“Managing Structural Funds: Institutional Constraints to Efficiency”

Hartwig, Ines. (1999) “Managing Structural Funds: Institutional Constraints to Efficiency” . In European Union Studies Association (EUSA) > Biennial Conference > 1999 (6th), June 2-5, 1999, Pittsburgh, PA.

Abstract

In the framework of the structural funds the European Commission is promoting the spread of best practices in order to thus make efficient and successful examples of the implementation of structural funds widely known. In this respect the Commission implicitly assumes that lessons can be drawn from examples of other Member States and that institutional structures can be created or changed on the basis of criteria relating to efficiency and usefulness. This paper will analyse the implementation of the structural funds in the new Länder of Germany and will consider the way in which it has drawn lessons with a view to increase its efficiency. The case study will focus on an Objective 1 region, i.e. Sachsen-Anhalt (D). The concluding remarks will analyse the process of drawing lessons undertaken by Germany in general and will pose the question of whether and to what extent it has contributed to increasing the efficiency of management structures.