Brussels, 01/02/2011 (Agence Europe) - The perception of the cohesion policy has come a long way: the Hungarian Presidency of the EU has placed it at the centre of the European political agenda, and the forthcoming Polish Residency has already committed to it, as was confirmed by President of the Commission José Manuel Barroso, speaking before the fifth forum on the cohesion policy. “It is the security that the cohesion policy is not just a driver of redistribution, but a policy which generally contributes to the well-being of the European citizens. This means that we must devote a special ministerial conference to it”, said Johannes Hahn, speaking after the forum. The battle of the budget and the question of simplification were central to the questions asked by those attending the forum. There was one observation and one wish: “we all want the plans, not procedure. We need to work together”, said Johannes Hahn.
Budget. The battle for the budget is far from over. The commissioner for regional policy gave this warning: “It is only with an adequate budget that we will be able to move forward in our support for regional cooperation. Without a budget, all of the regions will see their funding dry up!” Therefore, we must not think that if there are restrictions at the expense of the poorest regions, there will still be adequate budget for the regions. It will be quite the opposite. If there are reductions, clear cuts in the budgets, this will affect all regions. All regions will receive less. “Let no one delude themselves that their region is in a more favourable situation. We are all in the same boat. And again, everybody will have to suffer from the budget cuts. As a result, we have political responsibility in this field”, said Johannes Hahn. He used a metaphor to help explain the situation: if there is a smaller cake, all the slices are smaller. Massive efforts will have to be made, therefore, to get results. “We defend this cohesion policy not out of loyalty, not out of idealism, but out of a commitment to an effective and prosperous future”, said Hahn, calling for the most serious tones in discussions of efficiency and impact. Not empty words, words translated into reality by clear mechanisms and clear rules, added the commissioner, who is counting on the Hungarian Presidency to put this point to the General Affairs Council of next May.
The cohesion policy is central to the European agenda, but “all eyes are on the Commission, and also on all players”, noted Hahn, who stressed that it is extremely difficult to negotiate a budget if the resources allocated are not allocated fully or are not used in full. The regions must express the fact that the cohesion fund represents an excellent investment, Hahn argued, stressing that this is one way the regions can help him and the Commission in the reforms.
Simplification. This point is very high up the agenda of the Commission. In symbiosis on the same questions, both Commissioner Lázsló Andor (employment, social affairs, inclusion) and Johannes Hahn s are aware of the need for simplification, “a tool to be a general driving force for results”, as Hahn described it. “Fewer rules mean fewer mistakes”, he said. The effort made to lighten the rules has borne fruit. The recent report of the Court of Auditors shows this clearly. Efforts must therefore be continued to reduce the burden and the work of the beneficiaries. Referring to the example of people in the private sector who are well aware that “stability, predictability and certainty are vital for business”, Hahn pointed out that the Commission is looking at ways of rationalising the provision of cohesion programmes. This work will be part of future regulation.
By way of example, the commissioner announced that currently, all options for a differentiated approach are being looked into, in order to ensure that the controls are proportionate to the risks. He also announced that the Commission is to hold a reflection on the provision of simplified reimbursement methods, such as fixed-rate sums. The management authorities and the beneficiaries must notice the change and ensure that simplified rules are transposed into the national rulebook. The Commission has made enormous steps forward in aligning the eligibility rules on the basis of Community instruments, between the cohesion fund and research and development policies, “to make sure that the beneficiaries do not have do go to different places for different funds”.
Hahn concluded: “I think that we can strike at the heart of bureaucracy. It is time to get into a general political debate on the allocation and division of responsibilities between the Commission and the member states on the use of Community resources”.
Cohesion/social inclusion. Andor stressed three points: (1) first of all, the emergence of a broad consensus on the fact that the cohesion policy must play an important role in the European project for growth and employment. The cohesion policy is important in facing up to the economic and social challenges facing all regions. There is also a need to improve workers' qualifications in the face of globalisation. The Employment/Social Affairs Council will take position on these issues; (2) for the cohesion policy to be able to play its full role and add value, it needs to be modified. There is broad consensus in favour of aligning the priorities and investments of the fund on those of the EU 2020 strategy and developing them within the national reform programmes. The European social fund is “the best possible tool to support employment, education and social inclusion”, said Andor. The EU 2020 strategy will be the action framework for a growth potential for the EU; (3) we need to act on a number of different approaches, based on results.
Andor announced that in July of this year, the European Commission is to present its new proposals on the cohesion policy, as part of the financial framework. “It will be a plus to allow us an ambitious cohesion policy”, the commissioner concluded. (G. B./transl.fl)