In a particularly cordial exchange with the MEPs of the Committee on Regional Development (REGI) on Tuesday 5 November, the President of the Committee of the Regions, Karl-Heinz Lambertz, proposed that the Committee's rapporteurs could be invited to the European Parliament’s discussions on the interinstitutional negotiations (trilogues) on the framework regulation on common provisions between the Structural and Investment Funds post-2020.
During his speech, the President underlined how much the position of the REGI Committee on cohesion policy, and in particular on the said umbrella regulation, was in line with that of the Committee of the Regions (see EUROPE 11787/4) and, in this context, did not hesitate to appeal to the Chairman of the REGI Committee, Younous Omarjee (GUE/NGL, France).
“It would be important for our Committee to continue to work intensely with you on all these subjects, and the Committee has rapporteurs who are ready to get involved”, he stressed during his intervention. And he added more clearly, “If they could be invited to come to the discussions, to come to the Committee on Regional Development [to find out] about the progress of the trilogue negotiations, it would be a great step forward in our cooperation”.
The call has been heard by Mr Omarjee. “Once again, I can really tell you how much we appreciate and we have appreciated your action”, he replied. He continued to say, “Our rapporteurs are here, we have also heard the availability of the Committee of the Regions’ rapporteurs, and we will respond to your requests”.
The Committee’s participation, as an observer, in interinstitutional negotiations on legislative dossiers directly related to regional policy or having a significant impact on local and regional authorities has been a long-standing request of the Committee’s members (see EUROPE 12123/20).
Interinstitutional negotiations on the Common Provisions Regulation are expected to continue on Tuesday 12 November (see EUROPE 12363/1). Those on Interreg are expected to resume on Wednesday 20 November. Negotiations on the European Social Fund plus (ESF+) are expected to start on Tuesday 26 November. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)