Towards Territorial Cohesion in Rural Areas: A Chrono-Spatial Insight into the Second Pillar of CAP
Keywords:
territorial cohesion, EAFRD, rural areas, disparities, absorption capacity, European regionsAbstract
[EN] Reducing regional disparities is a central objective of the EU, with a significant portion of the budget allocated to enhancing territorial cohesion. To achieve this, funds have been directed to disadvantaged areas. This paper presents a chronospatial analysis of funds allocated to rural areas across European regions (NUTS2 level) from 1994 to 2022. The aim is to evaluate whether this financial support has effectively met the EU's territorial cohesion goal by either bridging regional gaps or exacerbating wealth accumulation in already economically prosperous areas. We conducted a chronospatial and multiscalar analysis of EU fund absorption (Objective I) and examined the relationship between fund absorption and GDP evolution (Objective II). Results reveal a growing percentage of disadvantaged regions unable to absorb funds effectively between 1994 and 2022. This trend indicates weaknesses that negatively affect territorial cohesion and questions the effectiveness of the funding and EU policies. The findings align with previous research, highlighting the need for reform in EU funding allocation policies. Specifically, there is a call for more "place-sensitive" policies to promote better territorial convergence and address disparities (Medve-Bálint, 2016; Iammarino et al., 2018).
[FR] La réduction des disparités régionales constitue un objectif central de l’Union européenne, une part significative du budget étant consacrée au renforcement de la cohésion territoriale. Pour y parvenir, des fonds ont été alloués aux zones défavorisées. Cet article propose une analyse chronospatiale des fonds destinés aux zones rurales dans les régions européennes (niveau NUTS2) entre 1994 et 2022. L’objectif est d’évaluer si ce soutien financier a permis d’atteindre l’objectif de cohésion territoriale de l’UE en réduisant les écarts régionaux ou, au contraire, en favorisant l’accumulation de richesse dans les zones déjà prospères. Nous avons mené une analyse chronospatiale et multi-échelle de l’absorption des fonds européens (Objectif I) et examiné la relation entre cette absorption et l’évolution du PIB (Objectif II). Les résultats révèlent une augmentation de la part des régions défavorisées incapables d’absorber efficacement les fonds entre 1994 et 2022. Cette tendance met en lumière des faiblesses nuisant à la cohésion territoriale et remet en question l’efficacité des fonds et des politiques de l’UE. Ces conclusions rejoignent les recherches antérieures, soulignant la nécessité de réformer les politiques d’allocation des fonds européens. En particulier, elles appellent à des politiques plus « sensibles au territoire » pour favoriser une meilleure convergence territoriale et réduire les disparités (Medve-Bálint, 2016 ; Iammarino et al., 2018).
References
Basile, R., Nardis, S. & Girardi, A. (2001). Regional Inequalities and Cohesion. Policies in the European Union. ISAE Working Paper, No. 23. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=936319 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.936319
Bivand, R.S., & Brundstad R.J. (2003). Regional Growth in Western Europe: An Empirical Exploration of Interactions with Agriculture and Agricultural Policy. In: Fingleton, B. (ed.), European Regional Growth. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York.
Bloom, S. & Petrova, V. (2013). National subversion of supranational goals: ‘porkbarrel’ politics and EU regional aid. Europe-Asia Studies, 65(8), 1599–620.
Bonfiglio, A., Camaioni, B., Coderoni, S., Esposti, R., Pagliacci, F., & Sotte, F. (2017). Are rural regions prioritizing knowledge transfer and innovation? Evidence from Rural Development Policy expenditure across the EU space. Journal of Rural Studies, 53, 78–87. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2017.05.005
Camaioni, B., Esposti, R., Lobianco, A., Pagliacci, F., & Sotte, F. (2013). How rural is the EU RDP? An analysis through spatial fund allocation. Bio-based and Applied Economics, 2(3), 277-300. https://doi.org/10.13128/BAE-13092
Cárdenas Alonso, G., & Nieto Masot, A. (2017). Towards Rural Sustainable Development? Contributions of the EAFRD 2007–2013 in Low Demographic Density Territories: The Case of Extremadura (SW Spain). Sustainability, 9(7), 1173. https://doi.org/10.3390/su9071173
Cárdenas Alonso, G., & Nieto Masot, A. (2017). Towards Rural Sustainable Development? Contributions of the EAFRD 2007–2013 in Low Demographic Density Territories: The Case of Extremadura (SW Spain). Sustainability, 9(7), 1173. https://doi.org/10.3390/su9071173
Crescenzi, R., & Giua, M. (2014). The EU Cohesion Policy in Context: Regional Growth and the Influence of Agricultural and Rural Development Policies. LEQS Paper, 85, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2542244 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2542244
Crescenzi, R., & Giua, M. (2020). One or many Cohesion Policies of the European Union? On the differential economic impacts of Cohesion Policy across member states. Regional Studies, 54(1), 10–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/00343404.2019.1665174.
