Cohesion Policy Research Articles

Barriers to obtaining cohesion policy funds from the perspective of municipalities that received the least funding under the 2014–2020 budget period

Cohesion policy is one of the most important European Union’s policy.The lack of cohesion between states and regions would not only result in less-than-optimum use of the endogenic potential of the EU, but it might also threaten the existence of the common market, and thus, the whole European integration. This problem has become particularly evident after the enlargement of the European Union by 10 new Member States in 2004. It is therefore justified to study the effectiveness of this policy and the barriers that accompany it. The aim of the study was a qualitative analysis of problems in obtaining funding by communes that received the least EU funds in the 2014–2020 financial framework. The study was conducted using the CAWI method. The text presents and discusses the results of the study, which allowed, among others, to confirm the still persistent problem with generating own contribution for most local government units.

Geospatial Mapping and Meteorological Flood Risk Assessment: A Global Research Trend Analysis.

Flooding is a global threat causing significant economic and environmental damage, necessitating a policy response and collaborative strategy. This study assessed global research trends and advances in geospatial and meteorological flood risk assessment (G_MFRA), considering the ongoing debate on flood risk management and adaptation strategies. A total of 1872 original articles were downloaded in BibTex format using the Web of Science (WOS) and Scopus databases to retrieve G_MFRA studies published from 1985 to 2023. The annual growth rate of 15.48% implies that the field of G_MFRA has been increasing over time during the study period. The analysis of global trends in flood risk research and practice highlights the key themes, methodologies, and emerging directions. There exists a notable gap in data and methodologies for flood risk assessment studies between developed and developing countries, particularly in Africa and South America, highlighting the urgency of coordinated research efforts and cohesive policy actions. The challenges identified in the body of extant literature include technical expertise, complex communication networks, and resource constraints associated with the application gaps of the study methodologies. This study advocates for a holistic research approach to flood disaster management through ecosystem-based adaptation that underpins the Sustainable Development Goals to develop innovative flood techniques and models with the potential to influence global decision-making in the G_MFRA domain. Addressing these global challenges requires a networked partnership between the research community, institutions, and countries.

Bank Indonesia's CSR: A Model for Social Entrepreneurship Transformation

Context: This research explores how central bank social programs can empower micro-level Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Indonesia. The observed economic growth suggests both micro and macro contributions are at play. The study's practical value lies in aiding SMEs enhance their managerial skills, technical and marketing capabilities across local, regional, and international markets. The programs have enhanced human capital development, equipping individuals with the essential skills and knowledge to achieve the SDGs, particularly in developing regions. Purpose: The study aims to describe the social entrepreneurship transformation model implemented by Bank Indonesia (BI) as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) efforts. Methods: Narrative-based qualitative methods and theme analysis were utilized. Data collection was done through in-depth interviews and observations. The subjects are 7 Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) economic actors involved in BI's CSR program. Result: The socio-economic program implemented by BI includes training, technical guidance, and the provision of infrastructure to partner SME groups. This program has led to managerial improvement, market expansion, cost savings, production, and profit for these SME partners. On a macro scale, BI's CSR initiatives involving SMEs have enhanced its public reputation and bolstered its capacity to manage inflation, finance, and digital transformation. These outcomes align with the broader goal of policy coherence and support for the Sustainable Development Goals. Contribution: This study finds that the Indonesian central bank's initiatives contribute to improved economic performance for SMEs. It further supports the theory that state involvement, like social entrepreneurship initiatives driven by the central bank, can bridge the gap between government policies and local entrepreneurial activities.

Measuring achievements: Can cohesion policy programmes effectively monitor their performance?

