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Professor John Bachtler will deliver a lecture entitled “The Future of Cohesion Policy: Opportunities & Risks in the Reforms for 2028-34”, addressing key challenges and future directions of EU cohesion policy in the context of evolving economic, political and institutional dynamics. Particular attention will be paid to post-2027 reforms, the role of cohesion policy in strengthening competitiveness and territorial cohesion, and its links to major EU priorities such as the green and digital transitions. The lecture will also address issues related to policy effectiveness, multi-level governance and the future allocation of EU funds.

John Bachtler is Professor Emeritus of European Policy Studies at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow and former Director of the European Policies Research Centre (EPRC). He is one of Europe’s leading experts on EU cohesion policy, regional development and European integration. His research focuses on regional and industrial development, including EU cohesion and structural policies, territorial development, innovation (RTDI), foreign investment and policy evaluation. He has led major research programmes, including the IQ-Net programme on the management and delivery of cohesion policy across EU Member States.

He has coordinated and contributed to numerous international research and advisory projects, with a strong focus on policy effectiveness, governance and administrative capacity. His work spans more than 30 European countries and includes long-standing involvement in comparative research initiatives such as the European Regional Policy Research Consortium (EoRPA).

He has extensive experience as an expert adviser to national governments across Western, Central and Eastern Europe, as well as to key international institutions including the European Commission, European Parliament, Committee of the Regions, European Court of Auditors, OECD and Nordic Council of Ministers. He has also served as an expert adviser to 12 EU Council Presidencies on budgetary, policy and regulatory reform and was a member of the High-Level Group on the Future of Cohesion Policy.

He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, and a Fellow of the Regional Studies Association. A full list of his publications is available here: https://pureportal.strath.ac.uk/en/persons/john-bachtler/publications

The lecture by Prof. Bachtler is organised as part of the EUROIMPACT project, supported by the Ministry of Science, Education and Youth of the Republic of Croatia.

Objava ANNOUNCEMENT: Lecture by Prof. John Bachtler – The Future of Cohesion Policy: Opportunities & Risks in the Reforms for 2028-34 pojavila se prvi puta na Euroimpakt.

The chapter analyses Croatia’s experience with the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA), a key financial mechanism of the European Union in the process of preparing countries for membership. Croatia joined the European Union in 2013 following a complex negotiation process, during which the IPA programme played an important role in strengthening administrative capacities, particularly through staff training and the development of institutional structures.

The research findings show that, despite positive developments, the limited financial scope of pre-accession programmes reduced their broader developmental impact. The fragmentation of projects and the lack of an integrated reform approach made it more difficult to address deeper structural challenges. In addition, the effectiveness of IPA assistance was influenced by both external and internal factors, including frequent programme revisions, complex public procurement rules, the 2009 economic crisis, and limited institutional capacity.

In conclusion, the chapter demonstrates that IPA significantly contributed to Croatia’s capacity to manage EU funds after accession, but that its design limitations and insufficient integration with comprehensive national reforms reduced its long-term effectiveness.

The book The Palgrave Handbook of European Union Enlargement and Pre-Accession Assistance examines the development, design, and effects of pre-accession assistance across different waves of EU enlargement. It places particular emphasis on the comparative analysis of the experiences of candidate countries and Member States, providing insights into similarities and differences across cases, as well as the role of pre-accession instruments in shaping public policies and countries’ developmental trajectories on their path to EU membership.

The chapter is available at:
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-032-13349-6_4

Objava Book Chapter on Croatia’s Experience with IPA Assistance Published by Springer pojavila se prvi puta na Euroimpakt.

The article analyses the key challenges faced by local government units in Croatia in using European Union funds. The findings identify four main challenges: limited human capacity, difficulties in ensuring financial sustainability, the administrative complexity of EU funds, and the influence of politics on the processes of EU fund management. The article contributes to the debate on the need for a comprehensive reform of the local self-government system in Croatia, advocating territorial amalgamation as one of the key mechanisms for strengthening absorption capacity. Such an approach is recognised as a prerequisite for more effective implementation of cohesion policy and the achievement of balanced regional development.

The article is available at:
https://doi.org/10.31297/hkju.26.1.1

Objava Article on Challenges Faced by Local Government Units in Using EU Funds Published pojavila se prvi puta na Euroimpakt.

The central day of the conference was dedicated to discussions on the future Multiannual Financial Framework of the EU and the role of rural policies after 2027, with a focus on the LEADER/CLLD approach, territorial instruments, and the integrated development of rural areas.

As part of the panel “Rural Development Policy Today and after 2027 in Croatia,” Dr Puljiz delivered a presentation entitled “Croatian Experiences with EU Territorial Tools – Lessons for the Future,” in which he presented the development and application of the territorial approach within EU cohesion policy in Croatia.

The presentation particularly highlighted key implementation challenges, including coordination across sectors, administrative capacities, and the need for a stronger territorial approach in the forthcoming programming period.

The conference further confirmed the importance of an integrated and participatory approach to rural development, as well as the role of research institutions in providing an analytical basis for future territorial policies of the Republic of Croatia.

