he Council today approved conclusions setting out its position on key aspects for cohesion and the future of EU’s cohesion policy. The conclusions will serve as a basis for discussions in the coming months and for the Commission’s work on the legislative framework for cohesion policy after 2027.
I am delighted that today we approved these conclusions setting the priorities for our work in the coming months. Having as our guiding principle that EU’s cohesion policy and competitiveness are closely interlinked, I am convinced that we will manage to agree on an efficient and future-proof cohesion policy for the next financial perspective and respond effectively to Europe’s emerging priorities and needs.
Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz, Minister of Funding and Regional Policy of Poland
The conclusions recall that the objective of economic, social and territorial cohesion is at the heart of the European project and that EU policies and actions should contribute to the achievement of this objective through considering their territorial dimension and their coordination, and with the active involvement of the national, regional and local authorities and stakeholders, as relevant. The Council also highlights the importance of promoting clear complementarities and synergies among EU policies and of avoiding overlaps among different instruments.
The Council refers to the Letta report, which highlights that an effective cohesion policy, implemented in a balanced way across the EU, is a key condition for the success of the single market. In this regard, the text reaffirms that competitiveness and cohesion are interconnected and emphasises the role of both enhancing competitiveness of the EU as a whole and improving cohesion across countries and regions, thereby contributing to the achievement of EU strategic priorities and addressing EU challenges in a mutually reinforcing manner.
The conclusions recall the foundations and key principles of cohesion policy, such as shared management, multi-level governance, partnership, as well as people- and place-based approach, being applied alongside the principles of proportionality and subsidiarity. In this context, cohesion policy should continue to play a key role in reducing regional disparities in Europe, helping less developed regions to catch up with the more developed ones, with a view to upward convergence of the EU.
In terms of governance, shared management between the Commission, member states, and regional and local authorities must remain the delivery method of cohesion policy. The Council recalls the importance of multi-level governance that enables effective interventions at the most appropriate territorial levels in each member state, at the same time strengthening the sense of shared responsibility. Together with shared management and dialogue with partners, both during the programming and implementation phases, multi-level governance facilitates the achievement of EU policy goals and empowers the member states, regional and local authorities.
Finally, the Council recalls that cohesion policy is a long-term investment policy and that improving its efficiency and effectiveness can be achieved by focusing on results. To this end, the Commission is invited to make cohesion policy more result-oriented, in particular to use an evidence-based approach in designing the framework of the future policy. The Council also calls the Commission to further develop and simplify the well-established systems of monitoring and evaluation, in order to assess how investments and reforms deliver strategic goals, to strengthen tools aimed at examining the potential and real impacts of policy interventions, as well as to further embed territorial impact assessments in policy preparation and evaluation.
