On Wednesday 16 November, the Member States’ ambassadors to the EU (‘Coreper’) approved the Czech EU Council Presidency’s conclusions on the cohesion policy. Agreeing with the findings of the informal meeting of EU ministers responsible for the cohesion policy (see EUROPE 13013/5), they insisted on maintaining the long-term objectives of the cohesion policy while welcoming the new simplifications and flexibilities.
Added value of cohesion. The Member States recalled its “powerful leverage effect”, estimating that in 15 years, every euro spent on the cohesion policy has generated an additional €2.7 for the EU’s GDP. Similarly, they insisted on the positive impact of the co-management principle, a key element of the cohesion policy which must be preserved.
Flexibility and simplification. They welcomed the introduction of more flexible and simpler rules in the 2021-2027 programming period. They encouraged the European Commission to continue in this direction, including after 2027, to reduce the administrative burden.
Long-term objectives versus risk management. Thus, while they recognised that cohesion policy is not a crisis instrument, they considered that it must “be able to adapt to new developments without compromising its structural and long-term objectives”. Member States therefore call on the Commission to ensure that the repercussions of the war in Ukraine do not undermine the implementation of the programmes. They also call for territoriality to be taken into account in the design and implementation of all EU instruments, “including those responding to unexpected global challenges”.
Multiplication of instruments. Furthermore, the ambassadors warned that the multiplication of funding instruments “potentially compromises Cohesion Policy’s capacity to deliver on its long-term objectives, increases costs of coordination and creates administrative burden on Member States, regions, and beneficiaries”. For them, these instruments must be clearly delineated to avoid overlap.
Finally, they urged the Commission to ensure that the implementation of the 2021-2027 programmes will not be delayed any further and to speed up the adoption of territorial plans for a just transition.
These conclusions are expected to be formally approved by the Ministers responsible for the cohesion policy at the General Affairs Council (GAC) dedicated to cohesion on Tuesday 22 November. On this occasion, they will also discuss the long-term perspectives of the policy and its possible transformations post-2027.
To read the conclusions: https://aeur.eu/f/42z (Original version in French by Hélène Seynaeve)