The outlines of the high-level conference on the future of cohesion policy announced by the European Commissioner for Cohesion Policy, Elisa Ferreira, are beginning to take shape (see EUROPE 13039/9). The aim of this conference will be to kickstart the consideration of the future of this policy throughout 2023, leading to a set of recommendations in 2024.
Two sources have confirmed to EUROPE that the starting point for the discussion will be the conclusions of the 8th Cohesion Report (see EUROPE 12887/2). In addition, the conference will focus on the challenges that threaten cohesion, namely: the new drivers of disparity, the strengthening of the role of the regions and ways to ensure that cohesion policy delivers on its promises by 2050.
As for the composition, Andrés Rodríguez-Pose, Professor of Economic Geography at the London School of Economics (LSE) is expected to chair the conference. On the academic side, he will be accompanied by John Bachtler, Professor at the University of Strathclyde, Scotland. On the political side, former elected representatives include former MEP Constanze Krehl (S&D, German), former president of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) Karl-Heinz Lambertz, former European Commissioner for Employment László Andor, and former president of the Tuscany region Enrico Rossi. In total, the group will consist of 13 members. Their recommendations will feed into the 9th report on cohesion. (Original version in French by Hélène Seynaeve)