EU cohesion policy – booster or destroyer of national policies? Case of universities

The cohesion policy is among the most important European policies. Its influence is particularly strong in the new member states, which have become the major recipients of aid under this policy. Cohesion policy is very wide and extends into many areas of development, such as for example education, transport or innovation support so in some member states it strongly influences national policies in various areas. This article aims to analyse the interaction between cohesion policy and national sectoral policies on some examples from Central European countries. It turns out that cohesion policy often leads to a significant reduction in national policies and in some cases may even negate their intentions. The governments need to pay more attention to coordination of these policies and also to proper institutional environment.