State Aid to R&D in Central and Eastern Europe in the Context of the Europe 2020 Strategy

This paper aims at providing a contribution to the literature in the field regarding the state aid granted by EU member states for R&D. According to the assumption that state aid for R&D can represent a relevant incentive for economic development in the EU, the paper provides a qualitative and quantitative analysis of state aid granted for R&D in Central and Eastern Europe in the context of the Europe 2020 strategy, using a methodology which combines the regression technique and Granger causality. Based on theoretical and empirical findings, the paper also proposes to evaluate the trends and particularities that shaped the evolution of public support to R&D in this area, establishing at the same time general policy guidelines designed to ensure effective public policies for funding R&D and to increase competitiveness and economic growth