The members of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) rejected the European Commission's proposals for budget cuts for post-2020 cohesion policy in a series of opinions adopted on 18 October in plenary session.
Budget cuts (around 10% compared to the 2014-2020 budget) as proposed by the European Commission (see EUROPE 12046) would send a ‘bad signal’ to European citizens, according to EESC members, who are asking to keep the cohesion budget at its current level (€351.8 billion) at current 2020 prices. They also call for an increase in the budget earmarked for territorial cooperation (approximately €8.4 billion from the resources earmarked for the next ERDF).
In addition, the Committee rejects the proposal to maintain macroeconomic conditionality, i.e. to make the commitment and payment of structural and investment funds conditional on compliance with macroeconomic conditions, while supporting a stronger link between the structural and investment funds and the 'European Semester' budgetary process.
Members took a position against the proposal to revert to the n+2 rule, i.e. the principle that the funds allocated in each programme should be spent no later than two years after the end of the budget cycle, instead of three at the present time.
They are against the reduction in the co-financing rate proposed by the European Commission. On the latter point, they call for an increase in European co-financing rates for regions with handicaps (island, mountainous and border regions).
Moreover, while acknowledging the European Commission's efforts to simplify cohesion policy, they regret that it has not been more ambitious in setting a single set of rules for all funds.
Finally, they stress the need to ensure compliance with the code of conduct on partnerships and the Committee proposes a ’European Civil Society Cohesion Forum’ in order to better integrate civil society organisations in the monitoring of cohesion policy.
In general, they also call for the objectives of Cohesion Policy to be aligned with those of the UN ‘Sustainable Development Goals’ and the European Platform of Social Rights, and fully in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)