Presided over by María Jesús Montero, Spain’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and the Civil Service, EU ministers will debate the future of cohesion policy in Brussels on Thursday 30 November.
The EU General Affairs Council will adopt conclusions on the future of cohesion policy. In this text, the Council stresses that cohesion policy is a policy for all regions of the Union, but that it is necessary to ensure “more targeted, adaptable support should be ensured for the less-developed ones” in particular, which continue to face structural challenges exacerbated by the multiple asymmetric shocks of recent crises.
Link to the draft conclusions: https://aeur.eu/f/9vf
The ministers will also discuss the end of the 2014-2020 programming period. In an information note, the Spanish Presidency of the EU Council stresses that the process (end of the 2014-2020 period) is coming to an end, with 31 December 2023 being the closing date for the eligibility of expenditure and 30 June 2024 the closing date for the certification and declaration of expenditure. As of 31 October 2023, the implementation rate for the EU27 was 84% (including only expenditure already declared by the Member States, not expenditure actually incurred and actually incurred and reviewed by them).
Finally, the Council will debate the pursuit of Europe’s strategic autonomy. In a note, the Spanish Presidency of the Council points out that it is increasingly important for the EU to be able to develop a solid, resilient and sustainable industrial fabric, that enables it to protect its sovereignty and increase its autonomy. To this end, the note says that the EU must ensure that large companies in strategic sectors “remain on European soil so that they can provide essential goods and services for the future and create strategic”, high-quality, high-value-added jobs. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)