More and more attention is paid in the academic debate to the issue of sub-state entities, represented by regional governments, as partially independent actors of international politics. This phenomenon, referred to as paradiplomacy, is particularly visible in the European Union, where since 1980s regional governments have been mobilising to gain direct influence on the shape of European politics. A regional government that acts as an agent of European politics may or may not be actively supported by its central government. This thesis tries to investigate the relationship between the direct representations of the Visegrád Group regions in Brussels and their respective national Permanent Representations. In the first chapter, I discuss the theoretical issues related to regional mobilisation in Brussels by referring to the work of researchers who deal with multi- level governance in the context of the European Union. In the second chapter, I present and justify the choice of research design, case studies, and semi-structured interviews as the main source of obtaining data necessary to answer the research question. In the third chapter, I included the analysis of the obtained information, and in the fourth chapter, the conclusions drawn from it. This research shows that direct regional...

The thesis deals with evaluation of finances drawing in operational programmes, especially in regional ones, and provides also description of project documentation that is needed to get a subsidy from regional operational programme. The diploma paper comprises basic data about regional policy of the European Union and about implementation of this policy in the Czech Republic. The thesis carries on with the system of operational programmes in the Czech Republic, gives insight into regional operational programmes and analyses the state of finances drawing. Last part focuses on project preparing for getting a subsidy from structural funds, especially on feasibility study and project application.

Cette recherche étudie la mise en œuvre de la politique de cohésion communautaire en Région Sicile en analysant particulièrement son volet culturel. En adoptant une approche à l’échelle microscopique basée sur de nombreux entretiens, nous mettons à jour un cadre d’intervention inopérant. Caractérisée par son extrême complexité, la politique de cohésion, élaborée dans le cadre d’une gouvernance multiniveaux, s’articule difficilement avec la politique de développement des régions et pays concernés. Sa mise à l’épreuve du terrain révèle des failles remettant lourdement en cause son efficacité. La culture y est reconnue pour sa contribution au développement du tourisme fondé sur la valorisation du patrimoine, envisagé comme l’une des principales ressources locales. Pourtant, l’évolution divergente du référentiel culturel à Bruxelles, en Italie et en Sicile a précarisé sa place et reflète une vision réductrice qui s’intéresse uniquement à son impact économique. Par ailleurs, cette politique promeut le principe du partenariat, qui suppose l’implication de l’ensemble des parties prenantes d’un territoire. En Sicile, la Région se réserve pourtant la grande majorité des financements disponibles, forte de son pouvoir et de sa compétence culturelle, au détriment d’un secteur culturel faiblement structuré qui reste globalement exclu. Enfin, la politique de cohésion apparaît comme un révélateur des crises politiques sicilienne et européenne : certains acteurs institutionnels insulaires privilégient volontairement l’inertie, tandis que le manque de réaction des institutions communautaires pourrait traduire l’absence de volonté de promouvoir une réelle cohésion européenne. / This research explores the implementation of the communitarian Cohesion policy in the Sicily Region, focusing on its cultural component. An approach at the microscopic scale based on numerous interviews discloses an ineffective operating framework. The extreme complexity of the Cohesion policy, which is the produce of a multilevel governance system, presents difficulties when it comes to its articulation with the national or regional Development policies. Its implementation at the grass root level shows flaws that heavily hinder its effectiveness. Culture is acknowledged for its contribution to the development of a heritage-based tourism, which is considered to be a major local asset. And yet, the increasingly divergent interpretation of the cultural referential in Brussels, Italy or Sicily has weakened its role, reflecting a simplistic vision focussing only on its economic impact. In addition, Cohesion policy promotes the principle of partnership, implying the involvement of all the stakeholders in a region. However, in Sicily the powerful regional government is still by far the main beneficiary of these structural funds at the expense of the cultural field, which is poorly organised and remains largely excluded. Finally, the Cohesion policy reveals a political crisis at the European and Sicilian levels: some institutional players on the island opt for inertia, while the lack of response from the communitarian institutions could reflect the unwillingness to promote true European cohesion

