sustainability Article Effectiveness of the Portugal 2020 Programme: A Study from the Citizens’ Perspective Adriana Z. F. C. Nishimura 1,* , Ana Moreira 2 , Manuel Au-Yong-Oliveira 1,3 and Maria José Sousa 4 1 GOVCOPP (UA), Department of Economics, Management, Industrial Engineering and Tourism (DEGEIT), Campus Universitário de Santiago, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal; [email protected] 2 Department of Social and Organizational Psychology, University Institute of Psychological, Social and Life Sciences (ISPA-IU), R. Jardim do Tabaco 34, 1149-041 Lisbon, Portugal; [email protected] 3 INESC TEC, Campus da FEUP, University of Porto, R. Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal 4 Business Research Unit (BRU-Iscte), University Institute of Lisbon (ISCTE-IUL), Avenida das Forças Armadas, 1649-026 Lisbon, Portugal; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] Abstract: The European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) are the main instrument of the European Union (EU) Cohesion Policy to promote convergence, economic growth and reduce imbalances between EU members. The objectives of the 2014–2020 programming period follow the agenda of the Europe 2020 Strategy to promote smart, sustainable and inclusive growth of EU members. Since before joining the EU, in 1986, until the end of the Portugal 2020 Partnership Agreement (PT2020), Portugal will have received more than EUR 130 billion. Have the subsidies that Portugal has received been well applied? Our study fills a gap in the literature by portraying citizens’ perceptions about the effectiveness of EU funds for the development of the country and its regions. The study is quantitative in nature, and a non-probabilistic sample of 1119 participants answered Citation: Nishimura, A.Z.F.C.; our survey. A high proportion (76%) of the respondents considered that EU funds contributed to Moreira, A.; Au-Yong-Oliveira, M.; the development of the region where they live, although a significant percentage of the respondents Sousa, M.J. Effectiveness of the (more than half) considered that there may be corruption in Portugal. The Portuguese also mentioned Portugal 2020 Programme: A Study from the Citizens’ Perspective. the existence of practices such as favouritism and lobbying regarding the approval of projects. Sustainability 2021, 13, 5799. Our findings are supported by the literature, which refers to “lost opportunities” in the inefficient https://doi.org/ application of ESIF, while recognising that EU funds have played a significant role in Portugal’s 10.3390/su13115799 development over the last three decades. Academic Editor: Grazia Napoli Keywords: Portugal 2020; FEEI; European funds; cohesion policy; development Received: 17 April 2021 Accepted: 17 May 2021 Published: 21 May 2021 1. Introduction The European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) are the main instrument of the Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral EU Cohesion Policy to support the economic development and convergence of Member with regard to jurisdictional claims in States (MS). A total of EUR 454 billion in European funds have been allocated for the published maps and institutional affil- 2014–2020 programming period [1]. The ESIF were created to promote the development iations. and the economic and social cohesion of European countries and regions in an integrated, sustainable and harmonious way [2]. To instrumentalise the implementation of the ESIF, the European Commission established a long-term Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) with the EU members (currently for a period of seven years). The MFF budget is Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. approved by the European Parliament. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Over four MFF (from 1989 to 2013), Portugal received financial support from the ESIF This article is an open access article amounting to EUR 107.7 billion [3]. For the PT2020, which runs from 2014 to 2020, the distributed under the terms and value of the funds approved reached EUR 26.9 billion [4]. These values are substantial and, conditions of the Creative Commons as a rule, represent between two and three per cent of the Portuguese GDP throughout the Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ funds’ programming periods [3]. 4.0/). Sustainability 2021, 13, 5799. