The regional policy of the European Union is financed through a system of structural and investment funds, which allocates substantial amounts during each programming period to boost the regional growth. Currently, the regional policy uses almost a half of the European Union's budget. According to such an extensive investment plan it is believed that the structural funding has a positive impact on the regional performance. This thesis provides an analysis of the Objective 1 (Convergence strategy) treatment effect on the regional GDP and employment growth during two last programming periods 2000-2006 and 2007-2013 using mostly nonparametric estimation method of the regression dis- continuity design. The thesis contributes to existing literature since the current research studies do not provide conclusive results. Based on the estimation re- sults we did not find statistically significant effect of the Objective 1 treatment on the GDP per capita growth nor employment growth. These findings are robust to various model specifications and estimation methods. JEL Classification R11, R58, C21, C31 Keywords the European Union, regional policy, the Objec- tive 1, regression discontinuity design Title The effect of EU Structural Funds on regional performance Author's e-mail zdarskabarbora@seznam.cz...

Des premiers peuplements aux décennies qui suivent son indépendance, la région d'Antsiranana connaît des implantations humaines le long des côtes avec un arrière-pays peu peuplé, mettant en évidence une corrélation étroite entre la croissance urbaine et le développement des voies de communication et des transports. Le contraste est nettement marqué entre l'espace urbain et l'espace rural, tant au niveau des infrastructures, des moyens de communication et de l'accès aux services de l'État qu'au niveau du rapport à la modernité et au passé. Cependant, la réalité malgache est encore largement rurale et paysanne, ancrée dans le passé et l'autosubsistance. Le déséquilibre aigu entre les régions Diana et Sava qui marque la province d'Antsiranana est le fruit d'une dynamique migratoire, de siècles d'histoire où dominent les intérêts d'un pouvoir fort central, et de caractéristiques physiques d'un relief prononcé. Mais ces conditions ne suffisent pas à expliquer les différences, des facteurs sociologiques et économiques sont à considérer. Les enjeux régionaux restent l'identité culturelle, les ressources naturelles et financières et l'exercice du pouvoir, préoccupations éloignées des prochains grands enjeux économiques mondialisés. Madagascar se doit de trouver l'équilibre entre la mondialisation et ses valeurs intrinsèques où notamment la valeur de l'homme se définit par l'être et non par l'avoir. / During the first demographic settlements in the decades that followed her independence, the Antsiranana region witnessed human migrations along thinly-populated coastal areas, bringing about a close relationship between urban growth and the development of communication and transport routes. The contrast between the urban space and the rural setting is so distinctly marked in terms of infrastructure levels, communication means and the access to State services, as well as the relation to modernity and the past. In the meantime, the real Madagascan setting is still largely rural and backward, anchored to the past and self-subsistence. The harsh imbalance between the regions of Diana and Sava which highlights the province of Antsiranana is the evident outcome of physical features of a clear-cut terrain, a migratory impetus, and a centuries' history where a central power prevailed. Yet, these conditions do not suffice in explaining the differences and socio-economic factors to be examined. Regional gains lie in the cultural identity, natural and financial resources, and the exercise of power – remote concerns of coming globalized great economic stakes. Madagascar is to obtain a balnce between globalization and her intrinsic values where the human value should be defined as being something instead of having something.

We analyse in a Footloose Capital productive public services provided by a central government aiming at reducing regional disparities. Two countervailing effects occur - one upon productivity and another upon local demand - the relative strength of which depends upon the financing scheme. Only if the "rich" region contributes sufficiently to the financing of the public services in the "poor" region, the poor region will actually gain. In studying these questions we pay particular attention to the dynamic adjustment processes and to the role of trade freeness. / Series: Department of Economics Working Paper Series

Diplomová práce je zaměřena na problematiku přeshraniční spolupráce, která je v Evropské unii stále velmi aktuální. Popisná část práce osvětluje její souvislost s regionální politikou, ze které přeshraniční spolupráce vychází. Věnuje se také ostatním iniciativám Společenství v EU a detailně popisuje iniciativu INTERREG IIIA. České republice se v oblasti přeshraniční spolupráce otevřely nové obzory a možnosti právě se vstupem do EU. Cílem práce je demonstrace těchto nových možností na konkrétním způsobu podpory prostřednictvím programu Iniciativy Společenství INTERREG IIIA v Euroregionu Nisa. Euroregion Nisa se nachází v příhraniční oblasti na severu republiky, sousedí s Německem a Polskem, a proto úzce spolupracuje s přilehlými regiony právě těchto dvou zemí. Předmětem analýzy jsou projekty vycházející z programu Iniciativy Společenství INTERREG IIIA ČR ? Svobodný stát Sasko a ČR ? Polsko.

In my thesis (dissertation) I am focusing on developing a business plan and potential use in its implementation funding from the European Union. Drawing of EU funds is currently very topical and debated issue, however many people are still not fully aware of how to draw money from the grant system. There are numerous of operational programs which subjects can draw the money from, but it's difficult to specify which project can apply for which funds. The aim of this work is to show clearly the possibilities of using EU funding in the tourism sector for the period 2007 - 2013, focusing on small businesses, especially in the Northeast region of cohesion. I chose this area because the subject of a business plan is the reconstruction of the loft in Jánské Lázně, which falls into this region. Reconstruction aim is to develop two apartments, which will be used for short-term lease. A business plan and an analysis of grant opportunities has been developed for this particular project in order to choose the best program from which you can apply for the grant.

