COVID-19 has a huge impact on economic, social and territorial development of the EU. It risks to further accelerate imbalances and inequalities and consequently undermine cohesion as an important glue for European integration and prosperity.
To counteract the most devastating impacts of the pandemic, the EU quickly reacted with crisis measures for immediate support, and subsequently with targeted measures to support recovery.
The general objective of the study is to inform members of the REGI Committee on the impacts the COVID-19 pandemic has on EU Cohesion and EU Cohesion Policy.
  
The study analyzes:
 
- the immediate effects of the crisis and emergency policy measures  to respond to immediate needs in terms of health care, social and economic needs.
 
- the new normal post pandemic conditions and the recovery processes that begins the first years immediately after the pandemic;
 
- the lasting impacts of the pandemic in terms of changing trends, development strategies and policies, including the new direction of travel based on recovery processes and strategies.
 
The study is led by  Spatial Foresight GmbH in consortium with t33.