Regional Policy
Regional leader: Without cohesion, Europe cannot stand
As the EU faces the deepest recession in its history, the bloc's long-contested Cohesion Policy – its regional development instrument – has now become central to the recovery plan. EURACTIV spoke about it with the President of the European Committee of the Regions, Apostolos Tzitzikostas.
Commissioner Ferreira: ‘A crisis of this dimension cannot be addressed with a 1% GNI budget’
The COVID-19 outbreak has resulted in the worst recession in the history of the EU, which the European Commission aims to tackle with an unprecedented stimulus package. The Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms, Elisa Ferreira, explained the ambitious plan in an exclusive interview.
Cohesion becomes central to EU recovery package
Through the new REACT-EU emergency instrument, cohesion policy will be one of the key elements in the European Commission's proposal for a recovery package, which takes into account that the impact of the COVID-19 crisis has been uneven across the EU.
Montenegro woos tourists to Europe’s ‘corona-free’ corner
Less than two months after detecting its first infection, Montenegro is the first country in Europe to declare itself coronavirus-free, a success story the tiny country hopes will lure tourists to its dazzling Adriatic coast this summer.
Cities for a social and solidarity way out of the crisis caused by COVID-19
Europe needs to learn from the 2008 crisis and its austerity-based response: the actions taken after the coronavirus crisis must be based on solidarity and socially-oriented principles that will help people, public services and companies recover and strengthen, write Femke Halsema, Ada Colau, Giuseppe Sala, and Anne Hidalgo.
COVID-19: Commission paves way to draw €37 billion from structural funds
The European Commission proposed numerous changes to its cohesion policy rulebook on Thursday (2 April) in order to draw €37 billion of unused funds to finance various measures during the coronavirus pandemic. But these measures can only help to a limited extent. EURACTIV Germany reports.
COVID-19 emergency makes EU budget deal more urgent than ever
The seriousness of the coronavirus outbreak makes hefty cuts to cohesion policy in the EU's next long-term budget all the more unjustified, writes Enrico Rossi, the governor of Italy's Tuscany Region.
Revamping the Baltic Sea Region strategy
Is the European Union Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region still a role-model in the macro-regional cooperation framework? Marta Czarnecka-Gallas gives some answers.
Eleven million jobs at risk from EU Green Deal, trade unions warn
The European Green Deal risks deepening economic and social divisions between east and western EU countries, trade unions say, warning the 27-member bloc risks imploding before it reaches its 2050 climate neutrality goal.
Commission lists regions ripe for just transition cash
The European Commission revealed on Wednesday (26 February) which specific parts of the EU are eligible to split a €7.5 billion-strong climate fund, earmarked for spending on cleaning up heavy industry and supporting workers in the fossil fuel industry.
New EU regions president: ‘Citizens feel left out from the European process’
Apostolos Tzitzikostas (EPP), the governor of Central Macedonia (Greece), has been elected as the new president of the European Committee of the Regions. He talked to EURACTIV about his main priorities, which include a bottom-up approach to shaping European policies as the only way to overcome the "democratic deficit".
In Portugal, 15 ‘cohesion countries’ call for stronger EU budget
Fifteen EU member states insisted on Saturday (1 February) that the EU budget for 2021-2027 should maintain the level of the previous one "in real terms". EURACTIV’s partner Lusa reports.
Report: UK must replace €2bn EU cash with new regional funding
The UK government needs to provide £1.8 billion (€2.1 billion) per year to the poorest regions of the country to mitigate the loss of EU Cohesion funds, as part of a new Shared Prosperity Fund, according to a new report published on Friday (17 January).
Question marks raised over scale of EU’s new climate fund
The European Commission finally lifted the lid on its long-awaited just transition plans on Tuesday (14 January) but doubts have already been raised over the amount of funding on offer for the next decade compared to the bloc's Green Deal ambitions.
Nuclear ‘excluded’ from EU’s new Just Transition Fund
The EU's regional policy Commissioner Elisa Ferreira revealed on Tuesday (14 January) details of the €100 billion Just Transition Mechanism, a key financial component of the European Green Deal that should make the bloc climate neutral by 2050.
Just Transition Fund won’t come ‘at the expense’ of Cohesion, EU’s Ferreira claims
The creation of a Just Transition Fund to help poorer EU regions move towards a climate-neutral economy cannot come at the expense of the bloc's Cohesion Policy, the EU's regional policy Commissioner has said.
Selling electricity to neighbours: Technically feasible, but not in practice
An EU-funded Interreg project promoting microgrids technology has managed to help consumers produce renewable electricity on their own. But the ultimate objective to enable reselling the power to their neighbour has been hindered by regulatory obstacles.
EU official: Interreg is an ‘engine’ of regional cooperation but needs simplification
Interreg, a flagship EU cohesion policy programme, is an important engine of cooperation and trust among countries, but to address ongoing challenges such as migration or Brexit, it needs to be simplified and better coordinated and have less red tape, a high-ranking EU official told EURACTIV.com.
Interreg EU project: Tackling climate change in the ‘Mediterranean way’
An EU-funded project aims to push for green and circular economy policies in the Mediterranean in light of an alarming study, which recently pointed out that temperatures in the region are escalating much faster than the global average.
How Interreg transforms the Mediterranean region
In this Special Report, we will look at how Interreg MED has contributed to the region’s sustainability but also at the programme's future in the EU's next seven-year budget, the Multiannual Financial Framework, considering the planned cuts.
MEP Novakov: EU Cohesion policy needs a tough lady like Elisa Ferreira to defend it
Rule of law should be a matter of respect everywhere, not only in the Cohesion Policy. But ordinary beneficiaries should not be held responsible for the action of the whole country infringing common EU standards, MEP Andrey Novakov told EURACTIV Slovakia in an interview.
REGI chair: If von der Leyen has an ambition for Europe, she must have an ambition for Cohesion
The European Parliament shall not accept cuts on the budget of Cohesion Policy and expects the European Commission and its new President to be on its side, says MEP Younous Omarjee.
Regions call for ambitious EU budget, Cohesion policy, better cooperation
The Conference of Peripheral Maritime regions (CPMR) was set to adopt a Manifesto on the future of the EU negotiations on Friday (18 October) calling for more support to Europe's regions, an ambitious budge supporting a sustainable economic agenda and no cuts in the Cohesion policy.