New 2007-13 planning framework of the EU keeps using economic criteria (GDP) to identify those regions requiring priority attention (convergence objective). Although these criteria are useful for the overall Regional Policy, nevertheless it might result some planning failures of the strategies...

This paper presents the results of a large-scale study in the Spanish F&DI aimed to identify the motivators, perceived costs, and benefits of implementing ISO 9000 standards. Results indicate the increasing importance of ISO 9000 standards as a strategic tool in the Spanish F&DI with an...

In practically all European countries, co-operative credit societies have evolved towards a system which is comparable to other financial groups. This paper explores the recent evolution of Spanish credit co-operatives and especially rural savings banks. The creation of "Group Caja Rural" in...

In the previous years the Mediterranean Member States of the EU came across the Reform of the CAP and especially last year faced the second wave of the Reform for three typical Mediterranean products, namely cotton, olive oil and tobacco. In this paper a partial equilibrium model is used to...