The theme of the thesis is an analysis of processes 3 different projects that are implemented under the Cohesion Policy. Attention will be paid to the issue of project preparation, analysis of processes, which are essential components for the preparation of project applications, showing the most important methods and tools used in managing the process of design. The content of this thesis is the identification of possible critical moments, which can be an important factor influencing the success of the selection and implementation of individual projects. All the above components of the processes should be used to create applications for financial support from EU structural funds. A consistent process of preparing a project application is an condition for planned project to have a real chance to be selected from a number of other projects that are submitted within the announced calls. After a successful project assessment selected project receives financial support from European funds for its implementation.

The aim of this thesis is to evaluate the territorial differentiation of the European Union and selected member countries. In this context I observe the differences in major socio-economic indicators (in GDP per capita and employment rates) across the European Union and in more detail in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Furthermore, I focus on explaining the development and the current setting of EU regional policy at EU level and the CR. The thesis is structured into three main chapters. The first chapter focuses on assessing the economic, social and regional differentiation of the Member States and EU regions. The second chapter is devoted to the analysis of regional structure and differentiation of the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The final chapter covers the development and current form of regional and structural policy of the European Union.

The diploma thesis is dealing with the reginal policy in European union in the first part, the second part is focused on the regional policy in Czech republic, the third part is dealing with the structural funds in the Vysočina region and the last part of the diploma thesis is presenting a concrete project which was realised within the Vysočina region with the structural funds help.

<p>This paper addresses the so-called political rationale of the European Union’s (EU) regional policy in the context of the forthcoming eastern enlargement. The political rationale emphasises a particular type of organisation, involving multiple layers of governance and actors. This organisation is considered important in effectively reducing regional disparities. Regarding the great amount of EU regional funding the candidate states in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) are expected to receive upon accession, capable institutions and structures for handling these funds are vital. Also, it is a crucial part of the EU’s accession criteria. By using Hungary and the implementation of the partnership principle as a case study, the process of preparing for the regional funds in CEE is investigated in-depth. A policy analysis of the cohesion between EU policy objectives and the Hungarian implementation process of the partnership principle serves as the overall basis for the analysis. In order to analyse and understand the implementation process, Historical Institutionalism (HI) is applied as a theoretical framework. It contributes by assessing the factors affecting the implementation process and thus, policy coherence. A triangulation of data consisting of interviews with Hungarian officials and EU Member State experts involved in the implementation of partnership practices, primary and secondary texts as well as basic statistics is made against the propositions formulated through HI.</p><p> In turn, a number of analytical findings have been discovered. Firstly, the policy process is seen as highly constrained by formal and informal institutional factors, created by historical policy legacies. These have shaped the goals and preferences of the actors involved and have also privileged certain groups over others. In turn, path-dependency is noticed. Secondly, this has made policy cohesion rather weak, with certain short-term requirements being fulfilled but with a lack of more in-depth, long-term measures. Thus, there is a mismatch between the EU and the Hungarian regional policy organisation. Thirdly, although the formal institutional mechanisms for change are rather rigid, indications of informal mechanisms providing possibilities of institutional change were found, with some actors adapting to the EU enlargement context. This could lead to partnership practises gradually infiltrating some ofthe institutional and organizational features and in turn, become strengthened through the multi-level governance structure of the EU. Yet, implementation of the partnership principle is identified as a long and open process, with the real challenges arriving as Hungary enters the EU</p>

“Regional Policy in a Multiregional Setting: When the Poorest are Hurt by Subsidies” Regional subsidies have a positive short-term effect on the recipient regions, but as they alter migration patterns the long-term effects are less clear. This paper demonstrates using a three-region general equilibrium model that subsidising the poorest region may be to its detriment in the long term and thereby increase inter-regional inequality, if the subsidy draws firms from a nearby region that would function better as a production centre. The result has important implications for the design of regional policies, which are often applied simply according to per-capita incomes.  “Learning to Export and the Timing of Entry to Export Markets” Standard trade models are essentially static and do not explain why entry to export markets would be delayed after the instant a firm is formed. This paper proposes a model that endogenously generates the timing of entry to new markets through a learning mechanism. Firms in the model gain experience by entering markets, which eases entry to subsequent markets. The mechanism motivates delays in entry to some markets. More productive firms are less sensitive to the learning effect and thus enter markets sooner and begin by exporting to larger markets. These predictions are confirmed using Swedish firm-level data.  “Airports and the Production of Goods and Services” This paper estimates the effects of airport infrastructure on local employment in certain sectors, using data from the United States. Airport sizes are instrumented for using the 1944 National Airport Plan of the Civil Aeronautics Administration. Airport size is found to have a positive effect on local employment in tradable services, with an elasticity of approximately 0.1, and a negative effect on manufacturing. There is no measurable effect on non-tradable services. The results are relevant to the evaluation of airport improvement projects, which are often carried out using public funds.