Sébastien BOURDIN’s Post

In a new paper just published in Regional Studies, Alessandra de Renzis, Sébastien BOURDIN and I explore the evolution of cohesion policy over the past 25 years and unpack the historical circumstances and theoretical frameworks that have shaped its trajectory over this period (gradually steering it away from its original goals). We propose a periodisation in three stages: Lisbonisation (2000–2014), Territorialisation (2014–2020), and Hyper-Lisbonisation (2020–present). In the Lisbonisation phase, cohesion policy came under pressure to increasingly align with EU-wide competitiveness goals, compensating for the lack of sufficient dedicated EU instruments for these objectives and reflecting the influence of economic theories emphasising the role of economies of agglomeration in driving growth. The Territorialisation phase sought to reconcile this course with a stronger emphasis on place-based and bottom-up mechanisms. Despite its promises, however, it did not produce a meaningful shift in governance dynamics or objectives towards a more territorially oriented direction. The current Hyper-Lisbonisation stage, shaped by successive crises, accentuates the focus on competitiveness through more centralised, sectoral, and flexible governance (often nationally steered) to meet short-term priorities. Our paper shows that the recent proposals to channel cohesion policy funds towards defence-related goals and to centralise their governance are not emerging out of the blue, but rather represent the culmination of trends stretching back two decades. Link to the paper in the comments.

📢 Today, the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission and the Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO) presented the new EU platform dedicated to local integrated strategies funded under the EU Cohesion Policy 2021–2027. This platform brings together information on strategies designed and implemented at the local level, with support from the European Structural and Investment Funds, aiming to foster place-based development tailored to local needs. Participants from national and regional managing authorities, local administrations, universities, research centres, EU institutions, and associations joined the discussion and provided valuable feedback to further refine and improve the platform. These strategies are crucial for empowering communities, reducing territorial disparities, and promoting sustainable and inclusive development across Europe. They help bring the EU closer to its citizens by directly supporting projects that improve everyday life – from urban regeneration to social inclusion, innovation, green transition, and more. The official launch of the platform will follow soon — stay tuned! #EUCohesionPolicy #LocalDevelopment #JRC #DGREGIO #EURegions #StructuralFunds #SmartGrowth #SustainableEurope

🏙️ The EU Policy Agenda for Cities must empower cities - not sideline them. As the European Commission finalises its plans for the Policy Agenda, it is essential that cities are recognised as strategic partners in designing EU policy, not just delivering it. ❌ The post-2027 #EUBudget proposals did not deliver what cities need. They risk marginalising cities, instead of delivering the multi-level governance and direct funding city governments require. 💡 With the Policy Agenda expected in December, we call on EU Vice-President Raffaele Fitto to ensure it: 🔹 Secures a long-term vision backed by all EU Commissioners 🔸 Creates annual dialogue between mayors and Commissioners 🔹 Provides a coherent governance framework and adequate funding 🔸 Introduces urban impact assessments and strengthens local capacity 🤝 City leaders must have a real seat at the EU table - shaping policy, deciding on funds, and building a prosperous future for Europe. 📑 Read Eurocities' response to the EU’s call for evidence on the Policy Agenda for Cities 👉 https://lnkd.in/eygmH6dq 🎥 And learn what mayors need below 👇

A new CEPS (Centre for European Policy Studies) policy brief points out key weaknesses of the current enlargement policy & encourages a simplified approach to enlargement, as recently demanded in a joint letter by #Austria, #Germany, #Italy & #Slovenia (to be followed by a non-paper tbc). Their main criticism: 1️⃣ the qualitative ratings (‘good’, ‘moderate’ etc.) should be paired with their numerical equivalent, which would allow for aggregation and averaging with possible weights by chapter. This could easily be done and various independent research centres, (including our own) already do this. 2️⃣ the Commission gives absolutely no indication over the level of ranking of individual chapters, or the average for all chapters, needed for formal accession. This results in huge uncertainty for every candidate country and a lack of transparency in the entire system. 3️⃣ all the information gathered in the enlargement packages is not used in any formally structured way in the accession procedures themselves. Rather than enhancing bureaucracy, they argue, #gradual integration should serve as a tool to eliminate parallel tracks & increase cohesion prior to enlargement. You can find the full paper here: https://lnkd.in/e2AK6aPh

