{"id":459946,"date":"2026-07-14T16:55:29","date_gmt":"2026-07-14T14:55:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.eunews.it\/2026\/07\/14\/studio-cer-lallargamento-puo-mettere-sotto-pressione-i-contributi-di-coesione-m5s-serve-cautela\/"},"modified":"2026-07-14T17:35:55","modified_gmt":"2026-07-14T15:35:55","slug":"cer-study-enlargement-could-put-pressure-on-cohesion-funding-m5s-caution-needed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.eunews.it\/en\/2026\/07\/14\/cer-study-enlargement-could-put-pressure-on-cohesion-funding-m5s-caution-needed\/","title":{"rendered":"CER study: \u201cEnlargement could put pressure on cohesion funding.\u201d M5S: \u201cCaution needed\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

Brussels \u2013 EU enlargement: the timing seems right, but the approach to achieving it may be less so. Russia\u2019s war in Ukraine has reignited the need for the European Union to expand even further eastwards, driven by a geopolitical imperative which, while seemingly beyond dispute, nevertheless presents challenges for which there is as yet no clear answer. The Left Group in the European Parliament, on the initiative of MEP Danilo Della Valle<\/strong> (M5S), has asked the Centro Europa Ricerche<\/a> (CER) to carry out a study on the impact of the accession of ten countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine) to the EU, and the study\u2019s findings are characterised by caution. <\/p>\n

The 64-page document, in a nutshell, warns of the risk of reduced structural funding for European regions, particularly those in Southern Italy. This possibility arises because the accession of states with a gross domestic product below the EU average would trigger an automatic recalculation of all parameters. \u201cThe proposed accession of other Member States with a per capita GDP of between 30 and 50 per cent of the EU average further lowers the eligibility threshold for EU cohesion programmes<\/strong>,\u201d notes the CER. This means that those currently classified as “less developed” would automatically be moved to a more developed category and would therefore no longer be eligible for additional funding. <\/p>\n

“With specific reference to Italy, under the current framework (MFF 2021\u20132027), there are seven “less developed” regions with a per capita GDP of less than 75 per cent of the European average (Molise, Campania, Puglia, Basilicata, Calabria, Sicily, Sardinia) and three “transition” regions, with a per capita GDP of between 75 per cent and 100 per cent of the European average (Abruzzo, Umbria, Marche). With the accession of Eastern European and Western Balkan countries, the Marche would therefore move into the category of “more developed” regions, while Basilicata, Molise, and Sardinia would move up to the group of “transition” regions. \u201cThis would result in a significant loss of resources compared with the current situation.\u201d <\/p>\n

EU wants enlargement – its citizens, less so<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n