The paper investigates the ability of Cohesion Policy programmes to define accurate policy outputs and to reliably monitor their own performance through accurate indicators. Specifically, the analysis explores the extent to which indicators and output targets set by ERDF programmes for monitoring and evaluation purposes are revised over time, seeking to identify specific patterns related to different areas such as spending categories, typology of regions, etc. Our findings highlight significant challenges faced by programmes in establishing realistic targets, as frequent and substantial changes are introduced to a vast majority of them. However, we also observe that only a small proportion of indicators is modified over time, suggesting relative stability in the overall objectives of programmes. The paper provides useful evidence for the ongoing debate on whether adopting a fully-performance based model, where access to funds is contingent upon achieving results/outputs, would enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of Cohesion Policy.

Policy coherence for ecosystem-based management: Implementing EU water and marine policies in the Archipelago Sea

The European Union (EU) Water Framework Directive (WFD) and Marine Strategic Framework Directive (MSFD) call for member states to achieve the good environmental status of coastal waters and marine areas and to create ecosystem-based management plans that cover individual sectors. The Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission (HELCOM) has listed the Archipelago Sea as an environmental hotspot in the Baltic Sea due to its vulnerability to the impacts of eutrophication. Agricultural runoff is the main source of excess nutrient loading, although aquaculture, tourism, wastewater treatment and internal loading also contribute. In this paper, we focus on the horizontal and vertical policy coherence in the Archipelago Sea region. The research data consist of policy documents and 11 thematic interviews. This paper aims to reveal how European water and marine policies are implemented in the Archipelago Sea and to identify the synergies and coherence challenges exist between policy sectors of agriculture, aquaculture and offshore wind. Evidence from the Archipelago Sea case study shows that a lack of coherence between sectoral policies can create challenges for ecosystem-based management. Moreover, the coherence and synergies in implementing regional and EU marine policy frameworks at the national and local levels can guide sectoral decisions towards strengthening of marine resilience and biodiversity.

Challenges achieving horizontal coherence across health and public security policies in formulating Uruguay's cannabis regulation.

In 2013, Uruguay became the first country to regulate the legal production, distribution and sale of recreational cannabis. While key officials have framed Uruguay's landmark legislation as part of the government's strategy to regulate cannabis, tobacco and alcohol, there is limited empirical research exploring the political considerations that influenced its approach. Drawing on the concept of policy coherence-the process by which policymakers seek to minimize conflicts and maximize synergies across policy agendas-this study explores the extent to which Uruguay's cannabis regulation was influenced by the promotion of policy coherence within health and across other policy spheres. Government documents, 43 semi-structured interviews and field observations were thematically analysed. The analysis shows that the pursuit of policy coherence across health issues was relatively limited, and where there is an element of regulatory coherence, there also appears to be minimal coordination. Efforts to promote substantive policy coherence were shaped by a desire to legitimate cannabis use without creating an upstream driver or structural force that would promote excessive consumption. The findings also reveal that the outcome of Uruguay's cannabis regulation was more directly shaped by broader political considerations, including how to resolve tensions between public security and unhealthy commodity regulation goals. This study raises important questions around the extent to which Uruguay's cannabis regulation was shaped by the explicit goal of policy coherence, suggesting rather that comparisons with tobacco and alcohol regulation were strategically used to justify the introduction of a legally regulated cannabis market.

Étude capacité théranostique 2023–2024 – Modélisation sur la base de la RIV-PSMA. Radiothérapie interne vectorisée (RIV), une approche théranostique à laquelle le patient doit avoir accès. Partie II : analyse approfondie

