Cohesion funds crucial to enhance growth and jobs in all European regions

Yesterday, the Regional Development Committee of the European Parliament (REGI) discussed the latest developments on the future of the European Cohesion Policy for the period 2014-2020 with the European Commissioner for Regional Policy Johannes Hahn and also gave a mandate for trilogue negotiations for the 2013 EU budget.

Lambert van Nistelrooij MEP, EPP Group Coordinator in the REGI Committee, said: "The EP urges the Council to show real figures in order to allow for better future planning. We need to show European citizens clearly what results have been achieved through the Cohesion Policy so far. According to the experience of the past years, we have to acknowledge that the 7-year planning is not flexible enough to respond to the challenges of our times. Therefore, we should create more flexibility for Member States to allow them to use available funds for economic growth and job-creation according to the specific needs of the regions."

The Committee also gave a mandate for the 2013 EU budget negotiations. László Surján MEP, EPP Group Shadow Rapporteur of the Opinion, said: "Fiscal consolidations must be balanced with investments vital for delivering growth and job creation. Cohesion funds are crucial in this process thus their role has to be maintained in next year's EU budget and in the next financing period 2014-2020." Regarding the mandate given to the EP delegation for the trilogue negotiations, the Hungarian MEP added: "The EP opposes any possible decrease in the levels of payments as compared to the needs estimated earlier in the regions. Any initiatives aimed at cutting the funding of the Cohesion policy go against the EU's interest as it would highly endanger the European economy's recovery."

The MEPs concluded: "Europe is experiencing its deepest crisis since the 1930s. We have to concentrate all our efforts on maintaining the current funding while making better use of EU sources for generating growth and job creation. Our commitment to overcoming the crisis needs to be reflected in the future multiannual financial framework and in the cohesion policy legislative package."