Objava Participation of IRMO in the International Conference on the Future of Rural Development Policy after 2027 pojavila se prvi puta na Euroimpakt.

BBF is one of the flagship conferences of the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs (HIIA) and it was launched in 2016. 

This year’s edition gathered decision-makers, policymakers, and the expert community to discuss the most pressing trends and opportunities shaping the Western Balkans. 

For more information about the Budapest Balkans Forum visit the official website:   

https://budapestbalkansforum.hu/ 

Objava IRMO at the Budapest Balkan Forum pojavila se prvi puta na Euroimpakt.

Objava IRMO Director at the International Conference “Pact for the Mediterranean: Partnerships for a Changing World” pojavila se prvi puta na Euroimpakt.

Firms do not operate in isolation: they are linked through buyer-supplier relationships in production and transaction chains. The research examines how these interconnectedness affects growth, job creation, and resilience, alongside common factors at the firm and market levels. It uses detailed transaction data from more than 10 countries on four continents to illustrate the structure of these relationships, including the role of supporting sectors (e.g., information and communication technologies and transport), the integration of small and medium-sized enterprises, and concentration in supply chains. Such insights facilitate the assessment of how supply disruptions and other shocks are transmitted through the economy and which policies and investments are most effective in strengthening resilience and preserving jobs. The results are also used to shape public policies – from public spending and return on investment in infrastructure and logistics to the targeting of supplier development programs.

Teams from more than 10 countries are participating in the initiative; the leader is Dr. Chiara Criscuolo, and the coordinators are Dr. Verena Christina Wiedemann and Dr. Davide Samuele Luzzati.

Participation in the World Bank initiative is complementary to the core project of the Croatian Science Foundation (IP2022-10-8560) led by Dr. Stjepan Srhoj.

Objava Dr. sc. Stjepan Srhoj part of World Bank initiative on firm transaction networks pojavila se prvi puta na Euroimpakt.

The Journal of Technology Transfer addresses topics that are key to how knowledge is transformed into new products, services and more productive enterprises. The process of technology transfer is important for the wider economy because it connects research and innovation with market application, thereby accelerating growth, competitiveness and the creation of quality jobs. Effective transfer narrows the gap between scientific discoveries and commercial applications and helps public and private investments in research result in measurable economic impacts. Therefore, the journal particularly emphasizes the role of public policies, governance and cooperation mechanisms that shape the speed, scope and success of technology diffusion in the economy. In this sense, research published in the journal contributes to understanding the institutional and organizational conditions under which technology transfer generates social and economic value. 

The Journal of Technology Transfer is ranked A according to the Australian Business Deans Council (ABDC) ranking (within the ABDC Journal Quality List), has 3 stars according to the Academic Journal Guide (AJG) ranking, and is positioned as Q1 in the Scopus database and Q2 in the Web of Science (WoS) database. 

Stjepan Srhoj, PhD, is also an associate editor at the Journal of Small Business Management. And that journal is A according to the ABDC scale, has 3 stars according to the AJG scale, and is positioned as Q1 in the Scopus database and Q1 in the WoS database. 

Link: https://link.springer.com/journal/10961/editorial-board 

Objava Stjepan Srhoj on the editorial board of The Journal of Technology Transfer pojavila se prvi puta na Euroimpakt.

The authors argue that the economics of public procurement satisfies Abbott’s criteria for a distinct subfield of economics. They define it as follows: “The economics of public procurement is an applied subfield of economics that studies how procurement rules, and the decisions of public buyers and bidders, shape outcomes before contract award (e.g. participation, bids, contract terms) and after award (contract execution and performance), and how these outcomes in turn affect firms, markets, and broader economic impacts.” 

In the paper, the authors summarize the key empirical and theoretical contributions in the economics of public procurement and organize them within a five-stage procurement cycle, allowing findings from the literature to be compared and linked across the entire process, from planning to economic consequences. 

The five stages of the public procurement cycle used by the authors as an analytical framework are: 

1. Needs planning 

1. Tender preparation and publication 

1. Competition and contract award 

1. Contract execution 

1. Economic consequences 

Public procurement is important because it is the channel through which public funds—often including EU funds—are transformed into tangible infrastructure and services, while simultaneously shaping markets, competition, and development outcomes. 

Public procurement accounts for around 15% of GDP, yet despite its size, empirical evidence on what actually works in public procurement remains relatively limited. The authors therefore call for the systematic development of an empirical evidence base on “what works in public procurement” to support better policymaking. 

CEPR link: https://cepr.org/publications/dp21110 

CEPR is an international network of leading economists and researchers that promotes independent, empirically grounded research on economic policy, with the aim of informing public debate and decision-making in Europe and beyond. 

SSRN link: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5968455 

Objava New CEPR Discussion Paper on the Economics of Public Procurement pojavila se prvi puta na Euroimpakt.

More information about this project is available at: https://irmo.hr/projects/osnazivanje-radnika-migranata-za-odrzivu-buducnost-usavrsavanje-i-prekvalificiranje-za-zelene-i-digitalne-poslove-emerald/  

Objava IRMO representative participated at the EMERALD exchange meeting pojavila se prvi puta na Euroimpakt.