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DATA BASE ANALYSIS FOR EXPLORATION OF EU COHESION
AND COMPETITIVENESS1
Michaela S aníčko á
*Lukáš Melecký
**E a Poledníko á
VŠB-Technical Uni e si y o Os a a
Facul y o Economics, Depa men o Eu opean in eg a ion
Sokolská řída 33, 701 21 Os a a 1, Czech Republic
[email p o ec ed]
*VŠB-Technical Uni e si y o Os a a
Facul y o Economics, Depa men o Eu opean in eg a ion,
Sokolská řída 33, 701 21 Os a a 1, Czech Republic
[email p o ec ed]
**VŠB-Technical Uni e si y o Os a a
Facul y o Economics, Depa men o Eu opean in eg a ion
Sokolská řída 33, 701 21 Os a a 1, Czech Republic
[email p o ec ed]
Abs ac
The ques ion o EU compe i i eness is usually associa ed wi h he p oblems o economic,
social and e i o ial cohesion. In ecen ew yea s, he opics abou measu ing and e alua ing
compe i i eness ha e gene a ed keen in e es among esea che s. The p oblem is men ioned
mainly in he con ex o he lack o a main s eam app oach o he e alua ion o
compe i i eness measu ing. The aim o he pape is o analyse he Eu opean Union’s da a
base leading o he iden i ica ion o con enien indica o s o o e alua ion o he le el o EU
cohesion and compe i i eness ac oss he EU Membe S a es and egions. When ocusing on
di e ences among indi idual s a es and egions, e alua ion o compe i i eness and cohesion
should be measu ed h ough he complex economic, social and en i onmen al c i e ia ha can
iden i y he a eas o coun ies and egions which cause he main dispa i ies.
In oduc ion
The Eu opean Union (EU) is one o he mos de eloped pa s o he wo ld, bu nowadays i
aces inc easing economic, social and e i o ial dispa i ies in all he EU Membe S a es and
especially egions [8, 9]. These signi ican di e ences a ec he le el o he balanced
de elopmen , economic pe o mance and compe i i eness ac oss he EU and ha e a nega i e
impac on he EU posi ion as a global playe in he globalised economy. S eng hening he EU
compe i i eness and suppo o he cohe en , sus ainable and balanced de elopmen o he EU
Membe S a es and egions a e wo main objec i es which, howe e , mu ually exclusi e, bu
on he con a y, complemen each o he . Alignmen o cohesion and compe i i eness as a pai
o complemen a y objec i es is hus no simple ma e . In las ew yea s, he opics abou
measu ing and e alua ion o compe i i eness s and in he on o economic esea ch. In mos
o empi ical analysis, we o en ace he ques ion o da abase ele ancy ha would ha e a
1 This pape was c ea ed wi hin S uden G an Compe i ion o Facul y o Economics, VŠB-Technical Uni e si y
o Os a a, p ojec egis a ion numbe SP2011/124.
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co espondence wi h he heo e ical de ini ion o compe i i eness on bo h na ional and
egional le els [10].
The heo e ical pa o he pape is based on he desc ip i e app oach o igins om he
empi ical analysis o he exis ing and unde lying sys ems. The p ac ical pa is based on using
he me hods o analysis and subsequen syn hesis, as well as on using he me hods o
induc ion.
1 Da abase analysis o he Eu opean S a is ical O ice
The p ima y basis o selec ion o con enien indica o s and subsequen measu ing and
e alua ion o cohesion and compe i i eness le el is an analysis o he a ailable da abase
con aining compa a i e da a on he equi ed le el (bo h na ional and egional) and in he
e e ence pe iod. The Eu opean S a is ical O ice (Eu os a ) p o ides exac s a is ical da a
based on a uni o m me hodology, bo h on na ional and egional le els. The s a is ics o
Eu os a a e di ided in o wo sec ions, namely he EU Policy Indica o s and S a is ics by
Theme [6].
1.1 Da abase analysis on na ional and egional le els
 EU Policy Indica o s
The s a is ics o he EU Policy Indica o s include he na ional da a in o ma ion o
indica o s in he EU Membe S a es, which a e in he EU co e in e es and p ima ily
ela e o he na ional le el. Cha ac e is ics and he numbe o hese indica o s a e shown
in Annex 1.
 S a is ics by Theme
S a is ics by Theme a e di ided in o 9 hema ic ca ego ies; p ima ily egional s a is ics
a e sepa a ely in oduced. The whole hema ic s a is ical da abase consis s o mo e han
3,600 indica o s. De ailed cha ac e is ics and he numbe o hese indica o s a e shown in
Annex 2.
