12.2.10. #1 tulumello_verones

Is Territorial Cohesion Making

Cohesion?

EU Territorial Development Policy, Evaluation,

and the Multiscalarity Issue in Palermo

Simone Tulumello and Sara Verones

SP03. Cohesion Policy

0. Introduction

WHAT IS TERRITORIAL COHESION (TC)?

[Territorial Cohesion is] about enabling citizens and enterprises,

wherever they happen to live or operate, to benefit from and

contribute to European integration and the functioning of the Single

Market and, with respect to sustainability, to make the most of the

territorial capital of places (Faludi, Peyrony, 2011, 5).

TC is about EU (economic) development.

TC is a matter of scale:

• it entails the rescaling of competences between the EU and the

member states (Brenner, 1999);

• it is pursued mainly through communitarian policies operating at

the regional level;

• it concerns the development of the urban territories;

• it fosters competition between regions to enhance the competition

of the EU.

0. Introduction

TC, OBJECTIVE 1, AND THE EU CRISIS

0. Introduction

TC AND THE ACADEMIA

The “transversal” analyses – TC in general, (re)scaling, evaluation

of TC and evaluation within TC, programmes, instruments – and the

end of the 2000-2006 programming period:

• Town Planning Review 76[1], 2005

• Regional Studies 40[2], 2006

• Doucet (2006)

• Faludi (2006a; 2006b; 2007a; 2007b)

The lack of “longitudinal/localized” studies:

• Mateus (2013)

0. Introduction

STRUCTURE OF THE PRESENTATION

1. Theoretical understandings of TC.

2. EU programmes for sustainable urban development in Palermo,

Sicily.

3. Understanding the development of the Italian Mezzogiorno: from

“failure” to “timing”.

4. The “relevance” of the case: local/European; theoretical insights.

5. Concluding remarks

1. Understandings of TC

THE INSTITUTIONAL VIEWPOINT

EU cohesion policy – and territorial cohesion policy – has to square

the circle of pursuing Europe's competitiveness while at the same

time compensating peripheral areas (Faludi, 2006b, 3).

The significance of TC lies in its capacity to be between economic

and social cohesion, and to strengthen both (CEC, 2004).

Good governance and an effective institutional structure are an

important source of regional competitiveness through facilitating

cooperation between the various parties involved in both the public

and private sectors (CEC, 2004, 58).


TC AS AN “UMBRELLA CONCEPT”

TC = COHESION + DEVELOPMENT.

TC = COHESION + COMPETITIVENESS.

But competitiveness and balanced development are not always

easy to reconcile (Faludi 2007b).

The ideals of sustainability, polycentric and balanced development,

subsidiarity and competitiveness can result abstract and invoked in

rhetoric and discursive struggles (Faludi, 2007b).

Is TC more adequate to achieve cooperation or competition (Doucet,

2006)?


MULTI-SCALARITY ON FOUR RELATIONSHIPS

1. UE / Member States: rescaling of competences (Brenner, 1999;

Governa, 2012; Zanon, 2013);

2. UE / Regions: the latter being the territorial unit elected for most

of evaluation and funding allocation actions (i.e. NUTS II

regionalisation of Ob.1, Ob.2, and Ob.3 areas; EDSP territorial

agenda);

3. UE / Cities: understanding of cities as crucial for UE

development (Urban Pilot Projects, the Smart City model, …);

4. Region / Region: competitiveness/cohesion duality (Governa,

2012, Governa, Saccomani, 2004).


THE MATTER OF EVALUATION

A growing concern for evaluation and monitoring.

Decentralization to the Member State level (2000-2006).

Debate on evaluation:

• methodologies currently employed (accountability and

legitimacy; improving quality and performance; improving

planning) vs those not used but yet suitable (building capacity;

local learning) (Batterbury, 2006);

• cost-benefit analysis (Florio, 2006);

• analysis of job creation (Martin, Tyler, 2006);

• macro-models (Bradley, 2006).

2. EU policies in Palermo

EU PROGRAMMES FOR URBAN SUSTAINABLE

DEVELOPMENT IN PALERMO

Palermo is the administrative capital of the region Sicily, since 1989

an Ob.1 area.

Sicily received:

• 8,5 billion € in 2000-2006;

• 10,5 billion € in 2007-2013.

Three programmes for urban sustainable development in Palermo:

• Urban I Initiative (1994-1999).

• PIT (integrated territorial project) “Palermo Capitale dell’Euro-

mediterraneo”, included into the POR (Sicily regional operational

programme) 2000-2006.

• PISU (integrated programme for urban development) “Palermo

Capitale”, included into the PO-FESR (Sicily ERDF operational

programme) 2007-2013.


EU Programmes for Sustainable Urban Development in Palermo (1994-2013)

EU/Regional

programme

PIC-Urban I (1994-1999) Asse 5 (Objective 5) of POR

(2000-2006)

Asse 6 (Objective 6) of PO-

FESR 2007-2013.

