National delegations made good progress on React-EU, the initiative to strengthen cohesion policy in the wake of the pandemic, at the meeting of the EU Council's Structural Actions working party on Monday 28 September.
There were further discussions in connection with a note from the European Commission compiling all sectoral climate objectives in the next multiannual financial framework, including React-EU. This is an update following the July agreement, which sets a target of 30% of climate spending in the context of the next Multiannual Financial Framework and the Next Generation EU Recovery Plan (see EUROPE 12532/2).
The European Commission has calculated that in order to achieve the target set in the European Council conclusions, it would be necessary to include a target of 37% in the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism and 25% in React-EU.
However, the addition of a quantified objective for the climate seemed problematic for several delegations for whom React-EU is above all a short-term response to the pandemic and not a structural policy linked to long-term objectives. Moreover, as the expenditure programming at Member State level has already started, introducing a thematic concentration would pose serious difficulties and administrative burdens.
Accordingly in order to find an agreement that could be agreed upon by everyone, Member States have reaffirmed in the recitals of the Regulation the lack of thematic concentration in React-EU, as well as the possibility of directing React-EU resources to the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) or the European Social Fund + (ESF+). They also highlighted that it is possible for Member States to direct React-EU resources to their national needs and priorities.
The German EU Council Presidency hopes to reach an agreement at the meeting of the Committee of Permanent Representatives on Wednesday, 7 October, where the revised mandates for the various structural and investment funds will be presented in full, one week behind the German Presidency's original target date. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)