Karl-heinz Lambertz, President of the European Committee of the Regions, explains how the recently launched #CohesionAlliance initiative aims to raise awareness among European citizens of the EU’s main investment policy. This year, without doubt, the European Union has avoided two populist and particularly dangerous threats to its unity in the Netherlands and in France. Proof of its desire to reform can be found at the highest level in its reflections on the future of Europe, yet to
- 05 October 2017
Karl-heinz Lambertz, President of the European Committee of the Regions, explains how the recently launched #CohesionAlliance initiative aims to raise awareness among European citizens of the EU’s main investment policy.
This year, without doubt, the European Union has avoided two populist and particularly dangerous threats to its unity in the Netherlands and in France. Proof of its desire to reform can be found at the highest level in its reflections on the future of Europe, yet today it remains at a crossroads.
Attempts at reform have been made, sometimes for the better, but the 'old' policies still pose a threat – primarily Cohesion Policy and the common agricultural policy. At the same time, new challenges are appearing, such as Brexit or the need to do more for the safety of citizens, defence, managing migration and refugees, and foreign policy.
In this situation, it would be a mistake to choose the wrong objectives, which is why the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) defends a strong, effective Cohesion Policy that is visible to citizens.
To better defend it, the #CohesionAlliance or Alliance for Cohesion has been established. There is too little awareness of the Cohesion Policy among the general public, even though it is the EU's main investment policy. Indeed, there is a tendency to forget how Europe would look without this policy.
The figures say it all
As highlighted in the discussion paper on the future of EU finances, it should never be forgotten that for the 2007-2013 period, Cohesion Policy provided financial assistance for 121 400 start-ups and some 400 000 SMEs, 94 955 research projects and 33 556 cooperation projects between SMEs and research centres, 41 600 new long-term jobs related to research, 1500 km of improved rail track in the Trans-European Transport Network and, finally, 49.7 million participations in interventions aimed at improving human capital, nearly half of which led to the acquisition of new skills.
For its citizens, a Europe that offers protection, in particular from the negative effects of globalisation, is embodied in its Cohesion Policy. It is also no coincidence that citizen support for this policy is constantly increasing, as demonstrated by the recent Eurobarometer survey of June 2017, in which 78 % of citizens consider EU regional investments have had a positive impact on their town or region.
This protection is tangible – the figures speak for themselves – but Cohesion Policy remains one of the most attacked European policies in a context where, in the future, we expect to see a drastic reduction in the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), particularly as a result of the United Kingdom’s exit from the EU.
My analysis is as follows: the CoR alone cannot defend this policy and achieve the expected results. Through the #CohesionAlliance, it must be the catalyst for all pro-cohesion initiatives taking root in the territories. These initiatives are numerous and of good quality: cities, regions, civil society, the economic world, associations and networks are all mobilising to propose a new Cohesion Policy for the future.
In effect, the idea is not to embrace the immutable principles of a fixed policy of cohesion. On the contrary, the solution is to show that in order for the Cohesion Policy to continue, it must be transformed by relying on its founding principles and a virtuous triad based on territorial cohesion, mobilisation of the private sector through suitable financial instruments, and by being part of a more flexible Stability and Growth Pact.
The CoR’s opinion “in favour of a strong and effective post-2020 European Cohesion Policy” underlines this direction: a budget to match our ambitions; reaffirmation of the principle of partnership policy based on a territorial approach; a drastic simplification of procedures, in particular for management and control, based on the principles of differentiation and proportionality; a stronger link to structural reforms through ex-ante conditionality; new indicators to allocate funds and better take into account sub-regional disparities; and improved visibility of results.
Joining forces
It is these principles around which the CoR and the major associations of local authorities (CPMR, AER, Eurocities, CEMR, AEBR) have come together to create this #CohesionAlliance platform, intended to rally all initiatives that can be identified among these general principles. Thus, the CoR can become the institutional spokesperson for the territories and demands of citizens in negotiations on the future MFF and in developing future regulations that will guide the use of the European Structural and Investment Funds.
Following the adoption of the opinion of the CoR on 12 May 2017, and the launch of the great #CohesionAlliance initiative on 18 May, we will politically launch this platform on the occasion of the European Week of Regions and Cities on 9 October.
My ambition is to make this initiative as tangible and visible as possible in order to reach the maximum number of local, regional, national and European elected representatives, and beyond that, to reach all those who experience the added value of Cohesion Policy on a daily basis.
For this very reason, this alliance will be at the heart of the meeting on 10 October between the European Parliament’s 'Regional Development' committee and CoR’s 'Territorial Cohesion' committee. Along with Commissioner Creţu, it will be important to convey these messages to the General Affairs Council on 15 November in order to continue raising the awareness of those Member States which will be taking budget decisions crucial to the future of Europe.
Together with the Alliance, we will gather all our energies to defend Cohesion Policy in the interest of all Europeans.