Brussels, 04/10/2005 (Agence Europe) - In its response to the consultation process launched by the European Commission on its draft EU strategic guidelines for 2007-2013 (that ended on 30 September), the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CRPM) lists guidelines it believes would guarantee that the aim of reducing differences between regions is taken into account. In a press release, the CRPM says that cohesion policy based on territorial differentiation both for budget purposes and for thematic priorities is possible and legitimate, and would be more effective because it would have a greater impact on reservoirs of growth potential in Europe and would strengthen political cohesion across the entire continent through regional players working more closely together. Regional policy that is not guided by taking territorial cohesion into account would, the CRPM's view, be reduced to no more than either a policy applied willy-nilly across the board apart from 'convergence' and 'phasing in and out' regions (Does the Commission really want this, wonders the CRPM), or a policy reserved for 'convergence' regions, an argument defended by various Member States which would like regional policy to be re-nationalised. In this context, the CRPM argues that the European Commission and the Council should carefully weigh up the political consequences of any choice that fails to satisfy at regional levels. The involvement of the regions in European affairs is one of the most specific characteristics of the European project and reducing this would jeopardise the EU's medium and long-term solidity and the likelihood of the European model being replicated at global level.