This in-depth analysis highlights the issues and perspectives regarding the deployment and optimization of vectorized internal radiotherapy (VIR), based on the VIR-PSMA model, which is the first theranostic modality that changes the scale of clinical management in nuclear medicine. It made it possible to confirm a characterization of health establishments based on their experience and their ability to integrate this new treatment modality into their care offering. Here are 8 key points and recommendations highlighted in the following pages: 1. Current and future reception capacity: “experienced” and “initiated” establishments have the greatest short-term reception capacity, while “medium-term future” and “long-term future” establishments will come, in the medium and long term respectively, strengthen the provision of care. They will be able to strengthen the healthcare offer and the territorial network if the award of a B rating allows them to do so. 2. Discrepancy between capacity and need: a gap is already observed between the number of patients who can be treated and the real needs of patients eligible for VIR-PSMA, even though capacity projections are voluntarily restricted to “experienced” and “initiated” services only (the “future” services in the medium and long term are not to date uniform in obtaining the necessary authorizations). This gap between capacity and need can be considered initially by optimizing the use of existing resources (in particular thanks to available land capacity), which remains mainly limited by the shortage of professionals. Secondly, the granting of authorizations to “future” services will make it possible to complete the system, and in particular to promote the regional distribution of care provision which shows disparities that could be sources of inequitable access to care in France. 3. Clinical pathway and harmonization of practices: the clinical pathway for patients benefiting from a VIR requires harmonization of practices and the making of recommendations by the SFMN (from the assessment of eligibility to post-dose monitoring, including the organization of treatments and the reception of patients). 4. Training and recruitment needs: the anticipated growth in demand for VIR requires strengthening teams through the recruitment of all staff involved in the patient's journey, as well as the creation of cooperation protocols between all health professionals by strengthening the initial and continuing training of all professionals involved. 5. Investments and adaptation of infrastructure: significant investments in specialized infrastructure and in the upgrading of “up-and-coming” establishments are necessary to support the increase in VIR-related activity. 6. Define a valuation model allowing these care activities to be sustained while meeting specific constraints in terms of operation, infrastructure, and regulations. 7. Role of regional health agencies (ARS): the ARS play a crucial role in coordinating the deployment of the VIR, requiring adaptation of the offer to local needs and a coherent national policy to face the challenges, particularly in the awarding of B grades, but also by ensuring that the teams of professionals are sufficient and trained and that the service meets logistical and security requirements. 8. Short, medium and long term strategies: to respond to the anticipated saturation of reception capacities, strategic actions are necessary in the short-term (less than 2 years), in the medium-term (less than 5 years), and long-term (more than 5 years), including the structuring of the organization, the expansion of recruitment, the harmonization of practices, and the strengthening of reception capacities.

Status of Policy Coherence and Coordination for Enhanced Multisectoral Nutrition Programming in Kenya

Status of Policy Coherence and Coordination for Enhanced Multisectoral Nutrition Programming in Kenya

Right to Food and Sustainable Food Systems in Nepal: Legal Frameworks, Achievements, and Challenges

Food insecurity remains a persistent challenge in Nepal. The right to food is a fundamental human right recognized in various international conventions and national legal frameworks. The Right to Food and Food Sovereignty Regulation was drafted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Nepal, and approved by the Council of Ministers in March 2024. The introduction of legal frameworks to ensure food security and their effective implementation is one of the key action tracks identified in Nepal’s National Food System Transformation Pathway. However, several challenges hinder the effective implementation of this regulation, including the availability of financial resources, technical manpower, the establishment of fair price shops, and the technical capacity of the implementing agency. Additionally, policy coherence across government tiers, the interests of external development partners, and certain cultural factors pose significant obstacles to the successful implementation of the regulation's provisions. A comprehensive approach is required, combining legal reforms, economic support, and social initiatives, to transform the right to food from a theoretical concept into a tangible reality for all Nepali citizens. This paper highlights the key provisions, the development process of the regulation, the roles of key stakeholders, and the challenges in its effective implementation. Int. J. Appl. Sci. Biotechnol. Vol 12(3): 115-125.

