Study on the impact of the single market on cohesion: implications for cohesion policy, growth and competitiveness

This study was prepared by LSE Enterprise, drawing on work by the Centre for Social and Economic Research (CASE), the University of Helsinki, and Vienna University of Economics and Business. It assessed the impact of the Single Market on growth, competitiveness and employment in EU27, in particular as regards its role in generating disparities and convergence processes. It also analysed the institutional and policy linkages between cohesion policy, the Lisbon process and the Europe 2020 strategy. The study draws on a range of sources, including desk-based research, modeling work, econometric analysis as well as qualitative assessment through a number of case studies covering regions with different characteristics. Its conclusions concern the alignment of cohesion policy with the Europe 2020 strategy, the integration of regions into the Single Market, the role of leading regions, the quality of public investment, the framework conditions for investments and governance challenges.