EU territorial policy: pragmatic or developmental?
More than one-third (34%) of the EU’s 2014-2020 budget is being allocated to cohesion policy. This paper examines whether the policy is delivering the economic, social and territorial ambitions assigned to it.
The paper’s theoretical contribution is its analysis of the way in which EU territorial policy has been influenced by changing socio-political discourse, evolving theories of regional development and varying economic models.The empirical element of the paper has two dimensions. A macro-level analysis of how the policy has impacted throughout the EU is followed by two micro-level case-studies. The DARRA Northern Periphery project illustrates how territorial policy can deliver ICT solutions which foster economic and social development. The policy’s impact on Ireland a perceived success story for territorial policy is then scrutinised. The paper concludes by assessing the extent to which cohesion policy has triggered development that is smart, sustainable and inclusive.
