ABSTRACT

Previous chapters have examined the detailed characteristics of Objective 1, 2 and 5b programmes across the UK, focusing on the internal and external coherence of regional development strategies. The contributions highlight several important concerns with respect to the appropriateness of EU-funded regional development responses as well as questions regarding the effectiveness of implementation arrangements. In considering the broader relevance of these issues it is important to be aware of how the British approach compares with experiences elsewhere in the Union. In Britain, for example, the intensity and persistence of inner-city problems have given a higher profile to integrated area-based regeneration strategies than in other Member States. The British approach to project selection, through a competitive bidding process, is also different from the practices of Member States, such as Spain, which prefer to control expenditure allocation more closely at the strategy design stage. Further, other EU countries have different institutional structures, notably stronger regional authorities.