29/03/2019 (Agence Europe) – On Thursday, 28 March, the Committee of the Regions welcomed the report defended by Andrea Cozzolino (S&D, Italy) on the regulation on the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Cohesion Fund (CF) (see EUROPE 12224/8). There are many sources of satisfaction: - an emphasis on urban development and, in particular, on the gap between rural and urban areas; - a breakdown of funds from the regional level; - more flexibility in relation to the rules of the budget pact. "It is fully in line with the proposals adopted by the European Committee of the Regions last December", the organisation welcomed in its statement. The Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR), for its part, "applauded" the text adopted by the European Parliament, in particular for having increased the budget for cohesion policy. (PH)