Social entrepreneurial ecosystems in Euroregions

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to extend the knowledge of social entrepreneurial ecosystems and test their effect on social entrepreneurial activity in a cross-border context. Design/methodology/approach The current research used the fuzzy set Qualitative Comparative Analysis method on a sample of 4,357 cross-border cooperation (CBC) projects implemented between 2014 and 2020, spread over 40 Euroregions. Findings Single ecosystem elements can be sufficient conditions but with a limited effect on cross-border social entrepreneurship. Configurations of ecosystem elements can be necessary conditions with synergetic effects. A geographical pattern was identified in the spread of configurations across Europe. Research limitations/implications Geographical, quantitative and project data constraints exist. The authors call for research into synergies between ecosystem elements in cross-border contexts and ecosystem patterns across Europe. Practical implications Policymakers, their cross-border counterparts and Euroregions could coordinate their efforts to improve ecosystems’ impact and involve social entrepreneurs to scale impact in neighboring countries. Social implications Involving social entrepreneurs in CBC projects will show how social impact in one country can be valuable for solving issues in the neighboring country. This will increase the valuation of innovative solutions, create opportunities for scaling social impact and contribute to the European (EU) Cohesion Policy. Originality/value The study uses a novel approach by investigating the effect of social entrepreneurial ecosystems in Euroregions on social entrepreneurial activity in a cross-border context. The study shows that the impact of social entrepreneurial ecosystems does not stop at the country’s borders.

Exploring the urban-rural dichotomies in post-pandemic migration intention: Empirical evidence from Europe

Since the beginning of the 21st century, we have been living in the ‘urban century’, characterised by a rise in the number of cities and mega-cities and a structural population increase in most cities, to the detriment of rural areas. Given the declining interest in rurality, the aims and scope of this paper are to map out the complex force field of rurality versus urbanity, and explore if the COVID pandemic has become a ‘game changer’ that thus may swift the existing patterns. Relying on multilevel modelling, to also account for between-country differences, and using Eurobarometer data on post-pandemic migration intention in both rural and urban areas, our results do not find support for a major post-covid urban exodus. Younger individuals from large cities are indeed more willing to leave for rural areas when they are convinced that they can play an active role in the local decision-making process. Teleworking, as well as EU concrete actions for addressing environmental issues, may also drive more migration toward rural areas. On the other hand, poor access to health services may push individuals towards urban areas. In policy terms, our findings advocate for improving access to public services in rural areas. In addition, the study reinforces the role of the Cohesion Policy to urge the twin transition, as facilitating teleworking and strengthening the environmental commitment were shown to make rural areas more appealing.

Enhancing Global Food Security through Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture: A Comprehensive Review

As the global population rises, addressing food security becomes more critical, particularly in developing regions struggling with hunger and malnutrition. Fisheries and aquaculture provide a vital solution by offering essential nutrition, employment, and economic benefits to millions worldwide. This study conducts an in-depth review of how capture fisheries and aquaculture contribute to global food security, emphasizing ten key areas: sustainable fisheries management, aquaculture growth, nutritional advantages, economic empowerment, climate adaptability, post-harvest loss reduction, policy and governance, technological advancements, biodiversity preservation, and global market access. The review evaluates the strength and consistency of evidence regarding the positive impact of these sectors on food security and poverty alleviation. The findings highlight the importance of cohesive policy and governance, technological improvements, and broader market access to fully leverage the role of fisheries and aquaculture in addressing global food challenges. Additionally, this review identifies research gaps that need to be addressed to maximize the sectors' potential for economic growth and environmental sustainability

The implications of the EU cohesion policy instruments and cross-border cooperation projects on social entrepreneurship in Euroregions

The current paper investigates the implications of the EU Cohesion Policy instrument Interreg through the implementation of cross-border cooperation projects on social entrepreneurship. Cross-border cooperation projects are implemented in Euroregions and invest in new knowledge and innovative solutions in policy priorities spread over social, environmental, and economic domains. Policy priorities in social and environmental domains overlap fields of play where social entrepreneurs operate. We build on the Knowledge Spillover Theory of Entrepreneurship and use a quantitative design to investigate the influence of EU-funded cross-border cooperation projects on the number of social enterprises in Luxembourg. We employed a rolling window analysis with ARIMA on a sample of 207 cross-border cooperation projects implemented between 2000 and 2020. We predicted social entrepreneurial activity in Euroregions in Luxembourg using investments through the EU Cohesion Policy in the social, environmental, and economic domains and identified a positive relationship in the social domain. The current study shows that investments in the social domain positively and significantly predict social entrepreneurial activity, supporting the critical role of the EU Cohesion Policy on social entrepreneurship. Our study discusses how social entrepreneurship can benefit from EU cross-border cooperation projects as recipients of potential knowledge spillovers.

