In this Policy Paper, Achilleas Mitsos, Former Director General European Commission; Secretary General for Research and Development, Ministry of Education, Professor International Economic Relations, University of the Aegean; Special Adviser of ELIAMEP, discusses the Cohesion Policy of the EU.

  • The motives behind cohesion policy have always been heterogeneous and may work in a complementary but also in a contradictory way.
  • Reducing spatial inequalities together with the principles of justice, solidarity, altruism have coexisted with the need to compensate for the negative consequences of the single market’s completion.
  • The redistribution for justice and equity may contradict or enhance development policy.
  • Cohesion policy can work to the detriment of some less developed areas and to the benefit of richer Member States.
  • European integration is promoted by cohesion policy and the development and strongest political presence of the regions.
  • The coincidence of numerous and sometimes contradictory goals often leads to “heterogony of ends”: The ultimately served goals differ from those initially pursued. The consequences of the actions go beyond and / or contradict the original intentions.

You may find the full text of the study here (in Greek language).