Eduardo Sisti (p), Mercedes Oleaga, Susana Franco

José-Miguel Giner Pérez

In recent years employment policies are adopting a more systemic approach in which the role of Public Employment Services (PES) is evolving. This is happening in the context of a New Public Governance, which is based on the idea that intra- and inter-institutional cooperation and empowerment of stakeholders will provide more effective and democratic public services and actions. Hence, PES are asked to go beyond their traditional bureaucratic functions to assume the role of orchestrators vis-à-vis other actors. In this paper, we explore whether public employment offices are indeed taking up this role or are at least collaborating with other actors in their proximity. The analysis is undertaken in the Basque Country, a region in the North of Spain, which is characterised by its high degree of autonomy, having competencies at regional level for the implementation of employment policies. Using data provided by Lanbide, the Basque PES, we have characterised their 42 offices according to the volume of services they manage. Applying cluster analysis, the 42 offices have been classified into four groups. We then test whether the relationship with other agents in the territory varies across groups and whether employment density and the volume of agents present in each area influence these interactions.

Federico Zampollo (p), Andrea Ascani, Alessandra Faggian

Susana Franco

In the aftermath of a natural disaster, the level of government response greatly influences the process of socio-economic revitalization. Synergies between central and local governments can play a crucial role to foster the reconstruction of the area hit by the event. Focusing on the political dimension of disaster responsiveness, we contribute to the literature by investigating the role of local administrative structures in sustaining the local economic fabric. Using data on the business demography of Italian municipalities from 2005 onwards, we leverage a counterfactual framework to study the role of local administrations’ response capability to Central Italy earthquakes. We argue that local bureaucratic efficiency is a key factor to stimulate municipalities’ economic recovery, as public administration constitutes a key actor affecting local economic trajectories.

Oumhani Eddelani (p)

Federico Zampollo

The evolutions of contemporary economies, societies and states mean that the “Territory” becomes an important decision-making unity and an analytical entity subject to a new managerial logic. Laminated from above and below, the central public administrations are ceding more and more powers to the territorial levels, but without obviously losing the core of their sovereignty. As such, local authorities combine the principles of private and public management in search of better satisfaction for the citizen, voter, user and "customer" to be retained.
A business development company (BDC), Local Development Companies (LDCs), local public firms (LPFs) or regional development companies (RDC) are, in their different forms, mediators carrying this hybrid logic of mixing the rigor of the State on one side and that of the market on the other. If in Western Europe these forms of organization were backed by the famous new public management and the rationalization of budgetary choices (RBC in France for instance), elsewhere, they will be systematically conveyed by the globalization of economies and the market values that it underlies. In the United Kingdom, Ireland and Morocco, the basic logic at this level remains the seeking for rationality, but in contexts and circumstances that vary from one nation to another.
Recalling in depth other names and forms, local development companies (LDC) are clearly announced in Morocco by law 113-14 relating to municipalities. There are even regional (RDC) and provincial development corporation (PDC) forms in those relating to regions and provinces. These laws give private capital the possibility of joining forces with public bodies to provide local populations with services for which local authorities are, in principle, liable. The objective is to rationalize management, improve public services and professionalize the management of local authorities usually subject to the ease of the political decision-maker. Far from the political stakes, the LDC are in Morocco a new field of analysis and scientific investigation for researchers and multidisciplinary academicians.
In this sense, our proposal is an attempt to explore and try to model the different development companies (LDC, PDC, and RDC) created since 2014. Indeed, after a conceptual framework, we come back to an inventory of what already exists, trying to make a provisional assessment of the organization, areas of intervention and achievement with the aim of drawing conclusions serving as concrete references and future research prospects.

José-Miguel Giner Pérez (p), María Jesús Santa María Beneyto

Oumhani Eddelani

For decades Geographical indications (GI) in Europe have identified agri-food products with a specific geographical origin and qualities and reputations that are essentially or exclusively due to the specific geographical environment, as a result of natural and human factors. In addition to legal protection similar to a trademark, Governments have used GIs to provide protection to consumers through better information on production methods and certification of the product's origin. The positive effects on rural development have also been valued, by enhancing producers' access to markets with quality products and supply diversification, combined with social and environmental benefits. The literature on the economic effects of GIs is extensive and has been useful to contrast the value of GIs for the boosting of these productions in the markets, with consumers recognizing the quality and paying higher prices. However, evidence of their effects at the territorial level on the development of rural economies is limited. In addition, the small scale of analysis, through case studies, has been a specific characteristic of the literature of GIs. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the impact of the EU GI quality policy on the development of rural economies in Spain. Therefore, the influence of GI on population dynamics and on sectoral structure change of these areas is analyzed. Based on the construction of a geo-referenced database for the Spanish rural municipalities covered by Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) wine, statistical tests are used to identify differences in the dynamics before and after the year of registration in the EU. Positive population growth and higher productive diversification would confirm the impact of the EU food quality policy for rural development. Furthermore, a multivariate model is used to analyze the contextual conditions that can explain better local dynamics in rural PDO areas.