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13115799 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability Sustainability 2021, 13, x FOR PEER REVIEW 2 of 22 Sustainability 2021, 13, 5799 2 of 21 The programming of PT2020 is aligned with the Europe 2020 strategy for smart, sus- tainable and inclusive growth of EU members and is organised in four thematic axes: com- petitiveness and internationalisation; social inclusion and employment; human capital; and sustainabilityThe programming and efficiency of PT2020 in is the aligned use of with resources. the Europe The territorialisation 2020 strategy for of smart, interven- sus- tainabletions and and the inclusive reform of growth the Public of EU Administration members and are is organisedtransversal in to four these thematic axes. PT axes:2020 competitivenesshas 11 thematic andobjectives internationalisation; (Table 1). social inclusion and employment; human capital; and sustainabilityPT2020 was a and break efficiency from previous in the use EU of frameworks resources. The(which territorialisation placed a strong of emphasis interven- tionson infrastructure) and the reform by of favouring the Public productive Administration investment are transversal and innovation, to these qualifications axes. PT2020 hasand 11employment thematic objectives in order to (Table promote1). competitiveness and internationalisation of the economy [3,5].PT2020 Another was major a break change from was previous the emphasis EU frameworks on climate (which change placed issues a strong with the emphasis decar- onbonisation infrastructure) of the economy by favouring and the productive priority given investment to clean andtransport innovation, [5]. qualifications and employment in order to promote competitiveness and internationalisation of the economyTable 1. Thematic [3,5]. Another axes and major objectives change of P wasT2020 the. emphasis on climate change issues with the decarbonisation of the economy and the priority given to clean transport [5]. Thematic Axes TableTO 1. 1. StrengtheningThematic axes research, and objectives technological of PT2020. development and innovation TO 2. Enhancing access to use and qualityThematic of information Axes and communication technolo- gies (ICTs)TO 1. Strengthening research, technological development and innovation Competitiveness and TO 3. EnhancingTO 2. Enhancing the competitiveness access to use andof small quality and of informationmedium-sized and communication enterprises-SMEs internationalisation technologies (ICTs) CompetitivenessTO and 7. PromotingTO 3. Enhancing sustainable the competitivenesstransport and ofremoving small and bottlenecks medium-sized in enterprises-SMEsnetwork infrastruc- internationalisationtures TO 7. Promoting sustainable transport and removing bottlenecks in network TO 11. Enhancinginfrastructures institutional capacity of public authorities and the Public Administra- Transversal axes TO 11. Enhancing institutional capacity of public authorities and the Public tion efficiency Administration efficiency Transversal axes Social inclusion and TO 8. Promoting sustainability and employment quality Social inclusion and TO 8. Promoting sustainability and employment quality employmentemployment TO 9. PromotingTO 9. Promoting social inclusion, social inclusion, combating combating poverty poverty and anddiscrimination discrimination TO 10. Investing in education and vocational training for skills acquisition and in life- TO 10. Investing in education and vocational training for skills acquisition and in Human capitalHuman capital long learninglifelong learning TO 4. SupportingTO 4. Supporting the transition the transition to a low to- acarbon low-carbon economy economy in all in sectors all sectors SustainabilitySustainability and and TO 5. PromotingTO 5. Promoting climate change climate changeadaptation, adaptation, risk prevention risk prevention and and management management efficiencyefficiency in the use in theof use of TO 6. PreservingTO 6. Preserving and protecting and protecting the environment the environment and andpromoting promoting efficiency efficiency in in the the use of resourcesresources resources use of resources Source:Source: O Ownwn elaboration elaboration.. Data Data from from AD&C AD&C [6]. [6]. TheThe initialinitial allocationallocation ofof resourcesresources ofof PT2020PT2020 foresawforesaw thethe amountamount ofof EUREUR 2525billion. billion. InIn termsterms ofof thematicthematic areasareas (Figure(Figure1 1),), the the largest largest percentage percentage was was concentrated concentrated in in the the competi- compet- tivenessitiveness and and internationalisation internationalisation axisaxis (41%),(41%), followedfollowed byby sustainabilitysustainability andand efficiencyefficiency inin thethe useuse ofof resourcesresources (25%).(25%). TheThe humanhuman capitalcapital andand socialsocial inclusioninclusion andand employmentemployment axesaxes receivedreceived aboutabout 17%17% eacheach [[6].6]. FigureFigure 1.1. Initial allocation of of PT2020 PT2020 resources resources by by thematic thematic areas. areas. Source: Source: O Ownwn elaboration. elaboration. Data Data from AD&C [6]. from AD&C [6]. As for the PT2020 resources approved and executed by region (Figure2), by 31 December 2020, the North