Brussels, 17/11/2010 (Agence Europe) - A document containing a great many assessments of the period from 2000 to 2006 and one which, for the first time, relates to all of the 27-member Europe, but one which says very little about the impact of the crisis on the regions and on cohesion policy over the last two years: that is the first reaction of Committee of the Regions (CoR) President Mercedes Bresso to the Commission's 5th cohesion report which was adopted on 10 November. The place of territorial cohesion in the future architecture, strengthening of macro-economic conditionality, and the performance reserve based on contributions to the EU 2020 strategy are further areas of doubt, concern and even disagreement for Bresso, giving her thoughts for the press in Brussels, alongside Regional Policy Commissioner Johannes Hahn and the chairman of the COTER (Commission on Territorial Cohesion) and Mayor of Dunkirk Michel Delebarre (PSE, France).
Bresso explained her reasons for disagreement: (1) the place of territorial cohesion: “It's mentioned but it's not clear”; (2) strengthening macro-economic conditionality: “This would mean suspending payment of structural funds in cases of non-compliance by national governments with the Stability and Growth Pact, and the cancelled funding gong back into the general budget. With the reduction in national co-funding, that would doubly penalise regions, without their having committed any faults. We have many concerns on this point and may even use our powers to take the matter to the Court of Justice, citing the subsidiarity principle. We are firmly opposed to this proposal”; (3) performance reserve based on the contribution to the 2020 strategy: “we have already given our agreement on the principle as long as it is a European reserve to facilitate the mid-term review. It is of concern to us, however, to see virtually all the major European policies added to cohesion policy, as if cohesion policy was responsible for everything”.
She also noted a number of positive points however, including that cohesion policy should benefit all regions, the joint strategic framework covers all European-level funds, and the introduction of a new category with regions in transition. (G.B./transl.rt)