An ever healthier Union? Increasing regional health resilience through Cohesion Policy

Abstract

The paper investigates the relationship between European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) and regional health resilience, asking two questions: What are the determinants of excess mortality during health emergencies in the EU? How can ESIF bolster regional health resilience? The results show that regional economic deprivation is associated with higher excess mortality during health crises, and successful post-funding economic convergence is correlated with smaller mortality increases, while ESIF eligibility alone is not. The findings point to economic convergence as a possible structural condition for regional health resilience and inform debates on the European Health Union and the EU Cohesion Policy reform.