The European Commission seems to be considering using new indicators in the future for Cohesion Policy, explained a close source to EUROPE on the occasion of publication of the ex-post assessment of cohesion 2007-2013 by the European Commission.
The question of indicators should be viewed from two perspectives, EUROPE has been told – namely the award of funding, and measurement of the European structural and investment (ESI) fund’s performance. For the granting of funding, GDP will remain the favoured tool in the future due to its reliability and use by all the member states.
Moreover, it looks as if it would be difficult to incorporate new indicators in budget talks that are tricky and complex enough as it is among the member states, the source said.
However, it would be possible in the future to use new indicators for measuring the performance of ESI funds in order to take account of dimensions not measured by GDP, such as social issues and the environment. The question of performance was one of the big issues in the previous period with the European Commission focusing above all on absorption of cohesion funding rather than results as such, but this led to abuse in terms of over-estimation of costs or, more simply, ineffective investment.
Be that as it may, it would not be possible to use any new indicator until it is harmonised among all member states and used by the EU’s statistical office Eurostat, the source said.
This is nothing new but confirms trends that have been emerging at DG Regional Policy (DG REGIO). Earlier in the year, Regional Policy Commissioner Corina Crețu said she was open to incorporating new indicators, as is her head of cabinet, Nicola De Michelis (see EUROPE 11574).
Cohesion Policy has a beneficial impact on GDP. In terms of ex-post assessment of the 2007-2013 period, only GDP is used to measure the impact of Cohesion Policy. The figures speak for themselves, going by a European Commission staff working document noting a 4.2% impact on GDP in the member states eligible for Cohesion Funds (those with a gross national income of below 90% of the EU average) and around 0.4% in the other member states.
The ex-post assessment is the biggest ever since the launch of Cohesion Policy, the European Commission explains, including thousands of interviews and dozens of assessed programmes. Its conclusions do not include anything new, but back up the decisions taken for the current period, such as extending financial instruments to make up for the lack of public investment, using ex-ante conditions, the need for thematic groupings and smart specialisation. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)