 Regional and u ban s a is ics
Regional and u ban s a is ics a e p o ided sepa a ely in he ca ego y o Gene al and
egional s a is ics. They a e di ided in o 2 hema ic ca ego ies - egional s a is ics and
ci y s a is ics in he ame o u ban audi da abase. Cha ac e is ics and he numbe o
hese indica o s a e shown in Annex 3.
2 Iden i ica ion o con enien indica o s o e alua ion o he EU cohesion and
compe i i eness
C ea ion o a cohesion and compe i i eness e alua ion sys em in e ms o he EU is
complica ed by he he e ogenei y o he EU coun ies and egions, and also because o he
lack o a mains eam iew o compe i i eness e alua ion [1]. The e o e, he e is space o
se e al di e en app oaches o e alua ion o he EU cohesion and compe i i eness.
2.1 App oaches o measu ing and e alua ion o he EU Cohesion policy a na ional and
egional le el
Cohesion Repo s
Al hough he educ ion o dispa i ies in he de elopmen o coun ies and hei egions is a
long- e m and con i med objec i e o he EU [2], he e is no comp ehensi e index measu ing
he p og ess in achie ing o economic, social and e i o ial cohesion (con a y o measu ing
compe i i eness). The le el o cohesion wi hin he EU and he con e gence o he 27 EU
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Membe S a es a e e alua ed by he Repo s on economic and social cohesion (Cohesion
Repo s) published by he Eu opean Commission e e y 3 yea s [3]. These Repo s a e
supplemen ed by P og ess epo s on economic and social cohesion, which a e published by
he Eu opean Commission, usually once a yea be ween he “main” Cohesion epo s. The
assessmen o he le el o economic, social and e i o ial cohesion wi hin Cohesion epo s
o igins om he p og ess o indica o s o dispa i ies on he na ional o egional le el
(NUTS 2). The mos equen ly moni o ed indica o s in he las wo Cohesion epo s (2007,
2010), e lec ing he le el o economic, social and e i o ial cohesion a e p o ided in Tab. 1.
Tab. 1 Indica o s o e alua ion o economic, social and e i o ial cohesion
Dimension o
cohesion Indica o o dispa i ies
Economic
cohesion
G ow h o eal GDP pe head (%)
GDP pe head in PPS (EU-27=100)
Labou p oduc i i y (GDP pe pe son employed, EU-27=100)
To al expendi u e on R&D (% GDP)
EPO pa en s applica ions (applica ions pe inhabi an , EU-27=100)
Employmen by sec o (% o o al employmen )
Social
cohesion
Employmen a e
(% o popula ion 15-64, % o popula ion 55-64, % o emale)
Unemploymen a e
(% o labou o ce, % o emale labou o ce, % o you h labou o ce 15-24)
Long e m unemploymen a e (% o o al unemployed)
Risk o po e y (% o men/women)
Sha e o young people aged 25–34 wi h a uni e si y deg ee o equi alen
(% o o al popula ion aged 25-34)
To al popula ion change (Pe housand inhabi an s - annual a e age)
Te i o ial
cohesion
Unemploymen dispa i ies in inne ci y a eas
(S anda d de ia ion o neighbou hood unemploymen a es, %)
Densi y o mo o ways
(Leng h o mo o ways in ela ion o popula ion and su ace a ea)
Access o passenge ligh s (Numbe o passenge ligh s pe day)
Hospi al beds (Numbe pe 100.000 inhabi an s)
Households wi h b oadband connec ion (% o all households)
U ban was e wa e ea men capaci y
(T ea men capaci y as % o gene a ed load)
Sou ce: Eu os a , 2011; Own elabo a ion
S uc u al indica o s
An al e na i e concep o measu ing na ional ( egional) dispa i ies, and hus o assessmen
o he le el o cohesion in he EU, is p o ided by a g oup o EU S uc u al indica o s, which
we e used o e alua e he implemen a ion o he Lisbon S a egy in he yea s 2000-2010. A
sho lis o he EU S uc u al indica o s includes 14 indica o s in six hema ic a eas, o which
a leas 8 indica o s co espond o he mos commonly used indica o s o he Cohesion
epo s. The ad an age o his da abase is he a ailabili y o indica o s on he na ional le el,
moni o ing da a on egional le el (NUTS 2) is limi ed [12].
