regional survey: questionnaires

Weak convergence regions Catching-up region

Factors Median Mean Factors Median Mean

1. EU funds allocation 9 8.94 1. Quality of life 8 7.99

2. Connectivity 9 8.49 2. Accessibility 8 7.83

3. Innovation potentials 9 8.43 3. Population/social 8 7.82

4. Accessibility 9 8.39 4. EU funds amounts 8 7.80

5. Governance/admin 9 8.23 5. Regulation 8 7.80

6. Quality of life 9 8.18 6. EU funds allocation 8 7.70

7. EU funds amounts 9 8.08 7. Innovation potentials 8 7.69

8. Economic settings 8 7.92 7. Governance/admin 8 7.69

9. Taxation 8 7.60 9. Economic settings 8 7.66

10. Decentralisation 8 7.47 10. Decentralisation 8 7.63

11. Regulation 7 6.80 11. Taxation 8 7.54

12. Population/social 7 6.67 12. Connectivity 7 7.42

Weak and catching up convergence regions differ in regard to success factors!

Lessons Learned• Convergence regions can take full advantage of cohesion policy

only if the economic preconditions are met.• The effectiveness and efficiency of EU funds allocation and

spending in convergence regions is more important than the amount available

• Differences in the exploitation of resources or economic drivers in convergence regions explain successful economic performance

• Exploiting innovation potentials should be a policy focus, but must be geared to regional contexts and strengths

• EU funds add to economic growth in the absence of corruption and high accountability in convergence regions

• Other relevant factors include quality of human capital and decentralisation

Policy suggestions

•Foster cooperation up-stream and improve coordination down- stream for the implementation of cohesion• Public accountability and the transparency of processes• Avoid concentration on a single sector but ensure diversification

is complementary to regional potentials• Invest in major transport and infrastructure projects • Invest in available human capital

Campania: improvement of public administration efficiency and coordination of funds in key areas

Podlasie: improvements in the economic structure REMTH: modernising public administration to better utilize regional

potentialsValencia : innovation, natural and cultural heritage

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Victoria Primhak

Contact:trupiano@unina.it

Many thanks for your attention!

THANKS