What is it about?
It is rather well-known that newer member states have often faced difficulties in absorbing EU funds into their economies. Thus, the article provides a more refined understanding of what factors are driving the absorption of EU funds and provides a rich empirical analysis of the differences in EU funds absorption performance across European countries. We help explain why some countries are better at spending European funding than others. In doing so, we examined how administrative and political indicators play out and affect the wider institutional environments responsible, at the national level, for spending a large part of European taxpayers’ money.
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Why is it important?
In essence, because they bring further evidence and add to a growing number of voices highlighting the importance of institutions and political governance for using public resources. Both of our key findings, regarding administrative capacity and the quality of political governance emphasize the significant role played by institutions (and the people accounting for them) for delivering Cohesion Policy implementation.
Perspectives
Both Brexit and the negotiations of the next Multiannual Financial Framework make the paper an interesting and timely discussion on the EU Cohesion Policy and the wider future policy priorities of the EU.
Cristian Incaltarau
Universitatea Alexandru Ioan Cuza
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Evaluating the Determinants of EU Funds Absorption across Old and New Member States – the Role of Administrative Capacity and Political Governance, JCMS Journal of Common Market Studies, January 2020, Wiley,
DOI: 10.1111/jcms.12995.
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