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2.2 App oaches o measu ing and e alua ion o EU compe i i eness
In las ew yea s, compe i i eness and i s e alua ion a e issues cons an ly in he o e on o
economic sciences; a mains eam me hod o compe i i eness moni o ing and measu ing is
lacking. Because o he lack o he mains eam iew o compe i i eness e alua ion, he e is
space o al e na i e app oaches [7].
Na ional le el
The EU’s G ow h S a egies
The Eu opean Union makes an e o o es o e he ounda ions o i s compe i i eness h ough
inc easing i s g ow h po en ial and i s p oduc i i y and s eng hening economic and social
cohesion. The las and no e y success ul a emp o gain wo ld leade ship in compe i i eness
was he EU Lisbon S a egy which has had, since 2010, i s successo in he S a egy Eu ope
2020, he new EU’s g ow h s a egy o he coming decade. The p og ess o he EU Membe
S a es owa ds he goals o he Lisbon s a egy was measu ed by he Sho lis o S uc u al
indica o s. The p og ess o he EU Membe S a es owa ds he goals o S a egy Eu ope 2020
is measu ed h ough indica o s Eu ope 2020. A da abase o hese indica o s is p ima ily
a ailable on na ional le el.
Lisbon Re iew Repo s
The Wo ld Economic Fo um (WEF) has published The Lisbon Re iew epo s (LRR) e e y
wo yea s since he EU i s a icula ed he Lisbon S a egy. The LRR compa ed he
pe o mance o he indi idual EU Membe S a es o p o ide a sense o which coun ies a e
making he mos p og ess and which a e lagging behind. The LRR assessed he ex en o
which he EU Membe S a es we e compe i i e is-à- is an in e na ional s anda d. The
Uni ed S a es p o ided one key benchma k, as i was widely seen as he wo ld’s mos
compe i i e a ea. The EU’s pe o mance was compa ed o he a e age pe o mance o i e o
he mos compe i i e economies in Eas Asia – Hong Kong SAR, Japan, Republic o Ko ea,
Singapo e and Taiwan, China – a highly compe i i e egion a ac ing inc easing a en ion
gi en he ising impo ance o Asia in he global economy. The LRR assessed he economic
compe i i eness o he EU candida es and po en ial candida e coun ies, p o iding a sense o
he challenges hey cu en ly ace. The LRR ha e b oken he Lisbon S a egy in o eigh
dimensions. The o e all Lisbon sco e o each coun y was calcula ed as an unweigh ed
a e age o he indi idual sco es in he eigh dimensions. The sco es we e on a scale om one
o se en, wi h la ge alues indica ing s onge pe o mance [13].
Regional le el
E alua ion o egional compe i i eness is de e mined by he chosen e i o ial egion le el,
especially in e ms o he Eu opean Union h ough he Nomencla u e o Te i o ial Uni s
S a is ics (NUTS). No less impo an is he e e ence pe iod, a ailabili y and pe iodici y o
da a, and selec ion o con enien speci ic ac o s. Fo e alua ion o egional compe i i eness
i is necessa y o no e ha he da a a ailabili y dec eases in di ec p opo ion o he lowe
e i o ial uni (NUTS) [5, 11].
The EU’s G ow h S a egies
Regional compe i i eness can be e alua ed by selec ed Lisbon s uc u al and Eu ope 2020
indica o s. These indica o s measu e p og ess o Eu opean egions owa ds he goals o he
Lisbon s a egy and nowadays o S a egy Eu ope 2020. A da abase o hese indica o s is
p ima ily a ailable on na ional le el; i co e s economic, social and en i onmen al a ea o
in e es . Compa ed o he na ional le el, he da abase on egional le el is di e en especially
in a sho e ime pe iod. Bu no e e y dimension and da abase o indica o s a e a ailable on
egional le el, especially en i onmen al a ea and i s con enien indica o s.
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The Regional Lisbon Index
The Lisbon Index is an indica o o measu ing how close an EU egion is o achie ing he
main a ge s o 2010 in he a ea o employmen , educa ion, and esea ch and de elopmen , as
se ou in he EU's Lisbon S a egy. A egion sco es 100 i i has eached all a ge s, while he
egion a hes away om all eigh a ge s sco es 0 [4].
