The French Presidency of the EU Council intends to focus not only on the management and implementation of all cohesion policy funds for the period 2021-2027, but also on the issue of transition and outermost regions, according to its work programme.
The Presidency will therefore take stock of the progress made in the new cohesion policy, which is currently experiencing a huge delay in its implementation (see EUROPE 12849/9). In this respect, the Presidency wishes to organise an exchange of views between the Member States on an “efficient and appropriate” management and implementation system for all funds.
It will prepare EU Council conclusions on the basis of the long-awaited 8th Cohesion Policy Report (to be published on 31 January). At an informal meeting of ministers on 1 March, the Presidency intends to tackle the issue of rural areas (the European Commission launched an initiative at the end of December - see EUROPE 12857/6).
It also aims to cover more broadly the challenges faced by territories in industrial transition, regions with a very low population density, and island, cross-border and mountain regions. These exchanges will also be part of the discussions on the 8th report and on the “sub-regional dimension” of cohesion policy, it says in its programme.
Here, the Presidency wants to focus on “territorial challenges in terms of innovation, decarbonisation, connectivity, social cohesion, democracy, citizen participation, good governance and respect for EU values in the projects supported”. The latter is a topical issue, especially with the Polish regions declaring themselves LGBTI-free zones (see EUROPE 12763/1).
Outermost regions
The Presidency will give “particular importance” to the outermost regions (ORs). Conclusions will be prepared by the Presidency following the presentation by the Commission of its renewed strategy for the ORs (see EUROPE 12758/24).
To consult the Presidency’s programme (in French): https://bit.ly/3EOfJcZ (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)