Three essays on European Union regional policy

Since 1975, the European Union (EU) has actively pursued redistributive regional policies, such as the Structural Funds program, which aims at eliminating regional economic disparities. Thirty years after its implementation, the efficacy of EU Structural Funds is still debated. My dissertation develops both theoretical and empirical tools with which to measure the impact of EU Structural Funds program on regional economies. I first examine the degree to which the Structural Funds program has promoted regional economic growth, and uncover the channels through which this policy affects regional economies. Using an empirical model drawing on insights from a Solow-Swan-type theoretical model, I show that the Structural Funds program generates a very modest positive impact on regional economic growth by boosting total factor productivity and employment rate growth in target areas, which is not sufficient to guarantee regional convergence.; Considering that more than a third of the Structural Funds program finances infrastructure projects, the policy's overall success is contingent on the economic benefits of these infrastructure investments. I find that only telecommunication network boost regional productivity. Transport infrastructure investments are beneficial only in peripheral regions, and generate interregional positive productivity spillovers.; To complement this empirical analysis of the Structural Funds, I develop a two-region search and matching model. This model allows me to investigate the effects of EU regional policy on regional labor markets. If the goal of the policy is to promote labor productivity convergence and wage increases; then EU regional policy should mainly target technological improvement and/or capital stock accumulation.; Overall I conclude that the current EU regional policy cannot alone guarantee substantial economic growth in its 25 member countries, and that a more efficient EU regional policy should support a broader variety of infrastructure projects.