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The Effectiveness of Objective 1 Structural Funds in the EU 15: New Empirical Evidence from NUTS 3 Regions

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  • Martin Falk

    (WIFO)

  • Franz Sinabell

Abstract

Based on a sample of 1,084 European regions (EU 15) over the period of 1995–2004, we estimate the determinants of regional growth of GDP per capita, allowing for both spatial lag and spatial error dependence. We find that robust LM tests cannot reject the null hypothesis of no spatial dependence when country dummy variables are included in the growth equation. OLS and robust regression methods show that population density and industry share are significantly and positively related to economic growth. Regions that received EU structural funds have a significantly higher growth of GDP per capita, but the effect is only marginally significant. Blinder-Oaxaca decompositions reveal that the growth differential between Objective 1 regions and the remaining regions is solely due to the difference in the characteristics and not to differences in the coefficients. Finally, we find that the added value gained in Objective 1 regions is much lower than the resources that have been allocated to them.

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  • Martin Falk & Franz Sinabell, 2008. "The Effectiveness of Objective 1 Structural Funds in the EU 15: New Empirical Evidence from NUTS 3 Regions," WIFO Working Papers 310, WIFO.
    • Handle: RePEc:wfo:wpaper:y:2008:i:310
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    Cited by:

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    2. Andrés Rodríguez‐Pose, 2020. "Institutions and the fortunes of territories," Regional Science Policy & Practice, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 12(3), pages 371-386, June.
    3. Tobias Hagen & Philipp Mohl, 2011. "Econometric Evaluation of EU Cohesion Policy: A Survey," Chapters, in: Miroslav N. Jovanović (ed.), International Handbook on the Economics of Integration, Volume III, chapter 16, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    4. Mohl, P. & Hagen, T., 2010. "Do EU structural funds promote regional growth? New evidence from various panel data approaches," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 40(5), pages 353-365, September.
    5. Mindaugas Butkus & Alma Mačiulytė-Šniukienė & Kristina Matuzevičiūtė, 2020. "Mediating Effects of Cohesion Policy and Institutional Quality on Convergence between EU Regions: An Examination Based on a Conditional Beta-Convergence Model with a 3-Way Multiplicative Term," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-37, April.
    6. Enrico Fabrizi & Gianni Guastella & Stefano Marta & Francesco Timpano, 2016. "Determinants of Intra-Distribution Dynamics in European Regions: An Empirical Assessment of the Role of Structural Intervention," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 107(5), pages 522-539, December.

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    Keywords

    regional growth; EU structural funds; Objective 1 funding; spatial dependence; urbanisation;
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