Beyond "Absorption"
The Impact of EU Structural Funds on Greece
Since 1981, Greece has been a major recipient of EU funds. Brussels commissioned a large number of studies to assess the impact of these funds on society. The authors of this volume do not replicate these reports. They raise questions that are often overlooked in typical program and project evaluations, particularly on implications for governance. The book provides an innovative analysis of the long-term non-quantifiable impact of EU cohesion policy from the recipient's viewpoint. The verdict is not positive: dismal failures lie next to the successes. The realization of what has gone wrong may trigger a debate on how to avoid similar mistakes, how to promote modernization and how to invigorate sustainable growth at a critical time in the country's history.