Constraints to Green and Digital Transition in the Greek Agri-Food Sector

The European Union's Green Deal and the United Nations' 2030 Agenda are key strategic frameworks that aim to transform all nations towards a climate-neutral continent. At the heart of achieving this ambitious goal is the need for greater policy coherence, particularly concerning the digital Green Deal. The adoption of digital technologies in green sustainability initiatives requires a comprehensive update of existing policies to properly exploit all the opportunities offered by digitalisation. This study focuses on identifying constraints to environmental and digital advancement in the agri-food sector. In particular, it examines existing policies and those that need to be implemented to facilitate the green and digital transition of agri-food enterprises. The research methodology comprises in-depth, semi-structured interviews with fifteen (15) policymakers at the national, regional, and local levels in Greece, all of whom are responsible for decision-making in the agri-food sector. The findings underline the need for a substantial reform of the current institutional framework to make it more favourable to agri-food enterprises, especially for very small enteprises and SMEs, for whom the barriers are even greater. Improving access to financial support is also highlighted as a critical need. To ensure a smooth twin transition towards environmental sustainability and digitalisation, the study advocates improving the educational background and promoting digital literacy among stakeholders. These measures are considered necessary to increase the competitiveness of agri-food enterprises in today's global landscape. The study essentially highlights the central role of a strong policy framework for the environmental and digital transition of the agri-food sector. By addressing the barriers identified in the study through the implementation of appropriate policies, agri-food entrepreneurs can adopt sustainable practices and harness the transformative potential of digital technologies.

Эволюция информационной политики судебных органов власти: этапы, особенности правового регулирования

The article examines the evolution of the information policy of the judiciary in the context of reforming the judicial system in post-Soviet Russia. Based on a systematic approach, a retrospective study of the formation and development of the information policy of judicial authorities in Russian society in the context of legal regulation was carried out and the author’s approach to highlighting the stages of its institutionalization in connection with the adoption of regulatory documents is presented: the first stage (1991‒2000) is pre-institutional, which is characterized by the emergence of information activities of the judicial system; the second stage (2001‒2018) ‒ the initial stage of institutionalization of the information policy of the judicial authorities; the third stage ‒ (from 2019 to the present) characterizes the formation of the information policy of the judicial system in Russia. The article provides a detailed description of each stage, identifies the factors that influenced their development, and explores the peculiarities of legal regulation and associated challenges. The study also presents findings from research on the implementation of information activities and policies, conducted by the authors using materials from the Arbitration Court of the Novosibirsk Region in 2010 and 2024 in a monitoring mode. The significance of this research lies in systematizing the known facts and phenomena characteristic of the period under study, allowing for an analysis of the transformation of judicial information activities into a coherent information policy and offering a fresh perspective on its implementation in modern Russia.

Institutionalizing leaving no one behind: operationalizing and analyzing worldwide national efforts

ABSTRACT The ‘Leave No One Behind’ (LNOB) principle presents a transformative approach to dealing with inequalities within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) but has proven to be politically and technically challenging. Its national institutionalization therefore remains unclear while also under-researched. The aim of this article is two-fold. First, we provide a framework in which we conceptualize and operationalize (the institutionalization of) LNOB. Second, using our conceptual framework, we study how LNOB is institutionalized by national governments, focusing on public national policies around the SDGs. Our study finds that countries report to institutionalize aspects of policy coherence, inclusive participation, and disaggregated data more often than they institutionalize policy coordination and dedicated finance. However, when it comes to actual institutional structures and mechanisms to drive accountability, clear gaps can be identified. This article concludes that the achievement of LNOB remains uncertain at this point and presents necessary avenues for future research.

