The Commissioner-designate for Cohesion Policy, Elisa Ferreira, endorses all the European Commission's proposals of May 2018 on the regulation laying down common provisions on post-2020 cohesion policy, in particular on strengthening the link between the budgetary process and cohesion policy or on budgetary volume.
Ms Ferreira is therefore continuing the work of her predecessor, Corina Creţu. She supports the strengthening of the link between the budgetary process and cohesion policy, between structural reforms and the policy for which she will be responsible. In her view, this is the best way to effectively target investments. In her view, macroeconomic conditions are not "counterproductive" and are balanced in that the resulting sanctions are proportional and take into account the country's economic and social situation.
In addition, Ms Ferreira maintains the European Commission's budgetary projections, which foresee a 10% reduction in the cohesion policy budget compared to the current multiannual financial framework. She also maintains the breakdown of budget allocations by Member State presented by Ms Creţu - criticised on this matter by many Member States in Central and Eastern Europe - judging it to be justified, since it reflects the economic progress of the regions. In the same way, she is continuing the reduction in co-financing proposed by the previous Commission.
Only the proposal to reduce the decommitment rule from N+3, according to which the funds allocated in each programme can be spent no later than 3 years after the end of a European budget cycle, to N+2, is not explicitly mentioned in the replies, although this is a key request from the Commission (see EUROPE 12321/8).
In any case, Ms Ferreira wishes to resume the interinstitutional negotiations, which came to a halt at the beginning of the year (see EUROPE 12221/13), in order to reach agreement on the elements related to the programming of the Structural and Investment Funds by the end of 2019, and to start programming as soon as possible for the next budget cycle. She hopes to reach agreement on the common provisions regulation by summer 2020.
Among the initiatives announced was the presentation of a Just Transition Fund to help the regions most affected by the green transition, such as coal mining areas.
Ms Ferreira's position will not come as a surprise, as she cannot jeopardise the ongoing negotiations on such thorny issues as regional policy, which involves huge sums of money. However, it could cause protests from the European Parliament, which voted for a strengthening of the cohesion policy budget envelope, as well as for the end of macroeconomic conditions (see EUROPE 12193/2).
Her hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, 2 October, from 18:30. To consult her written answers: http://bit.ly/2lFKNsV (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)