Syn he ic index (4 h Cohesion Repo )
To ob ain a egional pe spec i e on he Lisbon Agenda, a syn he ic index has been c ea ed
based on six o he sho -lis ed Lisbon indica o s ele an on he egional le el. Be o e
agg ega ing, hese six indica o s we e e-scaled ela i e o he EU 27 a e age. The composi e
indica o is he min-max escaled a e age o he 6 ans o med indica o s (all six ecei ed he
same weigh ). Hence, i a ies be ween 0 and 1. Al hough i is in ended only o p o ide a
ough indica ion o how egions a e pe o ming in ela ion o he Lisbon Agenda, i is
ne e heless he case ha a egion which sco es high will be well on i s way o achie ing
se e al o he Lisbon a ge s, while a egion wi h a low sco e will be a long way o [3].
Regional Compe i i eness Index (5 h Cohesion Repo )
This index inco po a es se e al indica o s o well-being as well such as li e expec ancy,
heal h pe cep ion and gende equali y. This measu es he ins i u ions, policies and ac o s ha
de e mine he le el o p oduc i i y o a egion and he egion’s abili y o highe and ising
incomes and a good quali y o li e o i s esiden s. A new egional compe i i eness index has
been c ea ed o all NUTS 2 egions. I consis s o ele en pilla s based on a o al o 69
indica o s o ganised in o h ee g oups. I anges om 100 high o 0 low in he EU. Each o he
pilla s allows he pe o mance o a egion o be assessed in ela ion o all he o he EU
egions. As a esul , hey can be seen as indica ing he s eng hs and weaknesses o e e y
NUTS 2 egion in an EU pe spec i e [2].
Conclusion
The analysis o indica o s sui able o economic, social and e i o ial cohesion e alua ion in
he EU e eals signi ican dispa i ies in e ms o (1) indica o s a ailabili y on he e i o ial
le els (and wi hin he EU Membe S a es), (2) he e e ence pe iod and (3) he dimension o
cohesion. The e alua ion o he EU cohesion is mos ly based on he Cohesion epo s, which
moni o he de elopmen o indica o s o economic, social and e i o ial dispa i ies e lec ing
he le el o cohesion wi hin he EU. In he Cohesion epo s, he e is no exac and s ic
segmen a ion o hese indica o s which e lec all h ee dimensions o cohesion. Ins ead, he
Cohesion epo s moni o such o selec ed indica o s, which na u ally and wi h ega d o he
concep o cohesion can be iden i ied and designa ed as sui able o assessing he le el o
economic, social and e i o ial cohesion. The mos equen ly obse ed indica o s in he
Cohesion epo s, which a e also a ailable in he Eu os a da abase, can be, in e ms o da a
a ailabili y on na ional le el, e alua ed as app op ia e o measu emen o he economic,
social and e i o ial cohesion, al hough in he e ms o he e e ence pe iod, he a ailabili y o
da a is no compa able. As a sui able da abase o cohesion e alua ion on he na ional le el
he EU S uc u al indica o s can be conside ed. E alua ion o cohesion on egional le el is, in
compa ison wi h na ional s a is ics da abase, limi ed by 13 selec ed egional ca ego ies wi h
qui e es ic ed a ailabili y on NUTS 2 and mainly NUTS 3 le el. The mos a ailable amoun
o egional indica o s e lec s he le el o economic and social cohesion, bu wi h a ime
delay.
Compa ing he ins umen s o measu ing and e alua ion o compe i i eness in e ms o he
EU is no simply ma e . The e a e linkages among ins umen s o measu ing he EU
compe i i eness on bo h na ional and egional le els. The e a e di e en ime pe iod se ies on

141
bo h le els, o e lap o indica o s o he EU’s G ow h S a egies on na ional and egional
le els. Fu he he e is a con inui y be ween he app oach o he Wo ld Economic Fo um and
app oach o he EU o measu ing and e alua ion o he EU compe i i eness. Be ween he EU
Compe i i eness and Cohesion policies a link exis s in e ms o he Cohesion epo s – 4 h
and 5 h epo s a icula ed a special indices o measu ing and e alua ion o compe i i eness
o he Eu opean egions. Indica o s and indices co e a b oad a ea o economic, social and
en i onmen al in e es s, bu co e age and e e ence pe iod dec ease in di ec p opo ion o he
lowe e i o ial uni (NUTS). Because o hese clea and close links among he ins umen s
(indica o s and indices) o measu ing o compe i i eness i is di icul o choose jus he bes
app oach o e alua ion. Possibili ies o measu ing bo h na ional and egional le els o he EU
compe i i eness a e cha ac e ized by high co e age in he moni o ed a eas, which can indica e
he simila in o ma i e abili y o he indica o s and indices.
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Ing. Michaela S aníčko á, Ing. Lukáš Melecký, Ing. E a Poledníko á
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