The large income gaps among the European regions have been a key factor in determining not only the implementation and development of the EU regional policy but also a large amount of controversial debates related to its efficacy in mitigating poverty and inducing convergence. Based on the endogenous growth models predictions, the EU regional policy has witnessed a continuously increased importance both in political and budgetary terms. However, the persistence of inequalities and the progressive share of the EU budget allocated to the EU Regional Policy have generated some doubts among...