Regional Policy Ex post Evaluation of the Cohesion Fund and ISPA in period 2000-2006 Adam Abdulwahab...

Regional PolicyRegional Policy

Ex post Evaluationof the Cohesion Fund and ISPA in

period 2000-2006

Adam AbdulwahabEvaluation Unit

DG Regional Policy

Evalaution network meetingBrussels, 22nd June 2012


Evaluation Work

• WPA – contribution to transport and environment• WPB – CBA of selected transport projects• WPC – CBA of selected environmental projects• WPD – management and implementation system• WPE - synthesis

All deliverables published on Inforegiohttp://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/information/

evaluations/archives_2000_2006_en.cfm#5


Synthesis - Work package E

Tasks•Analysis & Synthesis of previous WPs•Seminar with MS on findingsDeliverables•Synthesis report – yet to be finalised•Country reports

• 10-pages long for each beneficiary MS• Comments from MS are being processed


Rationale and focus of Cohesion Fund

• CF helps relatively low income countries to finance investment in infrastructure and relieves some of pressure on public finances

• Support for transport has two objectives• strengthening the trans-European network • boosting growth potential of countries concerned

• Support for environment aims to help MS comply with EU legislation aimed at ensuring minimum environment standards across the Union


Baseline situation

EU-12: broadly similar•Transport connections within countries and with neighbouring countries in need of improvement•Environmental infrastructure in a poor stateCohesion 4 (EL, ES, IE, PT)•ES, PT: investments in road and rail networks over preceding decade•EL, IE: road network in particular still in process of being modernised•Environment infrastructure slightly better than in EU-12 but significant investment gap


Pace of project implementation

Legal basis: Project-based without n+2 rule

•Implementation is seriously delayed – no improvement in this period•Various reasons•Fastest in Cohesion 4, then MS joined in 2004 with BG, RO slightly behind•Environmental projects slower than transport projects, mainly in initial phases


Preparation of projects – CBA

• Potential gains from CBA not exploited, esp. environment (comply with EU Directives)

• Often CBA regarded as formal requirement to obtain EU co-funding• carried out at end of preparation process • too late to influence relevant decisions

• Noticeable improvements over time• Direction for future improvements:

• consistency of parameters• demand analysis


Deficiencies in information

• Project indicators relate to direct output• useful for verifying that output is as planned• difficult to interpret in terms effect on policy

objectives (e.g. enhancing transport links, compliance with EU Directives)

• Information insufficient to examine unit costs in detail; this would make it possible to• assess cost effectiveness, or at least identify

aspects of costs for more detailed investigation• assess accuracy of estimates of benefits and costs


Achievements – Transport

• Focus on completing network within MS than connections to neighbouring countries

• Cohesion 4:• ES, PT: emphasis on rail• EL, IE: emphasis on road• EL, PT: significant share of urban transport

• EU-12: roads dominating


Achievements – Environment

• Main focus: compliance with EU directives, esp. in EU-12 – significant progress in this area

• Impacts on regional development overlooked• Maintenance often neglected• Tariffing problems (affordability vs. polluter pays)

can undermine effectiveness


Management and Implementation

• Previous experience important• Capacity generally weaker at local level

(environmental projects)• Over the period improvements in all countries,

though to differing extents, due to • ‘learning-by-doing’• training of staff • technical assistance from external experts,

particularly CBA, EIA


Thank you for your attention

http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/impact/evaluation/index_en.cfm

Regional Policy Ex post Evaluation of the Cohesion Fund and ISPA in period 2000-2006 Adam Abdulwahab...

Documents

Transcript of Regional Policy Ex post Evaluation of the Cohesion Fund and ISPA in period 2000-2006 Adam Abdulwahab...