EU economic policies and location of economic activities

ESPON Project 3.4.2

Thematic scope and context

The project shall further develop and deepen the understanding of the economic dimension of the development of the European territory.

That includes identifying the spatial pattern of company/investment locations and the factors influencing these patterns and looking from a policy perspective identifying the key measures having impact on these patterns.

The policy perspective should address both measures undertaken at EU level in terms of defining the overall conditions of the internal market and related EU regulation of economic factors, and the conditions and policy impacts created by national, regional and local actors in order to attract companies/investments to a particular location.

Based on this multiscalar approach, conclusions regarding the territorial impacts of EU economic policies and location of economic activities in Europe should be developed as well as policy recommendations in support of territorial cohesion.

The project should as far as possible include dynamic elements in the analysis and try carefully to distinguish impacts from EU policy intervention from national ditto.

Lead Partner

University Libre de Bruxelles (Belgium).
Detailed information on the contracted project team under Transnational Project Groups.