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N° 177 |
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| March 1999 |
| Structural Funds and Regional
Disparities in Europe |
Philippine Cour
Laurence Nayman |
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| The reform of the Structural Funds, aimed
at favouring the catch-up of Europe's poorer regions, is a major issue for the
Union. At the same time, Europe is preparing for enlargement, which will increase
regional disparities, while the Union's net contributor countries are seeking
to reduce their financial transfers to Europe. An examination of the trends in
national and regional disparities shows that while income differentials between
countries have been reduced, such is not the case for regional disparities. The
reason for this is to be found in the rising wealth of Europe's richest regions,
and it leads to questions concerning the optimal allocation of structural funds.
This is essentially a political matter, as neither economic theory nor empirical
analysis provide clear answers to these problems. It is an issue touching on the
economic and social objectives of Europe's regional policy. |
Abstract |
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