Crescenzi, R., De Filippis, F., & Pierangeli, F. (2014). In tandem for cohesion?: synergies and conflicts between regional and agricultural policies of the European Union. Regional Studies, online. pp. 1-25. ISSN 0034-3404 (In Press). DOI: 10.1080/00343404.2014.946401
Crescenzi, R., Giua, M., 2016. The EU cohesion policy in context: does a bottom-up approach work in all regions? Environ. Plan A, 48 (11), 2340–2357. https://doi.org/ 10.1177/0308518X16658291.
Dax, T., Machold, I., & Roberts, D. (2004). The CAP, Rural Development Policy and Territorial Cohesion: Findings from an EU-wide analysis [Conference paper]. 87th European Association of Agricultural Economists (EAAE), Vienna, Austria. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2542244.
Dunford, M. & Perrons D. (2012). Regional Inequality in the EU: How to Finance Greater Cohesion. European Planning Studies, 20(6), 1-28, DOI:10.1080/09654313.2012.67356
ESPON (2004), ESPON Project 2.1.3. The Territorial Impact of CAP and Rural Development Policy. Final Report, August 2004.
European Commission. (2024a, 24 April). Rural development. https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/policy/themes/rural-development_en
European Commission. (2024b, 10 May). Common agricultural policy funds. https://agriculture.ec.europa.eu/common-agricultural-policy/financing-cap/cap-funds_en
European Union. (2024, 10 May). How the EU budget is spent. https://european-union.europa.eu/institutions-law-budget/budget/how-eu-budget-spent_en
Ezcurra, R. (2019). Regional disparities and within-country inequality in the European Union. Revista de Economía Mundial, 51. https://doi.org/10.33776/rem.v0i51.3907
Geppert, K., Happich, M., & Stephan, A. (2005). Regional Disparities in the European Union: Convergence and Agglomeration, DIW Discussion Papers, No. 525, Deutsches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung (DIW), Berlin
Gómez-Ullate, M., Rieutort, L., Kamara, A., Santos, A. S., Pirra, A., & Solís, M. G. (2020). Demographic Challenges in Rural Europe and Cases of Resilience Based on Cultural Heritage Management. A Comparative Analysis in Mediterranean Countries Inner Regions. European Countryside, 12(3), 408–431. https://doi.org/10.2478/euco-2020-0022
Guzmán, A., Barragán, S., & Cala Vitery, F. (2021). Dropout in Rural Higher Education: A Systematic Review. Frontiers in Education, 6, 727833. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2021.727833
Iammarino, S., Rodriguez-Pose, A., & Storper, M. (2019). Regional inequality in Europe: evidence, theory and policy implications. Journal of Economic Geography, 19 (2), 273–298, https://doi.org/10.1093/jeg/lby021
Kiryluk-Dryjska, E., Beba, P., & Poczta, W. (2020). Local determinants of the Common Agricultural Policy rural development funds’ distribution in Poland and their spatial implications. Journal of Rural Studies, 74, 201–209. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2020.01.018
Kusio, T., Kudełko, J., Borges, A., Delic, A., & Stroila, I. (2022). Are there any differences in rural development challenges within European countries? Social and economic contexts from EU rural leaders. International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, 25(5), 737–756. https://doi.org/10.22434/IFAMR2021.0147
Kyriacou, A. P., & Roca-Sagalés, O. (2012). The Impact of EU Structural Funds on Regional Disparities within Member States. Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy, 30(2), 267-281. https://doi.org/10.1068/c11140r
Lillemets, J., Fertő, I., & Viira, A.-H. (2022). The socioeconomic impacts of the CAP: Systematic literature review. Land Use Policy, 114, 105968. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2021.105968
Mantino, F., De Fano, G., & Asaro, G. (2022). Analysing the Policy Delivery System and Effects on Territorial Disparities in Italy: The Mechanisms of Territorial Targeting in the EU Rural Development Programmes 2014–2020. Land, 11(11), 1883. https://doi.org/10.3390/land11111883
Martínez García, F. M., Cárdenas Alonso, G., & Nieto Masot, A. (2024). Impact of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) on the Development of Rural Territories: Principal Component Analysis in SW Spain, Extremadura (2007–2020). Agriculture, 14(9), 1497. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14091497
Medeiros, E., Zaucha, J., & Ciołek, D. (2023). Measuring territorial cohesion trends in Europe: A correlation with EU Cohesion Policy. European Planning Studies, 31(9), 1868–1884. https://doi.org/10.1080/09654313.2022.2143713
Medve-Bálint, G. (2016). Funds for the wealthy and the politically loyal?. In J. Bachtler, P. Berkowitz, S. Hardy & T. Muravska (Eds.), EU Cohesion Policy: Reassessing performance and direction (1st ed., pp. 220 - 240). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315401867
Merce, I., Milin, I., Petroman, C., & Ciolac, R. M. (2015). School Dropout – A Social Problem in Romania. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 182, 623–628. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.04.795
Milio, S. (2007). Can Administrative Capacity Explain Differences in Regional Performances? Evidence from Structural Funds Implementation in Southern Italy. Regional Studies, 41(4), 429-442.
