The impact of cohesion policy 2007-2013 – Model simulations with Quest III

Summary:

In its Article 174, the Treaty on European Union mandates the Union to "… develop and pursue its actions leading to the strengthening of its economic, social and territorial cohesion. In particular, the Union shall aim at reducing disparities between the levels of development of the various regions and the backwardness of the least favoured regions".

Cohesion policy is the Union's main instrument to achieve this objective. The policy aims at fostering sustainable growth, improving the wellbeing of EU citizens, and promoting the integration of EU economies. As such, the EU cohesion policy concentrates resources in the fields of R&D, competitiveness, education, or transport, telecommunication and environmental infrastructure.

In this paper, the potential impact of cohesion policy for the programming period 2007–2013 is assessed using QUEST, a model developed by the Directorate General for Economic and Financial Affairs of the European Commission