On 20 February, the High Level Group of Experts published its  Final report on the future of Cohesion Policy: “Forging a sustainable future together: cohesion for a competitive and inclusive Europe”, the result of its work since January 2023.

The report argues why Europe needs cohesion policy more than ever, elaborates on what role the policy has and how it should change in the future.

Experts believe that the fundamental role of cohesion policy should be to mobilise untapped economic potential in the EU, particularly by investing in its less developed areas and in regions in development traps or at risk of falling into one. It should promote economic convergence and equality of opportunities for all EU citizens, especially for groups in vulnerable situations.  It should promote global networks, connectivity via trade and cross-border investment as well as engagement with global value chains. This includes strategic autonomy, with cross-border cooperation to reduce the negative economic impact of internal and external borders.

According to the report, Cohesion Policy needs to become more place- and people based.  Institutional improvement should be on par with the investment in infrastructure and productive capital, human capital and innovation as basic pillars for development. This requires strengthening and empowering local government, and enhancing stakeholder involvement, including civil society. Shared management should be reinforced, including supporting the principle of partnership and multilevel governance.

Cohesion Policy should help candidate countries. It should be tailored to the specific needs and challenges of each Candidate Country, ensuring integration and development in line with EU standards and objectives.