Brussels, 29/11/2011 (Agence Europe) - The Polish Presidency is calling for flexibility, simplification and respect for specific regional situations in the new approach to cohesion policy for the period 2014-2020 and is adopting a cautious stance on micro-economic conditionality, which has fed into the debate since the legislative package was announced. Further to the informal Council of European ministers with responsibility for regional policy in Poznan on Friday 25 November, and to the meeting of the directors general responsible for cohesion policy in Warsaw on 3-4 November, the Polish Presidency has published preliminary conclusions, to feed into the negotiations of the member states on the Commission's legislative proposals on cohesion matters. The document does not, however, prejudge the outcome of the negotiations underway, which are likely to continue for the next 12 months.
Consistent support. The document gives the Commission support on its broad outlines, principally in favour of an integrated approach to territorial policy and better coordination of the five structural funds. The creation of a joint regulation for these funds, and the principal of a partnership contract concluded between the institution and the member states, were also appreciated (but the conclusions state that the regions and member states must remain the only operational players, thereby excluding the partnership towns). The conclusions also welcome the emphasis which has been laid on results and performance, particularly with regard to the objectives of the EUROPE 2020 strategy, and the reinforcement of the urban dimension of cohesion and the principle of multi-level governance. Lastly, the improvement of the administrative capacity of the actors involved in the cohesion programmes is an important point for the Presidency.
Timid comments on conditionality. However, the Polish Presidency's document calls for clarifications and additional discussions on many aspects of the legislative package. Micro-economic conditionality (which calls into question the issuing of European funding if a member state does not comply with the obligations of the Stability and Growth Pact) is among them. But the conclusions remain vague: the legitimacy of the instrument is acknowledged, but the conclusions call for its application not to be “counter-productive”. The same mixed message on ex ante conditions and performance incentives (5% of the funds to be held back and granted as a reward to the most deserving at the end of the year), which must really target the effectiveness of the cohesion programmes.
Flexibility, simplification. The conclusions very much stress the flexibility and simplification of the revised cohesion policy. The programmes should be adapted to take account of specific regional situations, without going beyond the principle of subsidiarity, and even work on the handicaps of certain regions. The Polish Presidency also calls for simplification for the administrative procedures, and for an integrated approach to territorial development.
The conclusions additionally call for increased options to combine the funds and ensure optimum complementarity between the Connecting Europe Facility (financing European infrastructures) and actions targeting cohesion. Lastly, the document published by the Polish Presidency argues for the cohesion programmes to take due account of the relationship between urban and rural areas. In the view of the Presidency, it is also vital to ensure that the Commission is “fully capable of playing its role in the new architecture of the Cohesion Policy”.
Integrated territorial approach. In addition to the conclusions on the cohesion policy, the Polish Presidency expressed its desire for a more in-depth reflection on a more integrated approach to development, a subject which has been discussed in various fora organised by the Presidency. The Presidency states that “there is still a gap between what theory says about the processes of an integrated and territorial approach to development and the adequacy of policy responses on the ground”. The Presidency document therefore suggests, amongst other things, that the Commission draw up a White Paper on the issue. The Polish Presidency's position is also supported by a roadmap put together on the basis of the territorial agenda of the European Union 2020. This consists of a series of actions to be undertaken by the institutions, working together with any member states which choose to do so. Most of these supported this document and have already committed to some of these actions, starting in 2012. These include the communication strategy, organising conferences and debates, or the publication of documents and reports by the institutions (including a White Paper). (MD/transl.fl)