Regional Policy
Oettinger names and shames member states on long-term EU budget cuts
Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, Austria, Germany, Finland…. The EU's Budget Commissioner Günter Oettinger did not hesitate to point the finger at countries reluctant to increase their contributions to the EU's next seven-year budget during a speech on Wednesday (19 September).
EESC president: MFF proposal is ‘not ambitious enough’
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) will discuss on Wednesday (19 September) the next multi-annual financial framework (MFF) with budget commissioner Günter Oettinger. EESC President Luca Jahier told EURACTIV.com that the long-term budget for 2021-2027 should be increased to 1.3% of EU’s GDP.
Cohesion funds absorption should not become an end in itself, EU Auditors say
Delays in the formulation of legal frameworks and spending plans create severe obstacles to an effective use of Cohesion funding, shifting the focus on quick use of money rather than on performance and results, a new Court of Auditors report published Thursday (13 September) underlined.
Cohesion – the big ‘absent’ from Juncker’s SOTEU speech
European regions and cities were left wondering about the noticeable absence of Cohesion policy in Jean-Claude Juncker’s State of the Union speech in the European Parliament on Wednesday (12 September). They were particularly irked by his failure to highlight the positive role of regions in handling migration.
MEPs ask EU to keep funding peace in Northern Ireland after Brexit
The European Parliament considers the experience of Northern Ireland as an example of the success of the EU's cohesion policy. As Brexit draws nearer, MEPs are demanding that the EU keep funding projects in the region to preserve the peace.
President Juncker, give towns and regions the support that Europe needs!
Europe faces massive challenges, from migration to climate change and all points between. As Jean-Claude Juncker gears up to make his final address to this European Parliament, Frédéric Vallier calls on the Commission boss not to forget the role of cities and regions.
Cohesion file must be closed before 2019 elections, stakeholders say
Prolonging the Cohesion debate and postponing the final agreement will have a negative impact on the policy’s essence and content, but will also further affect the European idea, participants underlined during a hearing at the European Economic and Social Committee on Thursday (6 September).
EESC rapporteur: reducing future Cohesion’s budget affects EU’s credibility
The European Economic and Social Committee expressed strong disagreement with the Commission’s proposal to cut Cohesion policy funds by 10% in a recent opinion, saying the EU executive must show sensitivity for the current political environment rather than focus only...
Cohesion Policy projects still not result-oriented, EU Auditors say
Project-selection procedures in the EU's Cohesion policy remain oriented towards outputs and spending rather than driven by expected results, a new report from the European Court of Auditors (ECA) underlined.
‘It’s been an eye opening experience’, Luisa says after travelling around Europe for a month
Louisa (26, Germany) is a pedagogue, passionate about music and environment, whose goal is to raise awareness on the need for sustainability on the music festival scene. For a month, she has been one of the travellers of the Road Trip Project financed by the European Commission.
‘I have a new look on life’, Louis says after travelling around Europe for a month
Louis (21, Belgium) works as an educator for people with mental and physical disabilities during the day and writes rap music the night. For a month, he has been one of the travellers for a Road Trip Project financed by the European Commission.
Oettinger dismisses claims EU to blame for Italian bridge collapse
Brussels has recently encouraged Italy to increase expenditure in infrastructure, EU officials said on Thursday (16 August) in response to Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini’s allegations that the bloc's austerity policies were partly responsible for Italian bridge collapse.
A journey through EU Cohesion Policy
Cohesion Policy supports the development of regions that are lagging behind and helps in fostering innovation and enterprise in more advanced areas of the European Union.
Germany expects 20% less from EU structural funds after 2020
In the next EU budget period, Germany is set to receive around 20% less funding from the EU’s structural funds. Instead, more regions will be entitled to funds. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Italy calls into question costly Lyon-Turin rail link
Italy's new infrastructure minister denounced on Tuesday (24 July) an ambitious, transalpine rail link as an enormous waste of public money and said he wanted to re-negotiate the project with neighbouring France.
Marini: Rules on public expenditure will be the real challenge for Cohesion
Dangers of backsliding can already be identified in the European Commission’s proposal for Cohesion Policy in the next seven-year EU budget, warns the Committee of the Regions’ Catiuscia Marini. But she says the aim is to reach a framework agreement on resources and rules before the current term expires.
Schneider: Commission’s proposal on Cohesion going in the wrong direction
The European Commission's plans to overhaul and slash Cohesion Policy spending in the next seven year EU budget are going in the wrong direction, says the Committee of the Regions' Michael Schneider.
Greek minister: Neoliberalism and xenophobic far-right are ‘two sides of the same coin’
A broad progressive front should be established in order to face rising extreme-right ahead of the EU election in 2019 Greece's Alternate Economy Minister Alexis Charitsis told EURACTIV.com, adding that neoliberalism and far-right are “two sides of the same coin”.
Papadimoulis: Cohesion distribution could be improved but we don’t accept cuts
One and a half months after the new legislative package on Cohesion Policy for the 2021-2027 period was announced, negotiations are ready to start in order to reach a final consensus before the new European Parliament takes office in 2019....
Mayors urge EU to aim for net-zero emissions by 2050
The mayors of ten major European cities –including Paris, London, Milan and Barcelona – have issued a joint call for the EU to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, in line with the Paris Agreement.
Urban growth needs further planning and support, regions say
Urban development needs to be further extended and must not be transformed into a networking exercise, Kieran McCarthy, an Irish councillor from Cork, told a Committee of the Regions plenary in Brussels on Wednesday (4 July).
Cohesion Policy has ‘added value’ for the Mediterranean, say regional leaders
"The Mediterranean Sea is not just a geographical boundary, it unites people." That was the message of the Regional Governor of Western Greece, Apostolos Katsifaras, chairman of the Intermediterranean Committee of the CPMR.
Clean transport boosts mobility, environment, local labour markets
Big vehicle manufacturing companies have committed to investing more in clean buses for European cities, Alain Van Gaever, DG Mobility and Transport at the European Commission, told a conference on clean transport in Brussels on Wednesday (27 June).