At the initiative of the Czech Deputy Prime Minister, Ivan Bartós, the ministers responsible for cohesion policy from Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia adopted a joint declaration in Prague calling for a robust and flexible cohesion policy for the period after 2027 (the end of the current financial framework).
The Commissioner for Cohesion, Elisa Ferreira, took part in the debate on the future of this policy (see EUROPE 13390/6).
This declaration was adopted at an informal meeting of the ministers responsible for cohesion policy from the Visegrád group (or V4 for Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia) and seven other EU Member States (Romania, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Croatia and the Baltic States).
The declaration on post-2027 cohesion policy calls in particular for a regional approach reflecting territorial specificities and differences, continued support for all regions with an emphasis on the least developed regions and on regions in a development trap, and changes to cohesion policy rules to adapt them to the new socio-economic and political realities.
The Czech Republic holds the annual presidency of the V4 until July 2024.
Link to the declaration: https://aeur.eu/f/c78 (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)