Ana-Maria Marcu (p), Adrian Domenteanu

Pier Paolo Saraceno

Through this article, the authors aim to analyze the phenomenon of cross-border cooperation between Romania and the Republic of Moldova, through a rigorous statistical and econometric analysis of air passenger flows recorded between the two countries over the past decades.
To achieve the final objective—identifying how the evolution of passenger flows influences changes in cross-border cooperation between Romania and the Republic of Moldova—the research objectives include identifying the determining factors of cross-border mobility and assessing the impact of passenger flows on economic, social, and cultural cooperation between the two countries. The analysis also incorporates a comparative component, distinguishing between different categories of passenger flows, namely those from regular flights, charter flights, and other travel purposes such as tourism or business.
Regarding the research methodology, the study proposes a rigorous methodological approach based on the gravity model and other statistical techniques, offering an innovative and relevant reference framework for developing effective public policy measures to stimulate cross-border cooperation. This is particularly important in a dynamic geopolitical context, where understanding mobility flows is crucial for promoting sustainable and mutually beneficial cooperation between all involved states.
Thus, the study relies on a combination of quantitative, parametric, and non-parametric methods, with a focus on the gravity model, which is frequently used to analyze the relationships between two variables. To ensure a rigorous validation of results and a high degree of accuracy, the data have been processed using multiple methods and techniques, including: Multifactorial linear regression, to determine the existence and direction of a causal relationship between socio-economic factors and passenger flows, Pearson’s linear correlation coefficient or non-parametric methods, such as Yule’s coefficient (for binary/alternative variables) and Kendall’s or Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients, Clustering analysis, a tool used to differentiate categories based on shared characteristics of the analyzed objects and, also, Time series analysis, to examine how the phenomenon has evolved over time and to make predictions—using both mechanical and analytical forecasting methods—to estimate the trend of the analyzed variable.
Finally, after analyzing the influence of these flows on bilateral relations between the mentioned states, the last chapter is dedicated to conclusions and recommendations, formulated by the authors, aimed at optimizing cross-border mobility and stimulating cooperation between Romania and the Republic of Moldova, in order to maximize the potential identified through the analysis.

Pier Paolo Saraceno (p)

Daniela-Luminita Constantin

The paper explores the urban implementation of Cohesion Policy (CP) and the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) within Italian metropolitan cities, underscoring the critical nature of this analysis amidst discussions on potential reforms to the EU Cohesion Policy. These reforms are considering a shift towards a performance-based framework, influenced by the emergency-driven Next Generation EU program initiated during the COVID crisis. As a primary beneficiary of this program and a significant recipient of EU Structural Funds, Italy's experience is pivotal for shaping future iterations of Cohesion Policy.
Cohesion Policy is integral to the EU’s strategy for fostering uniform development across its diverse regions by adopting a place-based approach tailored to local needs and capacities. However, it often limits city authorities' involvement in shaping the frameworks that govern support allocation, potentially restricting their ability to deploy localized, innovative solutions to address structural challenges. In contrast, the RRF, while criticized for its centralized approach and possible overlooking of specific local needs, has been recognized for its efficiency in fund absorption compared to traditional Cohesion Policy methods.
This paper analyzes the 2021-27 CP cycle and compares the territorial allocation of funds for subregional authority investments with the RRF funds managed centrally by municipalities, specifically in metropolitan cities. It utilizes administrative data from the "PON METRO +" and the "REGIS platform," which provide comprehensive information on the projects funded by these programs. Additionally, the paper enriches its analysis through interviews with key representatives from città metropolitane to qualitatively assess the perceived differences in the methodologies of the two programs and their impacts.
The study aims to contribute to the discourse on Cohesion Policy reform by highlighting the strengths and limitations of both the CP and RRF approaches in the following dimensions:
1. Governance: It investigates the decision-making processes within both programs and the extent of city authority involvement.
2. Strategic Design: It assesses how well each program aligns with long-term urban development goals and strategic city-level planning.
3. Directionality: It evaluates the influence of both programs on local authorities' ability to tackle structural challenges and align with broader EU objectives.
Through this analysis, the paper seeks to offer insights that could guide future policy developments, advocating for a balanced approach that leverages the strengths of both Cohesion Policy and the RRF to enhance the efficacy of public investment delivery in urban settings.

Daniela-Luminita Constantin (p), Camelia Delcea

Debora Gambina

The EU Mission for Climate Neutral and Smart Cities – also known as “Cities Mission”– aims to deliver 100+ climate-neutral smart cities by 2030 and inspire the other cities to follow suit by 2050. Given the planning principles the 15-Minute City model is based on - proximity to essential services, proximity to public transport, density, mixed land use, walkable and cyclable streets, public space and place-making, inclusiveness, ubiquity (EIT, 2022) – it can contribute to offering cleaner air, safer transport and less congestion to citizens and thus, to respond to the European Green Deal ambition to reduce gas emissions by at least 55% (EU, 2021). This paper aims to examine the preparedness for the “Cities Mission” through the lens of the 15-Minute City, proposing as case study the District 2 of Bucharest Municipality, which is included in this mission. The investigation is based on desk research using available data and information from regional and local development institutions, combined with interviews with representatives of relevant stakeholders (e.g. district town hall, regional development agency, etc.). The methodology behind the 15-Minute City Index proposed by Badii et al. (2021) is employed in our research to assess the effective compliance of the District 2 of Bucharest Municipality with the 15-Minute City defining aspects. Additionally, based on the data offered by the SonyCLS website, https://whatif.sonycsl.it/15mincity, the information related to the performance of District 2 with respect to various indicators, such as those referring to access to cultural activities, learning, healthcare, outdoor activities, physical exercise, eating, services, supply and provision, movement around the district, in terms of 15-Minute City is further discussed. The results can offer a useful orientation for decision-makers, civil society/community and entrepreneurs in District 2 with regard to the most favourable positioning within the “Cities Mission” while implementing the 15-Minute City principles, able to contribute to maximizing their benefits, with synergies between the multiple components involved.

Debora Gambina (p), Fabio Mazzola (p)

Ana-Maria Marcu

Time overruns of public works hinder the impact of investment policies and spill over negatively on aggregate prosperity. Particularly for sustainability-related projects, postponing operations may hamper the environmental objectives. This paper highlights the regional dimension of the problem and evaluates the hypothesis that the regional conditions in which the projects are implemented affect the time efficiency of EU cohesion policy. We deal with interventions of the 2014-2020 programming period targeted at sustainable infrastructures and energy saving of SMEs and big companies by extracting the relevant information from the Kohesio database. We apply linear regression models and use survival techniques for robustness. The evaluation is carried out at two scales. In the NUTS-2 framework, the duration is explained by proxies of territorial context such as development level, urbanization and institutional quality calculated at the regional level. At a micro-level, we scrutinize the effects of regional conditions in comparison with those of project-specific features, also across categories of interventions. According to our findings, urbanization and institutional capacity turn out to drive timely completion while per capita GDP, capturing project dimensionality and complexity, does not. Moreover, we find that time efficiency increases monotonically as we approach the end of the programming period and the national cofinancing lengthens the duration especially of the incentives to large firms. Our assessment enriches the debate on regional policy effectiveness by addressing a topic that has not been thoroughly empirically tested at the supranational level by offering policy suggestions relevant to the 2021-2027 programming.