Then the process of Enlargement has started, it was expected that Accession of much more agrarian and less developed countries from Eastern and Central Europe, compared to the Member States at that time, should encourage the radical reforms of the EU redistributive policies – Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and Cohesion Policy. Some researchers provided with numbers proving that Enlargement without reforming the EU redistributive policies would substantially increase the funding for implementation of these policies. While the other group of scientists noticed that the Enlargement process is getting momentum, whereas the internal EU reforms are postponing. The decision on the CAP reform was taken in 2003 by the Agricultural Council, while the Cohesion Policy reform was agreed in the Brussels European Council of 2005. In the Commission’s reform proposals as well as during Member States’ negotiations much attention was paid, especially in the case of the Cohesion Policy reform, to the challenges of Enlargement. In this paper the aforementioned last reforms of the EU redistributive policies are analysed: the CAP reform of 2002–2003 and the Cohesion Policy reform of 2004–2006 aiming to evaluate the impact of Enlargement on the Commission’s reform proposals and the reform results. It is argued that the factor of Enlargement, although in the Commission’s reform proposals was emphasised as encouraging to reform the CAP and the Cohesion Policy radically, in reality for the EU... [to full text] / Prasidėjus ES plėtros procesui buvo pradėta kalbėti apie tai, kad kur kas labiau agrarinių ir silpniau išsivysčiusių, palyginus su tuometinėmis ES valstybėmis narėmis, Rytų ir Vidurio Europos valstybių prisijungimas paskatins ES perskirstomųjų politikų – Bendrosios žemės ūkio politikos (BŽŪP) ir Sanglaudos politikos – radikalias reformas. Tyrinėtojai pateikinėjo skaičius, įrodančius, kad plėtra, ES perskirstomųjų politikų nereformavus, stipriai padidins ir taip dideles šių politikų įgyvendinimui skiriamas lėšas. Tuo tarpu kiti tyrinėtojai atkreipė dėmesį į pagreitį įgaunantį plėtros procesą bei vis atidedamas vidines ES reformas. Dėl BŽŪP reformos buvo sutarta 2003 m. Žemės ūkio ministrų taryboje, o dėl Sanglaudos politikos reformos – 2005 m. Briuselio Europos Viršūnių Taryboje. Europos Komisijos pasiūlymuose ir valstybių narių derybų dėl reformų eigoje daug dėmesio, ypač Sanglaudos politikos reformos atveju, buvo skiriama ES plėtros iššūkių akcentavimui. Šiame darbe išsamiai nagrinėjamos dvi minėtos paskutinės ES perskirstomųjų politikų reformos: 2002–2003 m. BŽŪP reforma ir 2004–2006 m. Sanglaudos politikos reforma, siekiant įvertinti, kokį iš tikrųjų poveikį Europos Komisijos pateiktiems reformų pasiūlymams ir reformų rezultatams turėjo ES plėtra. Darbe įrodinėjama, kad ES plėtros veiksnys, nors Europos Komisijos pasiūlymuose buvo akcentuojamas kaip skatinantis iš esmės reformuoti BŽŪP ir Sanglaudos politiką, iš tikrųjų minėtoms ES perskirstomųjų politikų reformoms... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]

Prasidėjus ES plėtros procesui buvo pradėta kalbėti apie tai, kad kur kas labiau agrarinių ir silpniau išsivysčiusių, palyginus su tuometinėmis ES valstybėmis narėmis, Rytų ir Vidurio Europos valstybių prisijungimas paskatins ES perskirstomųjų politikų – Bendrosios žemės ūkio politikos (BŽŪP) ir Sanglaudos politikos – radikalias reformas. Tyrinėtojai pateikinėjo skaičius, įrodančius, kad plėtra, ES perskirstomųjų politikų nereformavus, stipriai padidins ir taip dideles šių politikų įgyvendinimui skiriamas lėšas. Tuo tarpu kiti tyrinėtojai atkreipė dėmesį į pagreitį įgaunantį plėtros procesą bei vis atidedamas vidines ES reformas. Dėl BŽŪP reformos buvo sutarta 2003 m. Žemės ūkio ministrų taryboje, o dėl Sanglaudos politikos reformos – 2005 m. Briuselio Europos Viršūnių Taryboje. Europos Komisijos pasiūlymuose ir valstybių narių derybų dėl reformų eigoje daug dėmesio, ypač Sanglaudos politikos reformos atveju, buvo skiriama ES plėtros iššūkių akcentavimui. Šiame darbe išsamiai nagrinėjamos dvi minėtos paskutinės ES perskirstomųjų politikų reformos: 2002–2003 m. BŽŪP reforma ir 2004–2006 m. Sanglaudos politikos reforma, siekiant įvertinti, kokį iš tikrųjų poveikį Europos Komisijos pateiktiems reformų pasiūlymams ir reformų rezultatams turėjo ES plėtra. Darbe įrodinėjama, kad ES plėtros veiksnys, nors Europos Komisijos pasiūlymuose buvo akcentuojamas kaip skatinantis iš esmės reformuoti BŽŪP ir Sanglaudos politiką, iš tikrųjų minėtoms ES perskirstomųjų politikų reformoms... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Then the process of Enlargement has started, it was expected that Accession of much more agrarian and less developed countries from Eastern and Central Europe, compared to the Member States at that time, should encourage the radical reforms of the EU redistributive policies – Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and Cohesion Policy. Some researchers provided with numbers proving that Enlargement without reforming the EU redistributive policies would substantially increase the funding for implementation of these policies. While the other group of scientists noticed that the Enlargement process is getting momentum, whereas the internal EU reforms are postponing. The decision on the CAP reform was taken in 2003 by the Agricultural Council, while the Cohesion Policy reform was agreed in the Brussels European Council of 2005. In the Commission’s reform proposals as well as during Member States’ negotiations much attention was paid, especially in the case of the Cohesion Policy reform, to the challenges of Enlargement. In this paper the aforementioned last reforms of the EU redistributive policies are analysed: the CAP reform of 2002–2003 and the Cohesion Policy reform of 2004–2006 aiming to evaluate the impact of Enlargement on the Commission’s reform proposals and the reform results. It is argued that the factor of Enlargement, although in the Commission’s reform proposals was emphasised as encouraging to reform the CAP and the Cohesion Policy radically, in reality for the EU... [to full text]

