Cohesion Policy as a Driver to Promote Good Governance in the EU Member States

Abstract

The quality of public institutions has a major impact on the social and economic development within the EU member states. Regions with high government effectiveness, low corruption and highquality public services tend to have higher outcomes in economic performance and social inclusion. In case of EU cohesion policy funding, the Seventh Cohesion Report published by the European Commission in 2017 demonstrates that regions with weak institutions have difficulties in absorbing regional development influences effectively and using the European structural funds properly in order to promote growth. The European Commission has recently set out several initiatives to strengthen good governance and administrative capacity building to improve the management of the European structural funds. This paper will scrutinize whether the cohesion policy implies proper instruments to promote good governance.