The Regional Competitiveness Index (RCI) was developed to measure the different dimensions of competitiveness at the regional level. The first edition was published in 2010. RCI 2013 - that also comprises Croatia - reveals a strong regional dimension of competitiveness, which national level indicators cannot capture. The RCI shows the strengths and weaknesses of each of the EU NUTS2 regions. It can provide a guide to what each region should focus on, taking into account its specific situation and its overall level of development.

EU countries with a large gap or high variation in regional competitiveness should consider to what extent these gaps are harmful for their national competitiveness and if these gaps can be reduced. For example, the gap between the capital region and the second most competitive region in Romania, Slovakia and France is very wide, while regional competitiveness in Germany does not show any big jumps. Already in the 2010 edition of RCI, the lack of regional spill-overs was noted in particular around the capitals of some of the less developed EU countries. Although the crisis may have limited the potential growth in regional spill-overs, in the medium-term such spill-overs should be strengthened. The overall competitiveness of a country depends on the performance of all its regions and not just its capital region.

 This study listed was commissioned by the European Commission as part of the preparatory work for the Sixth report on economic and social cohesion. The contents are the responsibility of their authors and do not bind the Commission. The Commission welcomes comments to this draft report by end of September 2013. These will be reflected in the final version of the study.