The aim of this thesis was to present an overview of the Regional policy of the European Union and of the effects of this policy in relation to selected the town. The main aim was to evaluate the finances resources of the EU funds gained by the town of Písek in the period 2007-2013. Reaching the target was preceded by a theoretical basis, which explains basic terms related to cohesion policy and describes of effects of this policy in connection to the development of regions EU. On the main aim were followed sub-goals, who were achieved accross of the selected methods and procedures in a particular parts of thesis. The main goal and sub-goals were fulfilled. Sub-goals were to describe and analyze implemented projects to town of Písek, to analyze the use of finances from the funds of EU and to assess whether the projects were implemented in accordance with the aims of strategic plan of development town Písek. The last sub-goal of the formulation own proposals for the future of town of Písek were presented at the end of thesis.

This diploma thesis highlights the issue of the interconnection between the cohesion policy implemented by the European Union and the national regional policy of the Czech Republic and underlines to which extent such coordination influences Czech entities and how they can profit out of it. The thesis focuses on the territorial cohesion and especially on the Operational Programme of Cross-border co-operation between the Czech Republic and the Free State of Saxony. In this thesis you will find an analysis of the needs and requirements for further growth of the studied region, an analysis of projects realized within the examined Programme and consequent appraisal whether the Programme fulfills the essential necessities for further growth of the eligible areas or whether there is potential for some changes to be made for the future programming period of 2014-2020 (which is now being discussed in the institutions of the European Union) in order to achieve higher efficiency and usefulness of the financial resources coming from the budget of the European union and the national budget of the Czech Republic.

The thesis deals with the differentiation between countries and regions in the EU and a parallel adjustment of the regional and cohesion policy. The first part provides the presentation of economic and social differentiation in EU Member States and discusses regional development issues from a theoretical point of view. The second part shows various regional differences between regions in the given time periods after the enlargements of integration. The final chapter focuses on the current financial framework 2007-2013 and the current state of the EU Cohesion Policy. The aim is to answer the question whether EU regional policy through its specific strategy managed to solve and reduce the territorial differentiation between the Member States and their regions. The thesis also focuses on the Cohesion policy approach to the spatial disparities and change in the setting of regional and cohesion policy.

Within the EU the cohesion policy and encouragement for cross-border cooperation has becomemore important over the years. And in the academia, there has been a lot of research about thesekinds of cooperation. However, there have been few studies of cross-border cooperation regarding underpinning factors for successful cross-border cooperation. This study aims to create a theoretical model for factors that influence the success of such cooperation. This model is later applied to the cross-border cooperation between Västerbotten and Örnsköldsvik in then orthern Sweden and the tree counties of Österbotten in Finland, which is called Kvarkenrådet. The main purpose of this study is to find out whether Kvarkenrådet is a successful cross-border cooperation by applying the theoretical model on Kvarkenrådet:s cooperations. To answer the aim on the study two personal interviews have been conducted with the director of Kvarkenrådet Mathias Lindström and the president of the bord Lennart Holmlund and later the empirical results from the interviews is compared to the theoretical model of factors that influence cross-border cooperation. The result showed that all the factors in the theoretical model could be identified in Kvarkenrådet. Except from the factors in the theoretical model. The conclusion of this study is that Kvarkenrådet is a successful cross border cooperation that is built on many different factorson different level.

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