Policy reform under challenging conditions: Annual review of regional policy in Europe

The past 18 months have witnessed substantial re-assessments and adjustments in regional policy across Europe. In part, this is the result of preparations for the 2014-20 period of EU policy-making. In the EU, Member States have been preparing and submitting Cohesion policy Partnership Agreements and Operational Programmes to the European Commission, as well as new regional aid maps and related aid instruments. These processes have changed the frameworks within which national regional policies operate, particularly in countries which have experienced significant changes in Cohesion policy funding and in the coverage of regional aid maps . Within this, the Europe 2020 strategy stresses particular EU objectives under ‘smart, sustainable, inclusive growth’ , while also calling for greater coordination of national and EU policy.