Spain urges faster EU regional funds spending

Claudio Martini, president of the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR) told EurActiv that "we're very pleased to hear Commissioner Hahn's firm conviction that cohesion policy must underpin EU 2020".

"We're particularly glad to hear that he wishes to take on board the macro-regional approach, the development of which is strongly advocated by our members, since it can be an efficient and powerful coordination tool," Martini said.

"We draw attention to the fact that territorial cohesion must not be restricted to urban areas. Though cohesion in deprived urban areas is of utmost and uncontested importance, territorial cohesion – that is solidarity among territories at different scales - must be more broadly understood. Rural areas, or territories with specific constraints, must also be taken into account," he concluded.

A representative of the Assembly of European Regions (AER) told EurActiv: "We welcome the statement by Commissioner Hahn that funds should be available to all regions: European cohesion policy is for all Europeans and should help all regions make the best out of their potential to overcome their weaknesses. AER agrees that cohesion policy should be closely linked to Europe 2020 and recommends that further financial instruments, beyond cohesion policy, are dedicated to this future strategy."

Committee of the Regions (CoR) President Mercedes Bresso highlighted that sidelining regional and local actors had been one of the main reasons why the Union had so far failed to achieve the Lisbon goals. "The Lisbon Strategy was very disappointing and one of the evident reasons for this was its lack of involvement of institutional, economic and social actors on the ground. This message has not been heard, up to a point where the Europe 2020 strategy hardly sees our role as partners. In reality, we are much more than partners: we are the lynchpin of this strategy."

On the issue of simplifying the implementation rules of regional programmes in order to tackle the current economic crisis, Bresso reiterated the CoR's longstanding support for cutting red tape: "In this context, and in times of crisis, I would like to underline that this is not just an issue for administrations and auditors, but also a question of survival for certain regions, for companies that have to undergo restructuring measures and for citizens that work and live in these regions."

Michael Häupl, president of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR), argued that "the future EU 2020 strategy as laid down by the European Commission would set us on the wrong track".

The Commission text focuses too much on growth, quantity, productivity and profit. Yet it is precisely an excess of trust in a concept based on these elements that has plunged us into crisis. This needs to be reconsidered: replace growth with development, and quantity with quality. The new strategy should focus on the social reality and specific territorial characteristics within the EU rather than on the mere economy. We should advocate for ambitious changes of our styles of living and producing, not just 'greening' the existing modes and ways," he went on to note.

Häupl concluded that the solution is to be found in an EU 2020 strategy that is based on local needs ("the territory"). However, the entire Commission consultation document neglects to mention local authorities, the level closest to the citizens and at which the different policies are delivered on the ground. In the same way, the text does not mention either territorial development or cohesion policy, he lamented.