Brussels, 29/03/2011 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 31 March, the plenary session of the Committee of the Regions (CoR) will discuss the outcome of the spring European Council and take stock of the contribution local and regional authorities can make to the EU 2020 strategy and the European semester in economic governance. Taking part in the round table discussions will be ETUC (European trade unions) Secretary General John Monks, Chairman of the CoR economic and social policy committee (ECOS) Arnoldas Abramavicus (EPP, Lithuania), BusinessEurope (European employers' organisation) Director General Philippe de Buck and Coordinator of the EUROPE 2020 Monitoring Platform Christine Chapman (PES, UK). On that day, too, the CoR will vote to adopt the opinion on the strategy for the Danube region prepared by Federal Affairs and European Affairs Minister of the Land of Baden-Württemburg Wolfgang Reinhart (EPP, Germany). The question posed by Reinhart is how the regions and cities of the Danube Basin can make full use of their potential by working more closely together within a macro-region.
One third of EU spending goes on efforts to reduce the disparities between regions. In response to a recent Commission report, the Committee will, on Friday 1st April, outline its position on the reform of EU regional aid after 2013. Michel Delebarre (PES, France) will present his draft opinion on the fifth report on cohesion in which he urges that future EU regional policy be given “the resources to meet its objectives”.
The European Social Fund, which is worth €10 billion per year, is a key part of regional policy. On Friday, then, the CoR will adopt the own initiative report on the future of the ESF after 2013. This document, drafted by Catiuscia Marini (PES, Italy), underlines the added value of EU programmes which help people find a job or set up their own business. For further information, go to: http://www.cor.europa.eu (G.B./transl.rt)