Assessing the impacts of public policies towards environmental sustainability in the Centre NUTII of Portugal. The case of POSEUR (2014-2020)

The operational programme for Sustainability and Use of Resources (POSEUR 2014-2020) is the most powerful mechanism of EU Cohesion Policy to be implemented in Portugal concerning sustainable environmental development. The programme has a place-based approach that attends to the territorial characteristics of the Portuguese regions. This study focused its analysis on the POSEURS’ main impacts on the Portuguese Centre NUT II. With a mixed methodological approach, impact scores were produced for five environmental sustainability dimensions: i) low-emissions economy, ii) adaptation to climate change, iii) risk prevention and management, iv) environmental protection, and v) resource efficiency. The qualitative and quantitative data was collected through interviews, literature review, the POSEUR project database analysis and regional environmental indicators. The outcome of the analysis showed that technical and execution barriers contributed to the heterogeneity of the results obtained in the five selected dimensions. An overall balance points out the low positive impact scores promoting small regional changes in environmental sustainability. Nonetheless, elaborating spatial plans for the municipalities and regions turned the adaptation to climate change into a highly positive impact dimension.

Navigating sustainability: key factors in prioritising Sustainable Development Goals

Prioritising sustainable development goals (SDGs) is one of the fundamental approaches to achieving global sustainability objectives, as it helps efficient resource allocation, addresses urgent needs, enhances policy coherence, and measures impact. Despite existing efforts, there remains an unclear understanding of the key factors needed for effective SDG prioritisation, presenting challenges for strategic planning and decision-making. This study provides an evidence-based analysis of these critical factors by examining relevant literature, conducting surveys, and employing Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP)-based Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA). The study identifies four primary factors for SDG prioritisation: SDG interrelations, performance, scope, and alignment. The findings confirm that national prioritisation have more priority compared to global, regional, and sub-national systems, and that prioritisation is more valuable at the indicator level rather than at the goal or target levels. Additionally, prioritisation should initially focus on off-track SDGs. Notably, academia ranks SDG prioritisation based on relationships and performance highly, while government officials emphasise alignment and relevance. Moreover, the results indicate that academia prefers target-level prioritisation, while government officials lean towards indicator level. However, both groups favour national scale over global and regional scales.

Perceived policy uncertainty and enterprise greenwashing risk

Using data of Chinese A-share listed enterprises from 2009 to 2022, this study analyzes the impact of perceived policy uncertainty on enterprise greenwashing risk. The research identifies a significant positive correlation between perceived policy uncertainty and greenwashing risk. The mechanism test shows that strong perceived policy uncertainty increases enterprise greenwashing risk by increasing financial risk and financing constraints. In addition, overcoming managerial myopia and encouraging green management innovation are key to avoiding enterprise greenwashing risk in an uncertain policy environment. The paper's conclusions offer the Chinese government information to improve policy coherence and prevent enterprise greenwashing risk.

Is a Government-Led Approach to Surveil Unhealthy Commodity Industries Feasible? Comment on "National Public Health Surveillance of Corporations in Key Unhealthy Commodity Industries – A Scoping Review and Framework Synthesis"

Bennett and colleagues’ paper aims to synthesize the existing frameworks to identify and monitor unhealthy commodity industry’s (UCI’s) influence on health "to create a template surveillance system to be used by national governments across industries." In this commentary, we argue that to achieve a robust government-led national surveillance system, some challenges should be considered, such as (a) addressing power asymmetries between government and UCIs involved in policy-making, (b) evaluating competing interests among government constituencies to achieve policy coherence around health issues, and (c) contemplate whether governments rely on private or corporate donors and partners that may threaten financing and operationalization of the surveillance. Suggestions on how to overcome these challenges are beyond the scope of this commentary, but we discuss some cases of bottom-up approaches from organized groups aiming to hold UCIs accountable. We consider them to be emerging effective ways to support government-led initiatives and counter the long-lasting corporate power and negative impacts on public health.