Total

expenditure

95% (Italy) (Padovani, 2002b) ? 20% (PO-FESR, Sicily, 31

December 2012)

Programme in

Palermo

Urban Palermo PIT Palermo Capitale

dell’Euro-mediterraneo

PISU Palermo Capitale

Measures Launching new economic

activities; ensuring

employment; improvement of

public social services;

environment and

infrastructures

Pole for the Euro-Mediterranean

culture; technological innovation

and internationalization for

entrepreneurial/productive

system; improvement of the

touristic system; human capital

and knowledge

Funded operations: public

social services; updating of

municipal GIS; municipal

services on-line portal;

requalification of a school

Funded (total) 22 million € 172 million € 12.5 millions € (operations

approved, December 2012)






Evaluation

object for

funding

allocation

Whole programme Whole programme Whole programme and single

operation

Evaluation

body for

funding

allocation

European Commission Department of Planning of the

Region Sicily

Departments of Region Sicily

(depending on the single

operation)

Funding

allocation

Whole programme Whole programme Single operation






Coordination National government (Office of

the Prime Minister, Ministry of

Public Works)

Department of Planning of the

Region Sicily

Department of Planning of the

Region Sicily

Funding

management

body

Municipality of Palermo Department of Planning of the

Region Sicily

Departments of Region Sicily

(depending on the single

funded operation)

Programme

planning body

Municipality of Palermo Municipality of Palermo Coalizione territoriale (PIST) /

Municipality of Palermo (PISU)

Execution body Municipality of Palermo Municipality of Palermo Municipality of Palermo






+ Regeneration of the physical

environment.

Socio-economic and social

capital impacts.

Institutional impacts.

Innovation on city strategies.

Some spatial regeneration

projects completed.

Innovative programme both at

the regional and urban level.

- In the long term, vanishment of

the impacts in terms of

institutional innovation and

competences acquired.

Failed integration with current

policies.

Failure of actions supporting

innovation and development for

the economic local system.

Failed timing of the POR and

over-charging of actions in the

last period.

In-course revocation of funding.

Less transparent expenditure

procedures.

Use of structural funds for

ordinary expenditure.

Too complex procedures.

Accumulation of delays on the

bureaucratic passages .

Less transparent procedures.

Necessary extension of the

programming period.

Funding revocations expected.

Failed respect of regional

deadlines.

3. The development in Sicily

THE RHETORIC VERSUS THE “TIMING”

Banfield, Putnam and the “impossible” development of the Italian

Mezzogiorno.

The “timing” of development:

• 1960s-1980s: “development without autonomy” (Trigilia, 1994);

• 1990s: “the autonomous development” (Tulumello, 2008;

Foderà, Tulumello, 2011);

• Between 1990s and the 2000-2006 programming period: the

critical phase (Ismeri Europa, 2002);

• 2000s: the backward steps (Trigilia, 2012; Foderà, Tulumello,

2011).

3. The development in Sicily

SICILY DEVELOPMENT AND EU FUNDS

EVOLUTION/INVOLUTION

• 2000-2006 / 2007-2013: the use of EU funds for development as

replacement of ordinary expenditure.

• From competition at the EU level (1990s) to regional distribution

of funds – not to “discontent” anybody.

• Growing complexity of procedures vs the dilution of the

learning processes.

• Management and planning: from EU / cities to regions /

territories.

• The growing rigidity of programmes which does not consider

local specificities..

4. The “relevance” of the case

IS THE FAILED DEVELOPMENT OF PALERMO/SICILY A

LOCAL/NATIONAL/SOUTHERN EUROPEAN/EUROPEAN

ISSUE?

EU funds as means of “survival”.

Questioning the capacity itself of TC to pursue its objective.

The coincidence of “timing” between local development and EU

funds phases.

The delegation of compentences and the lack of long-term

negotiation processes EU / Regions.

The lack of regional strategies versus the design of operational

programmes.

4. The “relevance” of the case

WHICH LESSONS FOR TC?

1. Timing: questioning 7 year cycles for urban and territorial

development policies.

2. Evaluation:

• progresses in expenditure monitoring

versus

• the elimination of mid-term evaluation;

• the lacking focus on “expected resuluts”.

3. Multi-scalarity:

• the abandoning of the successful EC / cities relationships;

• the need for questioning EC / region;

• from competitive basis to territorial distribution of funding.

5. Conclusions

The commonalities between Southern European urban

territories (Seixas, Albet, 2012).

Southern Europe as a proper scale in order to debate the future

European policies.

Facing the “common problems” instead than relying in the

regional distribution of funds.

The need for more nuanced theories: timing, evaluation, multi-

scalarity.

5. Conclusions

A more genuine feedback process between the bottom and top

levels of the government structure [that] should allow the true

objectives of policy choices to emerge more clearly (Barca,

2006, 276).

Towards 2014-2010: the first UE balance with a minor financial

provision in respect to its previous

Fewer resources for TC will make harder the “making” of

cohesion.

Barca “reloaded”.

5. Conclusions

THANK YOU

FOR YOUR ATTENTION

Mail: [email protected]

Mobile: (+351) 961379236

12.2.10. #1 tulumello_verones

Technology

palermo palermo

understandings of tc

evaluation of tc

territorial cohesion

introduction tc

palermo eu programmes

significance of tc

sustainable urban development