Under the auspices of the Polish Presidency and chaired by Minister Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz, the EU Ministers responsible for Cohesion Policy, Territorial Cohesion and Urban Matters adopted their Joint Declaration on the importance of the territorial aspect and its consideration in post-2027 development policies at the Informal Ministerial Meeting in Warsaw (21 May). DG Christophidou representing the Commission, welcomed the adoption of the Declaration, which underlines the structural role of cohesion policy in supporting all of the EU’s priorities, highlighting two main strands of work in coming weeks: the Commission’s mid-term review proposal and the ambitious policy agenda for cities that the Commission aims to put forward towards the end of the year.
Joint Declaration of Ministers responsible for Cohesion Policy, Territorial and Urban Matters
- 22 May 2025
Participants discussed how to address current and emerging challenges through the territorial approach. The Joint Declaration calls upon the Commission and national governments to make sure that all EU and national policies are considering the territorial dimension and recalls regions, cities and their functional areas are strategic partners in shaping and implementing EU policies, especially cohesion policy – underlining commitment to the policy’s core principles of a place-based approach and multi-level governance under shared management.
Ministers encouraged a close link between the existing urban agenda for the EU and the upcoming ambitious policy agenda for cities. They underlined the role of cities for the realisation of common EU priorities and the need for sustainable urban development, adequately supported by the EU, to address global challenges and allow for flexibility in local adaptation. Within this, a particular focus was on the important role of local entities in tackling the housing crisis in many regions. Participants also underlined the need to coordinate policies at all levels to achieve maximum impact and for a more systematic use of territorial impact assessments for EU policies and legislation.
Ministers committed to a renewal of the “Territorial Agenda 2030” in the context of the European territorial development vision to be developed and to intensify the necessary capacity building for local administrations.