Nagy, J., & Benedek, J. (2021). Can EU cohesion policy fight peripheralization? In D. Rauhut, F. Sielker, & A. Humer (Eds.), EU’s Cohesion Policy and spatial governance: Territorial, Economic and social challenges. Edward Elgar. DOI:10.4337/9781839103582.00021.
Papadopoulos, A. G. (2015). The Impact of the CAP on Agriculture and Rural Areas of EU Member States. Agrarian South: Journal of Political Economy: A Triannual Journal of Agrarian South Network and CARES, 4(1), 22–53. https://doi.org/10.1177/2277976015574054
Rauhut, D., & Costa, N. M. (2021). Territorial Cohesion in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden 2007 and 2017. Geografisk Tidsskrift-Danish Journal of Geography, 121(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/00167223.2021.1920444
Rodríguez-Pose, A., & Garcilazo, E. (2015). Quality of Government and the Returns of Investment: Examining the Impact of Cohesion Expenditure in European Regions. Regional Studies, 49(8), 1274–1290. https://doi.org/10.1080/00343404.2015.1007933.
Schüler, S., & Noack, E. M. (2019). Does the CAP reflect the population’s concerns about agricultural landscapes? A qualitative study in Lower Saxony, Germany. Land Use Policy, 83, 240–255. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2019.01.041
Serbanica, C. (2021). Smart specialization, peripheries and the ECP. In D. Rauhut, F. Sielker, & A. Humer (Eds.), EU’s Cohesion Policy and spatial governance: Territorial, economic and social challenges. Edward Elgar. DOI:10.4337/9781839103582.00008.
Shucksmith, M. (2018). Re-imagining the rural: From rural idyll to good countryside. Journal of Rural Studies, 59, 163–172. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2016.07.019
Shucksmith, M., Thomson, K.J., & Roberts, D. (2005). The CAP and the Regions: The Territorial Impact of the Common Agricultural Policy. CABI Publishing, Wallingford, UK.
Sin, A. (2020). Aspects of EAFRD projects implementation in Romania during 2007-2013 and 2014-2020. Western Balkan Journal of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development, 2(1), 57–64. https://doi.org/10.5937/WBJAE2001057S
Sin, A., Nowak, C., & Tan, Y. (2023). Strategic approach to the territorial distribution of EAFRD projects. Strategic Management, 28(4), 4–14. https://doi.org/10.5937/StraMan2300043S
Șerbănel, C.I. (2021). An Overview of EAFRD Allocation and Innovation’s Role Towards a Competitive European Agriculture Sector. In: R. Pamfilie, V. Dinu, L. Tăchiciu, D. Pleșea, C. Vasiliu (eds.), 7th BASIQ International Conference on New Trends in Sustainable Business and Consumption. Foggia, Italy, 3-5 June 2021. Bucharest: ASE, pp. 585-593 DOI: 10.24818/BASIQ/2021/07/074
Tomaney, J. (2016). Limits of Devolution: Localism, Economics and Post-democracy. Political Quarterly, 87(4), 546–552. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-923X.12280
Tosun, J. (2014). Absorption of Regional Funds: A Comparative Analysis. Journal of Common Market Studies, 52(2), 371-387.
Țigănașu, R., Incaltarau, C. & Pascariu, G.C. (2018). Administrative Capacity, Structural Funds Absorption and Development. Evidence from Central and Eastern European Countries. Romanian Journal of European Affairs, 18(1), 39-59. SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3296925
Zaman, G., & Georgescu, G. (2009). Structural Fund Absorption: A New Challenge for Romania?. Romanian Journal of Economic Forecasting, 1, 136-154.
