Commenting on the proposal for Cohesion Policy 2021-2027 presented by the
European Commission on 29 May, Karl-Heinz Lambertz,
President of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), said: "
We welcome the European Commission's proposals to strengthen the impact
of cohesion policy, particularly in those regions that suffered the
most from industrial decline during the crisis. These new rules make it
possible to support them with more resources and more tailored
strategies.
We also consider that the provisions requiring Member States to involve
local and regional partners in preparing and implementing investment
programmes are of utmost importance. We know that these provisions were
in danger of disappearing, despite their importance, at a time when the
desire to recentralise funds is strong and threatens the very essence
of European cohesion policy.
In this regard, the rules linking the coordination of macroeconomic
policies in the context of the European Semester with the use of
structural and investment funds may jeopardise the success of cohesion
policy. Until now, country-specific recommendations and national reform
programmes have had different priorities to those of cohesion policy,
which aims to reduce regional disparities.
EU regions and cities will therefore continue to mobilise and cooperate
with the European Parliament, within the framework of the
#CohesionAlliance, to ensure that this acceptable starting point
proposed today by the European Commission will be improved, in
particular by reintegrating rural development into cohesion policy and
restoring interregional cooperation. It is about working in the
interest of all European citizens, taking into account the specific
challenges in the places where they live, while also bringing Europeans
closer together, whether they come from the north or the south, the
east or the west."
Contact:
Pierluigi Boda
Tel: +32 2 282 2461
Pierluigi.Boda@cor.europa.eu