1. UNIVERSITY OF THESSALY DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT POSTGRADUATE PROGRAM IN EUROPEAN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT STUDIES
Evaluation of the allocated resources of the Greek NSRF in Sectoral and Regional level
June 2015
Tzortzi Ourania
Supervisor
Prof. Petrakos George

2. Introduction Purpose: European Integration – Vision of the EU
Structural Funds- effective mechanisms
Greece – main beneficiary of the EU funding – Objective 1
Four programming periods of funding: , , ,
Purpose:
Evaluation of the NSRF’s allocated resources in sectoral and regional level.
Identification of the primary treated regions and possible inequalities
Verification of the program’s implementation according to its initial design and Cohesion Policy’s principle

3. Methodology Structure
Examination of the Sectoral and Regional OP’s resources, in per capita terms, distributed by region, through:
Analysis of data tables and graphs illustrating the participation of the regions in the NSRF’s resources at:
Three stages: Accession Budget, Legal Commitments and Payments (per capita) in relation to the GDP per capita 2007
Structure
Overview of the Cohesion Policy’s evolution and reformation of the Structural Funds
Historical background of the Greek Cohesion Policy and its progress in the three former programming periods
Data analysis of the allocated NSRF’s resources regarding the forth programming period

4. EU Cohesion Policy and Structural Fund’s Reform
1958: European Investment Bank –functional links with the World Bank, European Social Fund (ESF)
1961: Conference on Regional Economies – First thoughts for Cohesion Policy establishment by Commission
1964: Commission’s first Memorandum on Regional Policy
1973: Thomson Report
1974: ERDF (European Regional Development Funds)

5. Cohesion Policy in Greece
In 1950’s first attempt for regional development
1980: first Regional Development Plan
EU creates IMPs
significant changes in the nature of regional policy in Greece
The CSF replaced the Regional Development Programmes
Three programming periods of CSF’s implementation.

6. Structural Funds Reform
1986: Single European Act (SEA):
: First Reform
February 1988, Delors I Package
Objective 1 regions
: Second Reform
1992: Treaty of Maastricht  Second Structural Reform
Delores Package II
1993: Cohesion Fund
: Third Reform
Challenges: EMU, EU enlargement, economic environment
3 main Objectives and 4 Community initiatives
Evaluation process of funds & Stricter financial management and control
: Forth Reform
Almost 350 billion Euros 35% of the EU budget
Cohesion fund: tool of Cohesion Policy
Objectives: Convergence, Regional Competitiveness and Employment & Territorial Cooperation
Responsibilities transferred at national level
Development Plans, CSF replaced by NSRF
OPs financed by single fund

7. Community Support Frameworks
: First CSF
13 ROPS- 12 Sectoral Ops
ROPs: Majority of the CSF funds
Administrative and management difficulties
Limited effectiveness of the CSF I
Poor performance of the Greek economy, lack of priorities
: Second CSF
Greek economy towards Sustainable development and convergence
Financial aid twice as much as from the former period
16 Sectoral 13 Regional Ops/ 5 Development axes
Positive influence of the CSF II
High rates in investments
: Third CSF
- Approved and signed in 2000, started in 2001
-11 Sectoral and 13 Regional Ops and Technical Assistance
-7 Priority axes
- Decline in absorption rates

8. NSRF 2007-2013 NSRF’s Objectives
: National Strategic Reference Framework
Document of priority policies by the Member States
Promoted the Lisbon Agenda’s priorities
ERDF, ESF and CF
Budget : billion Euros
NSRF’s Objectives
Convergence, Regional Competitiveness and Employment, European Territorial Co-operation

9. Greek regions Convergence, Phasing-in, Phasing-out

10. Operational Programmes
14 OPs: 8 Sectoral + National Contingency Reverse , 5 Regional OPs
12 Territorial Co-operation Programmes
billion Euros (including National Contribution)
Sectoral Operational Programmes
“Environment and Sustainable Development”
“Accessibility Improvement”
“Competitiveness and Entrepreneurship”
“Digital Convergence”
“Development of Human Resources”
“Education & Lifelong Learning”
“Public Administration Reform ”
“Technical Assistance”
“National Contingency Reverse”
Regional Operational Programmes
1. ROP Macedonia- Thrace (Easter Macedonia &Thrace, Central and Western Macedonia)
2. ROP Western Greece – Peloponnese – Ionian Islands
3. ROP Crete – Aegean Islands( South and North Aegean)
4. ROP Thessaly – Central Greece (Sterea Ellada) – Epirus
5. ROP Attica

11. NSRF’s allocated recourses by region In per capita terms

12. Allocated recourses of the Sectoral Operational Programmes

22. Conclusions
- Profound impact of the EU enlargement in the Cohesion Policy’s Reformation
- Vital binding of the Policy with EMU and internal market
- Commission : Architect of reforming proposals
- Greek Regional Policy was influenced by the EU Cohesion Policy
- IMPs: base for the CSFs
- Gradual progress in the effectiveness of the CSFs
- NSRF: thrust in the Greek economy’s efficacy
- Weak management and implementation, significant delay
- Primal treatment of the lagging regions
- Exceptions in funding: C. Greece, I. Islands, W. Macedonia
- “Accessibility Improvement” OP: 24% of the total budget
- “Competitiveness and Entrepreneurship” OP: positive relation
- “Digital Convergence” OP: even allocation based on the GDP per capita
- Inequalities  development gap
- “Macedonia & Thrace” ROP posses big share, Thessaly and W. Greece low participation

23. Differences in the case of Legal Commitments and Payments per capita
Conclusions
Differences in the case of Legal Commitments and Payments per capita
Delay in Payments: current period has not been completed, absorption capacity of the regions
Programme implemented according to its initial plan
Reinforcement of the Greek economy
Suggestion for future examination: 2011 GDP per capita in relation with data from the overall programming period.