Rearrangements of NUTS 2 regions in Poland for the purpose of EU Cohesion Policy: possibilities, expectations and controversy

The European Union's Cohesion Policy, which aims to reduce social, economic and territorial disparities between regions within the Community, fails to address the increase in disparities between metropolitan and peripheral areas. For this reason, and to increase access to money from this policy, some countries are rearranging their NUTS 2 administrative regions. In this paper, we explore the potential for the reorganisation of the NUTS units in Poland in accordance with current EU legislation, which could increase Cohesion Policy funding. Against the broader context of the aims and efficiency of this policy, we critically assess this possibility, highlighting the controversy that such rearrangements create. Although such shifts are intended to support poorer subregions and are invoked in debates on territorial justice, they also reduce the pool of funds available to wealthier units, thereby limiting their ability to become more competitive.