Cohesion policy 2014–2020 and the spending capacity of Italian public administrations in 2018

Abstract

This article examines the spending capacity of Italian public administrations under the European Union’s 2014–2020 cohesion policy, focusing on the position at the end of 2018. It discusses the allocation and expenditure of European Structural and Investment (ESI) Funds and the differences between Member States. Finland ranked fifth for commitments, at 72% alongside the Netherlands, and first for certified expenditure, at 54%; Ireland followed with 69% in commitments and 43% in payments, although both countries managed relatively small allocations. In Italy, the mobilisation of ministries and regions during the final weeks of the year prevented a substantial cancellation of funding (Chiellino, 2023). Sicily also met its expenditure target agreed with the EU by using projects that were initially outside the programmes but remained compatible with their original objectives (Amadore, 2023). The discussion highlights the continuing pressure created by the automatic decommitment rule (N+3), including its implications for 2023. It argues that protecting expenditure quality requires avoiding repeated year-end efforts to meet deadlines and examining how administrative capacity affects the implementation of cohesion policy.

Keywords

Cohesion policy; public expenditure; Italy; European Union; urban economy; governance

JEL codes

R58; F15; H77