On the occasion of Europe Day, Saturday 9 May, the Cohesion Alliance launched a broad consultation on a new declaration by early June in view of the upcoming negotiations on the future financial framework (MFF) revised in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Europe needs a strong cohesion policy and the involvement of local actors as real partners in all its recovery plans”, said Committee of the Regions President Apostolos Tzitzikostas (EPP, Greece), during a video conference on the role of cities and regions in post-Covid-19 economic recovery.
In the presence in particular of the Commissioner for Cohesion and Reform, Elisa Ferreira, and the co-rapporteur for the European Parliament on the MFF 2021-2027, Jan Olbrycht (EPP, Poland), the Committee President went on to explain that, in view of the new context, it was necessary to renew the Cohesion Alliance declaration.
The objective is twofold, we are told. Firstly, the Alliance wants to “secure” the future cohesion policy and obtain guarantees that the extension envisaged by the European Commission of the extraordinary measures decided under Covid-19 (see EUROPE 12460/3) will not undermine future cohesion programmes. Secondly, the Alliance wants to ensure that cohesion, within the meaning of the European Treaties, is the basis of the future recovery policy.
The consultation was launched on 9 May and is expected to run until the beginning of June. In the provisional document of the declaration, it is requested in particular that cohesion policy should account for one third of the Multiannual Financial Framework and be reinforced by the Recovery Plan. The Alliance also calls for the Member States to reach agreement on the next financial framework enabling cohesion programmes to start as early as 1 January 2021.
To consult the provisional statement: https://bit.ly/2YZe03n (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)