The overall objective of this study was to assess the investment support provided between 2014 and 2020 by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Cohesion Fund (CF) in areas relevant to the European Green Deal: the transition to a low-carbon economy, climate change adaptation, and environmental protection. Adhering to the Better Regulation guidelines, this evaluation addressed five key criteria: effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, coherence, and EU-added value. The study sought to identify factors that contributed to the success or shortcomings of these investments, considering the unique socio-economic conditions at national and regional levels.
The methodology combined literature review, desk research, data analysis, interviews, and case studies, with CSIL experts participating in all these activities.
From an operational standpoint, the project included several tasks: mapping the main policy instruments supporting climate and environment investments; reviewing literature and documents on the impacts of these investments; conducting 12 detailed case studies on selected policy instruments; preparing 28 country fiches (one for each Member State and the UK); preparing 12 fiches summarising findings for each policy instrument; creating a “cookbook” of lessons learned and best practices; organising 12 technical workshops and a one-day policy seminar to discuss findings with experts, Member State representatives, and Commission officials; and compiling a final report integrating the findings from all tasks.
CSIL experts led the initial mapping of the main policy instruments and prepared the 28 country fiches. These tasks involved examining expenditure data under 34 intervention fields covering environment and climate investments, coordinating in-depth analysis for 70 selected operational programs, and drafting the country fiches based on information collected through case studies, desk research, and country experts.