From Conditionality to Europeanization in Central and Eastern Europe: Administrative Performance and Capacity in Cohesion Policy

Abstract

This article assesses the role of administrative capacity in explaining the performance of eight Central and Eastern European countries in managing Cohesion policy over the 2004–2008 period. Drawing on a conceptual framework from the Europeanization literature, it explores whether pre-accession administrative adjustment to comply with the “acquis” continued in the post-accession period, against a backdrop of critical assessments about the state of administrative capacity for managing Cohesion policy. We conclude that administrative capacity was developed faster and more substantially than commentators predicted. The findings have implications for our understanding of the post-accession compliance record of the EU8, challenging the contention that they fall within a “world of dead letters”. Administrative capacity has been underestimated and insufficient attention has been given to the dynamics of capacity evolution and learning.

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the role of the European Commission (DG Regio) in funding the evaluation research on which this paper is based and the contribution of Jiří Blažek, Jonas Jatkauskas, Damjan Kavaš, Martin Obuch, Karol Olejniczak, Kristiina Tõnnisson to the country research and their constructive feedback—as well as from Ilona Palné Kovacs—on an earlier version of this paper. They are also grateful for the helpful comments provided by two anonymous reviewers. The usual disclaimer applies.

Notes

1. The administration of expenditure commitments in 2004–2006 continued until the end of 2008.

2. Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia.

3. For further methodological detail, see Bachtler et al. (2009b) and Oraže (2009).

4. A commitment of funds to a project needs to be paid out within two years or else is lost to the programme.