Subsidiarity, dialogue, and an adequate budget: 134 regions’ demands to von der Leyen for Cohesion policy

Brussels – A cohesion policy that has a territorial approach and respects the principle of subsidiarity, a strengthened dialogue with the European Commission, and above all, an adequate budget: These are the demands put pen to paper by 134 European regions from 16 member states, ahead of the first phase of Ursula von der Leyen’s new term as head of the EU executive. Twelve Italian regions are also among them.

They are Emilia-Romagna, Abruzzo, Campania, Lazio, Lombardy, Marche, Puglia, Sardinia, Tuscany, Valle d’Aosta, Veneto and the Autonomous Province of Bolzano, signatories of the non-paper (an informal document) that will be at the centre of the event “For a strengthened cohesion and growth policy after 2027 with the regions at the centre,” scheduled for tomorrow (Oct. 2) at the European Parliament in Brussels and promoted by its vice president, Younous Omarjee. The conference will be attended by some 20 regional presidents and councillors, who will debate the position expressed in the non-paper with some 30 MEPs.

“In view of the hearing of future commissioners and the initial phase of President von der Leyen’s second term,” but especially with the focus on the start of the negotiations for the EU’s new long-term budget, “we call for a strengthening of the most visible policies in the European territories, and cohesion policy is certainly the most important of these,” the document reads.

According to the text, the priority is to ensure a “budget that matches the Cohesion Policy’s long-term investment approach that addresses different challenges in all regions of the EU.” In the multi-year financial framework 2021-2027, the EU has allocated €330 billion for cohesion projects. However, it is not just a question of the amount of resources. For the 134 signatories, it is necessary to ensure “shared management and multi-level governance.” That’s why the non-paper “opposes the proposal contained in the policy guidelines” presented by von der Leyen, which call for a single plan for each country.

Regarding the need for “a strengthened dialogue between the European Commission and European regions to further improve the performance of cohesion policy after 2027,” the 134 regions express satisfaction with the appointment of an executive vice-president with the responsibility precisely for Cohesion and Reforms, Italy’s Raffaele Fitto. “This is a strong recognition of the importance and relevance of cohesion policy for all regions of Europe,” the regions stress.