McCann, Philip: The regional and urban policy of the European Union: Cohesion, results-orientation and smart specialisation

Excerpt

EU Cohesion policy is expected to address some of the key regional and urban questions in the European Union, from conceptual to practical issues—from what are the values shaping strategies of local and regional development to what are the policy interventions, and instruments are available on the EU level for supporting local authorities. However, EU Cohesion policy is undergoing many changes in the last three decade. These shifts could be explained by changes in the EU institutional framework but also by changes in the regions themselves. As a result, the discussions about the changes in the EU Cohesion policy could not be separated from detailed evaluation of key regional and urban characteristics of the European economy. In this context, Philip McCann has provided an outstanding book on current trends and future prospects of EU Cohesion policy. …