Research project | Updated 03/02/2010 

Launched in 1988 following the Single European Act, the policy for economic and social cohesion is today the number-two item in the European Union budget – representing about 35% of spending. The policy benefits all European citizens, through co-financing projects to promote human capital. However, more than 80% of subsidies go to the EU less-developed regions.

Each major step in the EU integration – for example, the enlargements of 1986 (Spain and Portugal) and 2004/2007 (12 new countries), or economic developments such as the achievement of the Single Market or the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) – opened the way to the creation of new tools by the Europe's leaders in order to counterbalance negative impacts on the most fragile populations or regions. Cohesion policy is not a simple mechanism for redistribution between countries or regions; it is rather intended to guide the use of financial transfers towards two objectives: regional development and economic catch-up.

Notre Europe is an active participant in the debate on the future of the cohesion policy, drawing attention to its ambition and its importance as a tool to promote European integration. Notre Europe regularly makes the case in support of the cohesion policy's founding principles – involving solidarity, responsibility and cooperation – and in favour of the policy's social, territorial and political dimensions.

Consult all the publications of the project here.  

1 – Regional development and structural funds

• The Barca Report: A Spring Clean for Europe's Cohesion Policy, note by Marjorie Jouen (June 2009);



• Article on the cohesion, Dictionnaire critique de l'Union européenne published in October 2008 (Only in French);
• Article on the Regional policy, Dictionnaire critique de l'Union européenne published in October 2008 (Only in French);
• In the face of crisis, there is a need for Europe, Declaration of Notre Europe's Steering Committee, November 2008;
• Adaptation of Cohesion policy to the enlarged Europe and the Lisbon and Göthenburg objectives, Study coordonated by Marjorie Jouen (January 2005);
• Reflexion on the future of the European Policy of Economic and Social Cohesion after the Enlargment, note by Marjorie Jouen (December 2002 Only in French);
• Reform of EU policies in the perspective of enlargement and their financial implications seminar report organised in collaboration with the European Policy Centre on April 2002;
• Quelles perspectives pour les fonds structurels et la politique de cohésion, seminar report organised in collaboration with the Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik on 31 January and 1st February 2002 (only available in French and German );
• Enlargement of the EU: Towards a large area of solidarity and cooperation, seminar report oforganised in collaboration with the Foundation Lucchini on 21-22 February 2002;
• Réforme administrative et territoriale de l'administration polonaise dans le contexte européen, note by Marlogorzata Zaborowska, only in French (September 2001);
• How to enhance economic and social cohesion in Europe after 2006? ? seminar report organised in collaboration with the European Policy Centre and the Foundation Roi Baudouin on 23 May 2001;
• 15 countries in a boat, economic and social cohesion - the cornerstone of european integration, seminar report organised in collaboration with the Fundación Banco Bilbao Vizcaya on 27-28  November 1998 (Also available in Spanish).

2 – Territorial cohesion and trans-European cooperation

• Territorial Cohesion: from theory to practice, policy paper by Marjorie jouen (October 2008).





• Crossborder and transnational cooperation, the new Europe is inventing itself in its margins, seminar report organised in collaboration with Unioncamere on 13 November 2001 and study coordonated by Marjorie Jouen. The report and study are also available in Italian ;
• La coopération trans-européenne, esquisse pour la nouvelle Europe, Communication by Marjorie Jouen the International Conference in Budapest, 16– 18 April 2004 (Only in French);

3 – Local development

• Le développement local endogène, parent pauvre des stratégies de développement?", Grand prix de la réflexion impertinente et pertinente 2007 du Cercle des Entrepreneurs. Only in French;




• European Union action to promote the local employment initiatives, study by Marjorie Jouen (February 2000), amsp available in Spanish;
• Local development, partnership and bottom-up approach?, seminar report organised in collaboration with ECOTEC on 31 March 2004.