The President of the
European Committee of the Regions,
Vasco Alves Cordeiro
, has reacted to the European Commission's
announcement
of a new package of measures to fight high energy prices and ensure security of supply.
The CoR president
Vasco Alves Cordeiro
said:
"
We all agree on the need to take decisive actions to help people and
businesses tackling the energy crises. The European Commission has been
proactive and attentive to the importance of this issue. However, it is
essential to never forget that the way we address this challenge is as
important as the decision to address it itself. And this leads us
directly to the importance of a strong and duly funded Cohesion Policy:
if we want to be in a better situation after the emergency than we were
before, the solution is the structural approach of Cohesion Policy.
That is why, as preparations are underway for the 2021-2027 period, we
should never forget that Cohesion Policy is a long-term investment
policy and its core role is to support regions and cities realise the
green and digital transition whilst leaving no one behind. Cohesion
policy should not become a money pot to fix Europe's crises."
Emil Boc (/RO/EPP)
, Mayor of Cluj-Napoca and Chair of the
CoR's COTER commission
, said:
"We welcome the possibility to address the impact of rising energy
costs into a significant number of households and companies across
Europe. Notably, in this context, cohesion policy funds could be
helpful, taking into account the 2014-2020 resources which are not
spent yet. However, the money should be invested efficiently
corresponding to the real needs of regions and cities by respecting the
place-based approach."
Rafał Trzaskowski (PL/EPP)
,
Mayor of Warsaw and chair of the
ENVE commission
and of the
Green Deal Going Local
working group, said:
"The new package of measures announced today by the European Commission
is a positive step forward to reinforce EU's energy independence,
security and resilience ahead of this winter. In the last months, local
and regional authorities, businesses and citizens have seen their
energy bills tripled. Local and regional leaders are best placed to
accelerate energy efficiency, raise awareness amongst citizens and
deliver social protection on the ground. We reiterate our call for
direct funds for cities and regions to tackle the energy crisis and
avoid a massive social emergency this winter."
During the
20th edition of the European Week of Regions and Cities
held last week, the partners of the #CohesionAlliance – the EU-wide
coalition of
12,000 signatories
advocating for a stronger Cohesion Policy - gathered in Brussels to sign a
joint declaration
reaffirming their commitment to reinforce Cohesion Policy and increase the
territorial impact of all EU investments in order to make them fit for
Europe's long-term challenges.