🎉We’re excited to announce that the Orientation Papers for the #BuildingDecarbonisation and #WaterSensitiveCity Partnerships have been officially published! The two Partnerships presented their Orientation Papers at the Urban Development Group (UDG) meeting, held on September 17 in Køge, Denmark, as part of the Danish Presidency of the Council of the EU. Launched in January 2025, both Partnerships have now delivered their first major milestone. 🎯 📒 The Orientation Papers define the thematic scope and strategic objectives of each Partnership, reflecting the mandates of the participating organisations and the collective expertise and resources within the Partnerships. 🔎 Find out what’s shaping the agenda of the two Partnerships - read the full article: https://lnkd.in/d8zM7gGr #ThematicPartnerships #WaterSensitiveCity #BuildingDecarbonisation #SustainableUrbanDevelopment

🎉 The #WaterSensitiveCity and #BuildingDecarbonisation Orientation Papers have been officially published, after their presentation in the Urban Development Group (UDG) Meeting organised on Sep. 17 as part of the Danish Presidency of the Council of the EU. Read the full article here: 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dCY4tpni I am glad I could support the Water Sensitive City UAEU Partnership in this process, as Thematic Partnership Officer. Publishing the Orientation Paper is a major milestone for all the partners who actively contributed to shaping the thematic priorities, laying a solid foundation for the next phase: developing an Action Plan 🎯. ⬇️Here's some more background on the WSC Partnership: 🏙💧 Launched in November 2024, the Urban Agenda for the EU Water Sensitive City (WSC) Partnership was established in a context in which cities of all sizes face increasing water-related challenges (excess, scarcity, competing demands). In response, the WSC Partnership envisions a future where European cities become more resilient, sustainable, and climate-adapted by placing water sensitive design at the heart of urban policies. This transformation will be driven by the principles of a Water Sensitive City, a city in which urban water management not only addresses functional needs but also enhances the overall urban environment and climate adaptation. The WSC Partnership is composed of 23 partners representing national and regional authorities, urban authorities, European umbrella organisations, other stakeholders, and the European Commission. #UAEU #ThematicPartnerships #WaterSensitiveCity #BuildingDecarbonisation #WaterResilience #UrbanDevelopment

🚀 Exciting news from the Urban Agenda for the EU! The Orientation Papers for the #BuildingDecarbonisation and #WaterSensitiveCity Partnerships are now live on their webpages: ➡️ Building Decarbonisation: https://lnkd.in/dUzXTVZ8 ➡️Water Sensitive City: https://lnkd.in/dRXPV42d Happy to have supported the great work done by the UAEU Building Decarbonisation Partnership members in conceptualising, drafting and finalising the Orientation Paper. A big thank you to the Partnership Coordinators, Ighor Van de Vyver, Raquel Díez Abarca and Miguel Segovia Martínez for their leadership and collaboration throughout this process. 📄 Learn more about the thematic focus of the Building Decarbonisation Partnership: https://lnkd.in/dhqDDPaW

The impact of EU Cohesion policy funds for Smart Specialisation in a lagging region: 🔍 Key findings: ✅ Significant positive impacts on investment, employment, and wage growth, but no significant effect on turnover ✅ Evidence that policy interventions enhance firms’ innovation capacity and economic performance These results contribute new evidence on the microeconomic effects of place-based R&D interventions funded by cohesion policy and offer important insights into how EU funds can help less-developed regions escape underdevelopment traps and achieve sustainable growth.

The impact of EU Cohesion policy funds for Smart Specialisation in a lagging region: 🔍 Key findings: ✅ Significant positive impacts on investment, employment, and wage growth, but no significant effect on turnover ✅ Evidence that policy interventions enhance firms’ innovation capacity and economic performance These results contribute new evidence on the microeconomic effects of place-based R&D interventions funded by cohesion policy and offer important insights into how EU funds can help less-developed regions escape underdevelopment traps and achieve sustainable growth.

The impact of EU Cohesion policy funds for Smart Specialisation in a lagging region: 🔍 Key findings: ✅ Significant positive impacts on investment, employment, and wage growth, but no significant effect on turnover ✅ Evidence that policy interventions enhance firms’ innovation capacity and economic performance These results contribute new evidence on the microeconomic effects of place-based R&D interventions funded by cohesion policy and offer important insights into how EU funds can help less-developed regions escape underdevelopment traps and achieve sustainable growth.