Brussels, 23/09/2011 (Agence Europe) - It is the turn of the Christian Democrats at the Parliament to support the proposals of the European Commission on the forthcoming multi-annual financial framework of the EU (2014-2020), which were presented in June of this year, particularly with regard to regional policy. The EPP stands united in its positive assessment of the forthcoming legislative package on the cohesion policy. Its representatives at both the European Parliament and the Committee of the Regions (CoR) stressed their unanimous support at a meeting with the Polish minister for regional development, El¿bieta Bieñkowska, on Wednesday 21 September.
The EPP MEPs agree that there should be support for investments by regional policy measures in order to stimulate growth and employment in the regions and cities of Europe. The president of the EPP Group at the CoR, Michael Schneider (Germany), states that “all EU regions have to benefit from cohesion funds, so that the poorest and most disadvantaged parts of Europe can catch up with the more prosperous ones. We also welcome the introduction of transition regions in the European Commission proposals.” Lambert Van Nistelrooij (the Netherlands), spokesperson for this group at the parliamentary committee on regional development, said that it is a question of better coordinating funding opportunities available for the cities and regions of the EU: “the global challenges such as climate change, the economic and financial crises and the ageing population require an integrated and innovative approach in EU policy. This is even true for policies aimed at common goals and causes such as cohesion, research and innovation. Therefore, coordination across EU, national and regional funding schemes is of great importance.” This consensus of the EPP on the budgetary proposals of the Commission adds to a letter sent to the ambassadors of the EU by the peripheral regions of the EU, reacting to the request by certain member states not to increase national contributions to the EU budget (EUROPE 10457). (MD/transl.fl)