The Effectiveness of the European and Polish Regional Policy

Abstract

The article is aimed at analyzing the effects of the European Union
regional policy to remove the disparities in the development of its member
states. The analysis makes use of both European Commission reports and
research carried out by the European scientific institutes in order to answer
the question why the differences in the level of the member states’ and
particular regions’ development do not decrease at all (regions), or decrease
at a very slow pace (countries). It is not easy to answer the question due to the
lack of tools accurate enough to measure the results of that regional policy.
The present analysis enables the author making the following conclusions:
1) Funds spent on the cohesion policy should support the improvement of
the quality of administration and established law to a greater extent than they
have so far; 2) The effects of the cohesion policy in Poland will determine the
future cohesion policy in the European Union; 3) It seems that Polish regions
are strongly motivated and well prepared to absorb the funds offered within
the cohesion policy. This potential should be used to increase Polish influence
on the course of the European Union regional policy reform.