ABSTRACT
This chapter assesses the contribution of a number of key papers that make use of econometric approaches from the policymakers' perspective to address the impact of Cohesion Policy on economic growth and convergence. It discusses the theoretical framework for regional growth and convergence and the implications for regional policy. The chapter then provides an overview of the scope and methodology of the reviewed econometric studies and their relevance from a Cohesion Policy perspective. It analyses the data on Cohesion Policy transfers used as an input into the regressions. The chapter also describes the results of the studies and the relevance of the results for Cohesion Policy. The use of good-quality data is crucial for achieving meaningful results from econometric analysis. The chapter shows how Cohesion Policy funds data have been used in the analysis. It then concludes with an assessment of issues that need to be addressed to make future research more relevant for policymakers.
