The thesis focuses on the absorption capacity of the Republic of Slovenia for the absorption of EU cohesion policy funds in the 2014-2020 financial period. Despite the significant financial resources available to EU Member States, there are challenges related to the efficient and effective use of these funds. This phenomenon, known as absorption capacity, is the focus of this research. Absorptive capacity refers to the ability of a country to use EU funds efficiently and effectively for different projects and programmes.
The aim of the research is to analyse Slovenia's absorption capacity at national (macro) level and organisational (micro) level and to find out whether perceptions of EU funds management issues differ between Slovenian project managers and national authorities, whether there is a shortage of qualified staff, and what the problems are with unclear tender documentation of national authorities. Document analysis and survey methods are used to study this problem.
The document analysis involves a review of official reports and data from the national authorities responsible for the management of EU funds, while the survey is carried out among project managers in the private sector who have received EU funds. This combination of methods provides a comprehensive insight into the problems of absorption of EU funds.
The survey confirms the hypotheses which point to differences in perception of EU funds management issues between project managers and national authorities, to a lack of qualified staff and to problems with unclear tender documents. These findings point to the need for better coordination between the different actors and the need for additional staff training to improve the management of EU funds. The results of this survey can serve as a valuable resource for improving EU funds management practices in Slovenia and other EU Member States.
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