GeoCells model : European Structural Funds and regional interactions, which convergences for the European regions?

• Published in: Cybergeo no. 461; pp. 1 - 25
• Main Authors: Elissalde, Bernard, Langlois, Patrice, Goyat, Dominique
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Paris UMR 8504 Géographie-cités 02-06-2009; CNRS; Unité Mixte de Recherche 8504 Géographie-cités
• Subjects: Bgi / Prodig; cellular automata; Europe; General and multiregional studies; region; regional inequalities; regional policies; The economics; European Union; Europe; automate cellulaire; politique régionale européenne; région; disparités régionales; region; regional inequalities; regional policies; cellular automata; Economic behaviour; Economic indicators; Public assistance; Simulation; Model; Region; Regional disparities; Economic efficiency; Convergence
• ISSN: 1278-3366; 1278-3366
• DOI: 10.4000/cybergeo.22388

The aim of this paper is about the trends of regional disparities in the European Union who can be considered as a complex system.. For modelling the uncertain efficiency of the regional policy we attempted to use a cellular automata (Geocells) developed by P.Langlois). Methodologically, this cellular automata Geocells is based on interrelated processes between variables (like time periods, growth rates in the GDP per head, flows of public investments) and three geographical levels (european level, national level and regional level). This three levels are used to lay the emphasis on the fact that the EU structural expenditure, and its spatial impact, work as a rules-based system. Simulations were made, in order to evaluate, on the one hand, the specific role of each level and each variable, and on the other hand how some change in one part affects the whole. In this perspective we could underline the role of increasing or decreasing budgets, the weigth of national policies and national economic trends and the contiguity effect according to the geographical location of each eligible region.