Philipp Mohl evaluates the macroeconomic effects of EU Cohesion Policy with the help of
empirical methods. His findings indicate that in particular the part of EU Cohesion Policy
which is spent for the poorest regions (the so-called Objective 1 funding) has a positive and
statistically significant impact on economic growth. Moreover the employment effects of EU
Cohesion Policy seem to be conditional on the educational attainment i.e. in particular
regions with a high share of high-skilled population tend to benefit from EU funds. Finally
the author does not find evidence that EU funds significantly increase public investment in the
EU countries which points to a crowding out of national investment. Overall the gained
insights contribute to a more profound understanding of the macroeconomic effects of EU
Cohesion Policy which is essential to design an effective and efficient EU spending system.
