Brussels, 08/01/2015 (Agence Europe) - The absorption of structural funds by member states is without a shadow of a doubt one of the new resolutions made by the European Commissioner for Regional Development, Corina Cretu, for 2015.
At the end of last year, heads of European countries decided not to support the demands by a number of cohesion policy beneficiary countries to extend until the end of 2016, the deadline for the absorption of payment commitments for the 2007-2013 financing period (instead of at the end of 2015, according to the N+2 rule, see EUROPE 11122). In its conclusions on 18 December, the Council was determined to call on the European Commission to locate solutions for resolving the problem of these non-absorbed structured funds, which affect eight countries (Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Croatia, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Italy). On 7 January it responded by confirming both its sympathy and understanding for the member states experiencing absorption difficulties. Nonetheless, it also underlined the political responsibility it had sought to demonstrate with regard to cohesion policy and on its blog, stated, “this is not about charity or just budgetary support but rather, an economic development policy that provides opportunities, as well as responsibilities in return”.
The European Commissioner was keen to provide assurances to disappointed member states that the absorption of these funds would remain its number one priority in 2015. She also asserted to them that she would do everything she could to help them in this respect and, more specifically, as part of the Task Force set up last month. She provided assurances that this would not be “old wine in a new bottle”. The Commissioner explained that this would involve finding new ways of speeding up investment of the 2007-2013 funding. An initial meeting on the subject took place on Tuesday, at which the Commissioner participated (see EUROPE 11224). She also requested in writing that the eight member states concerned shared their point of view on how they could be assisted. (MD)