OPEN DAYS: bringing cohesion policy closer to citizens
The new legislative proposals on cohesion policy for 2014-2020 took centre stage at the opening session of this year’s OPEN DAYS – European Regions and Cities. European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek and European Commission President José Manuel Barroso both underlined the need for a cohesion policy designed to bolster growth and rebuild the citizens’ confidence.
European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek underlined that “the most important factor in cohesion policy is to be as close as possible to our citizens.” He called upon all politicians to cooperate closely and translate the draft into legislation which is comprehensible and responds to the citizens’ need for jobs.
“We can’t have stability in Europe unless we have stability in the regions”, said European Commission President José Manuel Barroso. With this “fair and balanced proposal”, the Commission is aiming for more consistency and more coherence in cohesion policy, he said. Mr Barroso called on the audience “to make the case of Europe in your countries: the money that you in invest is not for Brussels, it is for the regions!”
EP Regional Development Committee chair Danuta Hübner welcomed the proposal and promised that MEPs will work closely with Member States, the Commission and regions “to do everything to turn this into the best regulation by the end of 2012”, led by the need “to support sustainability and growth”.
She stressed the EU added value of an integrated cohesion policy combining the EU 2020 goals and a local approach. Any conditions tagged onto regional funding should be linked exclusively to regional policy, she concluded, and not be used in a “chain of punishments” targeting national governments for failing to meet macro-economic conditions.
Committee of the Regions President Mercedes Bresso and regional representatives voiced a fear that that “the red rag” of macro-economic conditions might hamper investment at local and regional levels. “If local authorities are made to suffer, in a moment of crisis, how can we justify that?” Ms Bresso asked.
You can review the full debate on the Parliament’s Website by VOD (see link below).
Danuta HÜBNER (EPP, PL), Chair of the Regional Development Committee
Urban Dimension of Cohesion Policy
CoR Room 52 - 11/10/2011 – 14.00
Territorial dimension of Cohesion policy after 2013
South West European Partnership Office - 11/10/2011
High Level Seminar on the Smart Specialisation Strategies
Northern Ireland Executive Office in Brussels - 12/10/2011 – 11.15
Lambert VAN NISTELROOIJ (EPP, NL)
Energy and territory: From multilevel governance to local agreements
CoR Room 53 - 11/10/2011 – 14.45
Breaking the taboo: time for smart spending of EU funds
CoR Room 62 - 12/10/2011 – 11.15
High-Level workshop and panel debate on Smart specialisation strategies for regional growth
DG Regio Centre Borschette Room OA - 12/10/2011 – 14.30
Alyn SMITH (Greens, UK)
Islands: How can EU policies help filling the gap? –
Residence Palace, Polak conference Room - 11/10/2011 – 09.00
Kathleen VAN BREMPT (S&D, BE)
Energy and territory: From multilevel governance to local agreement
CoR Room 53 - 11/10/2011 – 14.45
Jan OLBRYCHT (EPP, PL)
Urban Europe: Towards an urban dimension of future cohesion policy
Centre Borschette DG REGIO Room 0D - 11/10/2011 – 09.00
Urban Dimension of Cohesion Policy
CoR Room 52 - 11/10/2011 – 14.00
Alain CADEC (EPP, FR)
The Atlantic - A Source of Opportunities for Sustainable Growth
Permanent Representation of Portugal to the EU - 11/10/2011 – 14.30
Satu HASSI (Greens, FI)
Europe 2020: Regions and cities contributing to resources efficiency
CoR Room 62 - 11/10/2011 – 14.30
Malcolm HARBOUR (ECR, UK)
The local and regional authorities as drivers of change towards a fully integrated Single Market
CoR - Van Maerlant, Room 3 - 12/10/2011 – 14.30
Patrice TIROLIEN (S&D, FR)
Presentation of the portal of decentralised cooperation
CoR Van Maerlant, Room 1 - 12/10/2011 – 11.15
Riikka MANNER (ALDE, FI)
Rural transport solutions - Action model for enhancing rural transport services in sparsely populated regions
Scotland House Conference Centre - 12/10/2011 – 11.15
Andres PERELLO RODRIGUEZ (S&D, ES)
2014+ Will Cross-Border Cooperation in Health still matter?
House of the Dutch Provinces - 12/10/2011 – 14.30
Carl HAGLUND (ALDE, FI)
Baltic Sea Strategy: State of Play before the European Commission's review
Centre of the Regions
Information Office Mecklenburg-Vorpommern to the EU - 12/10/2011 – 14.30
Marie-Thérèse SANCHEZ-SCHMID (PPE, FR)
13 programmes – 1 goal: To improve quality of life through transnational cooperation!
Centre Borschette DG REGIO 0D - 12/10/2011 – 11.15
Workshop of the EGTC Platform – The proposal of revision of the EGTC Regulation
CoR Room 52 - 12/10/2011 – 14.30
Oldrich VLASAK (ECR, CZ)
Smart, sustainable and inclusive growth – EU Capital Cities and Regions showing the way
Brussels Info Point – 12/10/2011 – 11.15
Gilles PARGNEAUX (S&D, FR)
Workshop of the EGTC Platform - The proposal of revision of the EGTC Regulation
CoR Room 52 - 12/10/2011 – 14.30
Roberta ANGELILLI (EPP, IT)
Thinking new models of urban PPPs delivering Europe 2020
CoR Room 62 - 13/10/2011 – 09.00
Corien WORTMANN-KOOL (EPP, NL)
Towards the 2012 Annual Growth Survey: reviewing progress of territorial pacts between regions, cities and national governments to implement Europe 2020 CoR Room 51 - 13/10/2011 – 09.00