Regional and local leaders shared their experience in
fighting the pandemic and their proposals for the
recovery with Commissioner Ferreira
The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) debated
how EU cohesion policy and its shared management
could boost Europe's recovery with Commissioner
Elisa Ferreira. The debate took place during the
plenary session of the CoR, which also saw the
adoption of three opinions on this topic as well as
serving as the opening of the European Week of
Regions and Cities 2020.
The CoR's
Annual Regional and Local Barometer
shows that the coronavirus pandemic is widening
existing social and economic disparities in the EU. EU
cohesion policy, including the REACT EU instrument and
the simplifications through the Coronavirus Response
Investment Initiative (CRII), is key to fighting this
trend and spearheading the economic and social recovery
of Europe as well as building resilience and overcoming
regional disparities.
"
We must use future cohesion policy investments
wisely. We cannot look at the future and reproduce
the past. We have shown this year what we can do in
crisis. We must show next year how we build a
green, digital economy in a European way, which
leaves no regions behind
", said Elisa Ferreira, Commissioner
for Cohesion and Reforms, during the opening of the
European Week of Regions and Cities
"
Solidarity is a fundamental value of the European
Union. With the intervention of cohesion policy in
our regions and our cities to face the pandemic,
the EU has shown that it can keep its promises. Let
us not forget this in the budgetary negotiations:
following the crisis, cohesion policy is more
essential than ever
", said Isabelle Boudineau (FR/PES),
Chair of the CoR's Commission for Territorial Cohesion
Policy and the EU Budget COTER.
In the CoR opinion on the "
REACT-EU package
", rapporteur Mieczyslaw Struk (PL/EPP) confirms that
thanks to REACT EU, cohesion policy will be better
prepared to face the current and possible future
crises. He notes, however, that the EUR 55 bn
additional funds need to be distributed more evenly in
2021 and 2022 to ease the administrative burden at the
end of the 2014-2020 programming period and underlines
the need to strike a balance between fast disbursement
of newly available resources and the need to avoid
irregularities. He further welcomes the currently
enhanced flexibility but also warns that a crisis can
never justify the centralisation of cohesion policy.
"
Our regions and cities are the best level to take
effective actions to deal with the negative
consequences of crisis situations. Listening to the
voice of local and regional communities and leaving
competence at these decision-making levels has
always worked well. We should therefore refrain
from using this crisis to transfer funds from
cohesion policy - managed in partnership with
regions and cities - to other centrally managed
instruments
", said Mieczysław Struk (PL/EPP),
President of Pomeranian Region.
Also in the opinion on "
the role of EU's cohesion policy with respect
to intelligent and innovative economic change
in the regions against the backdrop of the
coronavirus crisis
" rapporteur Michiel Rijsberman (NL/Renew Europe) urges
the European Commission to avoid shifting power away
from regions. He argues for a bottom-up approach by
adding regional allocation criteria to REACT-EU and the
Recovery and Resilience Facility.
"
Regional policy has strong roots in the EU
Treaties. Its principles should never be
sacrificed. This policy should be a key investment
tool for innovative recovery, as it puts the
regions at the heart
", said Michiel Rijsberman (NL/Renew
Europe), Regional Minister of the Province of
Flevoland.
He further argues that innovative concepts are needed
for the transition to a more sustainable, digital and
resilient Europe and that these are elements where
cohesion policy can play a crucial role. He highlights
that it was vital for funds to not only be spent on
crisis repairs but should also ensure that the EU’s
objectives on climate neutrality are met.
Bernd Lange (DE/EPP), rapporteur for
the opinion on "
Equivalent standards of living as a joint challenge
for all levels of government in Europe
" believes that living standards, quality of life and
business development are highly dependent on the
accessibility, affordability and quality of public
services and infrastructure. Cohesion policy can make a
significant contribution to creating equivalent
structural conditions in all Member States and all
local and regional authorities, but must according to
the rapporteur not remain the only means of promoting
balanced development. He urges that all EU policy areas
should contribute to the objective of territorial,
economic and social cohesion in Europe as set out in
Article 174 TFEU.
"
I consider the idea of equal living conditions to
be an essential part of European cohesion policy.
The opinion should serve as a basis for coming
debates on how European funding and legislation can
jointly contribute to achieving this goal
", said Bernd Lange (DE/EPP), Head of
Görlitz District Council.
The CoR members will adopt all three opinions during
their plenary session on 12-13 October.
Contact:
Carmen Schmidle
Tel. +32 (0)494 735787
carmen.schmidle@cor.europa.eu