engleski

The impact of the EU cohesion policy on the regional convergence process of the new member states in the European Union

This paper analyses the impact to the cohesion policy in the process of convergence of the EU new member states (NMS). It starts from the Cohesion policy and analyses the allocation of Structural and Cohesion Funds to the NMS towards the objectives of economic convergence. The analysis focuses on two periods of the financial perspective 2000-2006 and 2007-2013. Correlation analysis of received EU funds and GDP per capita convergence proved that financial crisis has had an impact on the weaker convergence of NMS with the old EU-15 in the period 2007-2013. Taking into account economic indicators, GDP per capita at PPP and the inflow of FDI in the NMS, the authors show that the impact of FDI on the convergence of NMS was strong in the whole period of analysis (2000- 2012), however it was less pronounced in the second period (2007-2013), after the crisis, which resulted in poor results for economic development. The problem of creating capacity for the withdrawal of funds from the Cohesion Fund remains highlighted, in particular in those NMS that so far have not significantly participated in the program for the promotion of competitiveness and employment.

Cohesion policy; convergence; EU new member states; foreign direct investment; regional development

nije evidentirano