Brussels, 22/02/2011 (Agence Europe) - Hard on the heels of the 6th Territorial Dialogue devoted to recovery from the crisis, the Committee of the Regions (CoR) will put to the spring European Council its proposal that national reform programmes be based on territorial pacts through which national governments, the regions, cities and other public administrations will undertake to implement the EUROPE 2020 strategy. CoR President Mercedes Bresso made the announcement in her opening speech, “Territorial Pacts to achieve the objectives of the EUROPE 2020 strategy”. “We are certain” she said, “that territorial pacts are instruments that can facilitate” awareness and the necessary commitment for the realisation of EU programmes.
She stressed “the urgency of concluding these territorial pacts”, ahead of the end-of-April deadline for submission of national reform plans. In the on-going debate, Bresso says she has picked up “a few encouraging messages which form considerable political potential on which to invest”. These are, in particular, two proposals in the European Commission communication on the review of the EU budget, “which very much take a partnership approach, such as is suggested by territorial pacts”.
Firstly, the adoption of a common strategic framework which further structures EU policies to improve the effectiveness of territorial development and the consistency of the initiatives taken as part of the EUROPE 2020 strategy. This common strategic framework will replace the current approach which is based on differing strategic guidelines for the structural funds and will allow the links and coordinating mechanisms between the EAFRD and the EFF.
Secondly, the conclusion of partnership contracts for development and investment between the Commission and every member state, in agreement with the regions, to support the implementation of the structural funds and other territorial development funds.
Bresso says, however, that “a strong political drive is needed so that this signal of opening does not become watered down to a simple contractual relationship” between the Commission and member states excluding the institutions and socio-economic partners of the various areas. (Gp/transl.rt)