Challenges of Cohesion Policy at the Level of the European Union - Simplification Tools

Abstract Economic and social cohesion ensures security among the priorities of the European Union, being among the key objectives of European and national policies. Therefore, the center-periphery development model specific to the European economy emphasized the need for public interventions to favor regional growth and convergence, highlighting the importance and complexity of the European cohesion policy. This article starts from the empirical study of cohesion policies at the European level and has as its main purpose the determination of simplification solutions and their implementation in favor of the member states. Among the main scientific research methods used in order to elaborate the paper, we can mention: the comparison method, which was used especially to highlight the differences between the socio-economic situation of the regions and the member states, which joined the European Union in different waves; the historical method - was used to capture the evolution of the Cohesion Policy, the descriptive method - was used to present the programming periods of the Cohesion Policy within the European Union. It can be observed that, at the level of the European Union, the need to coordinate, standardize and simplify the cohesion policy is an often-discussed topic, with the constant aim of identifying new methods to make this policy more efficient. In this context, the new regulations establish tools to ease the life of the executing authorities and beneficiaries, such as, among others: clearer eligibility conditions, simplification of reporting and audit checks, reduction of administrative burdens, unification of rules.