In the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2021-2027, about 30 percent of all EU budgetary resources are allocated to cohesion. Additional amounts are made available to the European budget by Next Generation EU (NGEU) through REACT EU. The central goal of EU cohesion policy remains regional convergence. However, despite the substantial use of funds, convergence success is not assured. While there have been successes in East-West convergence, North-South divergence persists stubbornly. Against the background of these developments and methodological advances in the evaluation of EU regional policy, this project addresses, among others, the following questions: How is the "European added value" of an EU regional policy programme to be conceptually defined? How should the design and effectiveness of central rules of EU cohesion policy be assessed? What adjustments to the regional policy toolbox are necessary in terms of scope, instruments and rules?