• Posted 20-Jul-2020

Europe's recovery will fail without a strong cohesion policy and a real partnership among EU, national, regional and local actors

An EU-wide coalition warns Member States that the compromise on EU budget and Recovery Plan must preserve investment on regions and cities.

The crisis triggered by the COVID 19 pandemic is undermining Europe's economic, territorial and social cohesion and its capacity to deliver a greener, inclusive and smart transition towards a more sustainable future.  This is why the #CohesionAlliance – an EU-wide coalition gathering more than 12,000 signatories - urges EU Member States to support a strong Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-27 and recovery plans. The MFF and recovery plans must support cohesion as a fundamental value of the European Union and as a key objective for all its policies and investments.

The #CohesionAlliance also calls for a strong, effective and flexible cohesion policy based on long-term perspectives and the principles of partnership involving local and regional governments in all recovery measures. This will help kickstart and rebuild the economy, foster sustainability and strengthen territorial and social cohesion in the European Union.

These demands were included in a declaration handed over to EU Cohesion Commissioner Elisa Ferreira and REGI Chair Younous Omarjee during a video conference on 14 July, three days before the European Council meeting in Brussels. 

Anyone who believes in a strong EU cohesion policy is welcome to join the #CohesionAlliance by signing the new declaration. All 12.000 signatories of the initial declaration are invited to reaffirm their political commitment by raising awareness about the vital role of cohesion policy and the need for a strong cohesion policy in the next long-term EU budget and Recovery Plan.

Source: European Committee of the Regions News (https://bit.ly/30vvrr4)