A limited effective cohesion policy in an enlarged European Union

Résumé du document

Cohesion is an important facet of integration that is necessary in the European Union, it is related to the solidarity between the citizens among different Member States and the justice inside the European Union. A substantial budget is allocated for the Cohesion Policy which aims at aiding less economically developed countries in the Union. In the context of an ever-enlarging European Union, many believe that such enlargement can act as a serious challenge to the EU Cohesion Policy. Therefore, it will be worth answering the following question: to what extent has the Cohesion Policy addressed the cohesion issue with continuous enlargement? To answer this question, this paper will first take a detailed look in the enlargement of the European Union, and the development of the Cohesion Policy. Then, it will show that the effectiveness of the Cohesion Policy is limited, evaluating it from both economic and societal terms.

Extraits

[...] It is expected that the enlargement of the European Union will continue in the future as well. Such continuing enlargement has been followed by worries about cohesion among different Member States, which are substantially different in terms of economic power and degree of integration into the common European economy. People have worried that such inequality, caused by reasons such as those below, would seriously affect solidarity of the European Union (www.europa.eu): Regional inequalities have various causes . The impact of these disadvantages is frequently evident in social deprivation, poor quality schools, higher joblessness and inadequate infrastructures. [...]

[...] However, such an action had little impact, because the establishment of the internal market could not succeed in balancing out the inequalities between the regions, as opposed to what was predicted. Later, in the 1986 Single European Act, cohesion was established as a goal as well as completing the single European market. Finally, in 1992, the Maastricht Treaty adopted the Cohesion Policy into the European Union. In 1994, speed up economic, social and territorial convergence”, the European Union created the Cohesion and Structural Funds. [...]

[...] Taking all into consideration, although it is not too certain to what extent the Cohesion Policy has served its purpose. What can be said is, though, amidst increasing conflicts between old and new (and possible future) Member States, the Cohesion Policy has promoted cohesion at least a little in econometric and social term Conclusion In conclusion, in the context of continuous European Union enlargement especially eastwards, the Cohesion Policy has aimed at promoting solidarity and equality among Member States. The policy has indeed worked, though to a somewhat limited degree, in promoting economic and social cohesion. [...]

[...] A small amount is reserved for cross-border and inter-regional cooperation projects, all of these to serve the three mains goals for the period: convergence, competitiveness, and cooperation Evaluation of Cohesion Policy in an Enlarged European Union The evaluation of the Cohesion Policy differs according to the subject that evaluates it, and the criteria used. However, econometrically, overall empirical evidence suggests that there is a small convergence in all or at least some regions, although the extent of Cohesion Policy's contribution to this phenomenon stays uncertain. [...]

[...] The European Structural and Cohesion Funds. Web March 2010. www.europa.eu. Economic, social and territorial cohesion. Web March 2010. www.europa.eu. Regional policy. Web March 2010. [...]