The allocation of EU structural funding is not only determined by economic and social needs. It is also a political game.

The European Union is set to spend more than 300 billion Euros between 2007 and 2013 on Structural Funds which aim to support the development of poorer regions. However, their allocation is not only determined by need, argues Achim Kemmerling, but also by the ability of countries and regions to lobby for and absorb funding.