Regional Policy

All quiet in the West while the East is advancing, study shows

Statistically, the economic gap between European regions is narrowing. Nevertheless, the abandoned regions remain left behind - and in Western Europe there is stagnation. EURACTIV Germany reports.

Council and Parliament agree on simplification of EU funds

Rules on the so-called Omnibus regulation on EU financial rules, including Cohesion policy, will be simplified, whether they are managed by the Commission, by various organisations and bodies, or jointly with national authorities. The European Parliament is now expected to...

Regions in transition are most at risk due to economic stagnation, no innovation

European regions want an enhanced and inclusive Cohesion Policy that will make use of structural funds and more complementary mechanisms to address the current problems at their core. At the same time, the Committee of the Regions is asking for a concrete plan before the European elections in May 2019.

ESPON Director: We need joint projects, activities to make Cohesion Policy successful

Territorial Cooperation has a limited spending scope and must be integrated into the mainstream cohesion policy funds, where there is a substantial amount of investment available, the director of ESPON EGTC, Ilona Raugze, told EURACTIV in an interview. ESPON EGTC...

Cretu: One legislation for cross-border projects

Corina Crețu, the EU Commissioner for Regional Policy, supports the possibility for two member states working on cross-border cooperation projects to voluntarily choose the legislation from one of the two countries.

Smart villages are an opportunity to bring jobs, says MEP Bogovic

Smart villages intend to use the full potential of digital technologies to unlock job opportunities in a bid to counter rural poverty and depopulation, MEP Franc Bogovic told EURACTIV ahead of an event to promote his initiative.

Minister: EU cohesion policy served Greece well, should be upgraded in future

The EU's cohesion policy supported Greece in its most serious crisis, demonstrating the value of the bloc's second-biggest funding scheme, Greece’s Alternate Economy Minister Alexis Charitsis told EURACTIV.com in an interview.

Scotland needs EU freedom of movement to halt falling population

Scotland wants to retain full access to the Single Market and the Customs Union after Brexit at all costs.

Future EU regional policy – less funding for East Germany?

The EU budget for 2020 onward is not yet fixed but the German federal states already fear cuts in the funding for promotion of local projects. East Germany is especially concerned - a lot is at stake because many regions benefit greatly from EU subsidies. EURACTIV Germany reports.

Cretu: EU’s Interreg programmes need to be revised, simplified

The European Territorial Programmes, known as Interreg, will need to be reshaped and streamlined because they are fragmented and often hampered by red tape and national borders, Commissioner Corina Crețu told an event in the European Parliament.

Cuts to regional funding will be modest, assures EU budget chief

There are no guarantees that EU Cohesion funds will not be cut in the next seven-year budget but the cuts will be “less than 10%, probably near 5%”, the EU's Budget commissioner said on Thursday (22 March).

EU auditors: Public-private partnerships suffer from widespread shortcomings

A report by the European Court of Auditors Risk on the effectiveness of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) in Europe has found significant shortcomings ranging from insufficient competition and significant delays to cost increases and lack of comparative analyses.

Regions back bigger EU budget, with ‘cohesion for all’

European regions support the idea of an ambitious EU budget with new own recourses and increase of the member states’ contribution, in line with a recent European Parliament report on the future of the EU finances.

Baltic states against EU sanctions on Poland

Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia have confirmed that they are against imposing EU sanctions on Poland for alleged breaches to the rule of law. EURACTIV Poland reports.

Five things to know about EU regional policy cuts

The debate over the EU's post-2020 budget (MFF) has cast a shadow on the future of the EU main investment policy. Francesco Molica and Nikos Lampropoulos look at what could happen next and what's at stake.

Cretu: No cuts for cohesion funds, fresh money for new priorities

In an exclusive interview with EURACTIV, European Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Crețu said that cohesion funds should not be reduced in the next EU budget as they form the backbone of the EU economy. Instead, member states should finance upcoming priorities with new money.

Hatzidakis: Europe cannot become better with less money

Less money won’t make Europe better, Kostas Hatzidakis, vice president of the main Greek opposition party, New Democracy (EPP), told EURACTIV Greece in an interview. He also stressed he would favour the Cohesion policy to focus on Europe's less developed areas and Financial Instruments to ensure less bureaucracy and more flexibility.

Mayors in the driving seat of climate action

Europe's cities are on the frontline of climate action and the drive to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. At the 10th anniversary celebrations of the EU's Covenant of Mayors, some of its 9,000+ members revealed what is being done to fight climate change. 

Polish mayor: ‘The future belongs to cities’

The city of Wrocław is one of Poland’s success stories, where job creation has hit record highs and environmental objectives are taken seriously. Wrocław’s long-serving mayor revealed his city’s future-leaning path and the advantages of being part of a Europe-wide network of mayors.

Transnational company agreements – another form of social dialogue in Europe

Transnational company agreements, made within European multinationals have helped to Europeanise industrial relations. Although the European Commission views such agreements as an innovative tool for cooperation, it has yet to define a legal framework for them. EURACTIV.fr reports.

Covenant of Mayors: A key instrument for the future EU budget

In order for the Covenant of Mayors to continue its success and further embed itself in EU policies, it has to become a key instrument for the future EU budget, write the local and regional leaders of the group's board.   

Cohesion Policy post-2020: Doing more with less and additional private funding

In the aftermath of Brexit, which is expected to create a financial gap of €14 billion per year, doing more with less has, once again, become a cliché. But this time it is different, writes centre-right MEP Maria Spyraki.  

Building the next generation of macro-regions

The time has come to consider equipping EU macro-regional strategies with dedicated means, structures, and rules to make them deliver, write Francesco Molica and Nikos Lampropoulos.