Abstract

Cohesion policies had to reduce regional gaps and limit the negative effects that could result from the implementation of the market economy in the European Union. This has not happened. This paper analyses how in Italy the process of European integration first of all has determined the reduction of transfers from the State to the Regions to respect budgetary constraints; secondly, the EU financing system is inefficient in terms of programming, co-financing and conditionality and results in further limiting the decision-making autonomy of Member States. While Italian regionalism is still looking for its identity, the North-South gap increases and the reduction of resources makes it almost prohibitive to think of recovery policies for Southern Italy.