PHOTO: BEATRIZ PEREZ MOYA | UNSPLASH
The Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) has outlined its position on the future of EU Cohesion Policy post-2027, emphasizing the importance of placing local and regional public services at the core of economic, social, and territorial cohesion.
Below you will find a summary of the main points:
Context and Importance: The critical role of Cohesion Policy is aknowledged especially in addressing various crises and supporting local and regional governments in delivering essential services and investments.
Core Principles: An emphasis is put on the need to maintain and strengthen core principles of Cohesion Policy, such as solidarity, long-term support, flexibility, and adherence to the Partnership Principle.
Strengthening Partnership Principle: CEMR advocates for enhancing the Partnership Principle by ensuring transparency, stakeholder involvement, and alignment with other EU policies like the European Semester.
Lessons Learned: The document reflects on lessons from past programming periods, suggesting the need for flexibility, reduced administrative burden, and alignment with existing funds rather than creating new ones.
Future Policy Recommendations: A proposal for simplifying Cohesion Policy is presented, with fewer funds, a single set of rules, and a focus on place-based development. The importance of thematic concentration on public services and investments, transparency in beneficiary selection, and flexibility in funding mechanisms is emphasised.
Specific Recommendations: These include aligning funding rules, increasing transparency, entrusting more authority to local and regional governments, and encouraging cooperation among European territories through programs like Interreg.
Overall, CEMR’s position paper advocates for a Cohesion Policy post-2027 that prioritizes local and regional needs, fosters partnership, and streamlines administrative processes to maximize effectiveness and impact. You can have a look at the entire CEMR position paper as well.
