This article examines the transformation of the European Economic Community (EEC)’s regional policy paradigms from the early 1970s, when negotiations for the creation of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) began, until the approval of the Single European Act. The article identifies in this period the beginning of a deep transition from demand side “interventionist” and “neo-mercantilist” models, distinctive of a few regional policies used up to that time by Member States (primarily by Italy), towards more openly neoliberal models. The analysis of the strong conflicts within the Regional Policy Committee — the national technocracies’ representative body in charge of managing the ERDF — and between it and the European Commission, allows the Author to point out that this outcome was not at all taken for granted. It was determined above all by the overload of objectives placed in charge of EEC regional policy in a context of scarce resources, and by the progressive lack of trust in the public intervention’s role.
Il saggio ricostruisce le trasformazioni intervenute nei paradigmi di intervento della politica regionale comunitaria a partire dai primi anni Settanta, con l’avvio del negoziato per la creazione del Fondo europeo di sviluppo regionale, fino all’Atto Unico Europeo. L’Autore individua in questo periodo le fondamenta di una profonda transizione da modelli “interventisti” e “neomercantilisti” calibrati sul lato della domanda aggregata, caratteristici delle politiche regionali adoperate fino a quel momento da diversi Stati membri e in primo luogo dall’Italia, verso modelli più apertamente neoliberisti. L’analisi della forte conflittualità in seno al Comitato di politica regionale, l’organo di rappresentanza delle tecnocrazie nazionali deputato a gestire il Fesr, e tra questo e la Commissione europea, consente all’Autore di rilevare come tale esito non fu affatto scontato. A determinarlo furono soprattutto il sovraccarico di obiettivi posti in capo alla politica regionale in un contesto di risorse scarse e il logoramento della fiducia nel ruolo dell’intervento pubblico.
La politica regionale comunitaria nell'“età del disordine”. Dallo “sviluppo armonioso” alle ragioni del mercato (1972-1987)
Antonio Bonatesta
2020-01-01
Abstract
This article examines the transformation of the European Economic Community (EEC)’s regional policy paradigms from the early 1970s, when negotiations for the creation of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) began, until the approval of the Single European Act. The article identifies in this period the beginning of a deep transition from demand side “interventionist” and “neo-mercantilist” models, distinctive of a few regional policies used up to that time by Member States (primarily by Italy), towards more openly neoliberal models. The analysis of the strong conflicts within the Regional Policy Committee — the national technocracies’ representative body in charge of managing the ERDF — and between it and the European Commission, allows the Author to point out that this outcome was not at all taken for granted. It was determined above all by the overload of objectives placed in charge of EEC regional policy in a context of scarce resources, and by the progressive lack of trust in the public intervention’s role.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.