The Impact of Structural Funds in Italy

Abstract

This paper evaluates the economic effects of Structural Funds in Italy. After presenting the distribution of Funds across Italian Regions over the period 1996-2007 and documenting how the Regions manage the financial resources recevied by EU, the paper assesses the impact of Structural Funds on the regional convergence process. While the impact of Funds is positive when considering the growth of regional GDP per capita, this evidence is not confirmed when using the convergence of labour productivity.Structural Funds. Economic Divide in Italy. Convergence