On Tuesday 16 January, the MEPs adopted, by a large majority (580 votes to 62 with 34 abstentions), an own-initiative report in which they call for the macro-regional strategies to be maintained in the next multi-annual financial framework and to reinforce horizontal and vertical cooperation. They also call for a reflection on the consequences of the 'three no's' rules.
There are no changes to report from the text adopted by the 'regional development' committee (REGI) (see EUROPE 11912). During a debate on the subject at the start of the plenary session on Monday 15 January, the rapporteur, Andrea Cozzolino (S&D, Italy), explained that the text made two major demands. First of all, the MEPs call on the member states to come forward with specific commitments, with appropriate financial and human resources, but they also want to see incentives to implement the said strategies.
Secondly, the MEPs call upon the European Commission to make use of the forthcoming multi-annual financial framework – currently being prepared by the Commission services and scheduled to be unveiled in May (see EUROPE 11936, 11934) – to bring the aims and targets of the macro-regional strategies more into line with the new priorities.
Cozzolino argues in favour of reinforcing the links between the strategies and the European funds. He proposes a reflection on the so-called rule of 'three no's', which governs the strategies (no to new legislation, no to new financing and no to new structures on the part of the EU) and on governance itself, proposing that the local and regional levels and civil society be taken increasingly into account.
These points are contained in the report voted on the day after. The MEPs also call upon the Commission, in the framework of the forthcoming report on the strategies (scheduled for 2018), to focus on improving the effectiveness of the transnational programmes by focusing them more on results, bring in new indicators, lay great emphasis on simplification and reinforce the integration of the various decision-making levels. The MEPs say 'yes' to new strategies for the regions of the Carpathians, the Atlantic, Mediterranean and Iberian peninsula, but this will not be done to the detriment of deepening the existing ones. No reference is made to a strategy for the Black Sea, only to more dovetailing between the Danube region strategy and the cross-border cooperation programme for the Black Sea basin.
The Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU, which has just begun a new rotating Presidency, itself recognises the importance of these macro-regional strategies in its programme and intends to deepen the strategy dedicated to the Danube regions, of which it is a direct beneficiary (see EUROPE 11933). (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)